The approach to job site mortar quality control in the United States varies depending upon the manner in which the mortar was specified. For mortars specified by proportions of the constituent materials, quality control can be as simple as verifying that the proper volumes of each material are introduced into the mortar mixer. For projects where mortar properties, such as compressive strength or air content, are specified, tests are required to verify the supplied mortar meets the property requirements. ASTM Standard C 780 includes several different test procedures that are applicable for determination of properties of site-mixed mortars. Other, less common, test methods may also be used in special situations. Methodologies for determination of wall water penetration resistance and mortar-unit bond strength are sometimes specified for critical applications. There remains a good deal of confusion among design professionals regarding appropriate mortar specification and testing procedures and recommendations for improvements to the existing approaches are provided.
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