Air lime-earth blended mortars - Assessment on fresh state and workability

Abstract

Air lime-earth blended mortars have been widely used as masonry, rendering and plastering mortars, mainly for stone or earth masonries. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the scientific knowledge about the characteristics of this type of mortars. Fresh state characteristics of mortars affect workability but also hardened state characteristics. Due to these reasons, an experimental campaign was started with air lime mortars, where lime or fine sand was partially replaced by a clayish earth. Consistency, bulk density, air and water content were determined, compared with water intake of the fresh mortars and with mechanical strength. Simultaneously, workability and shrinkage were evaluated through the applications on substrates – on brick in laboratory conditions and on a rammed earth wall on natural exterior environment. The results show the influence of the earth percentage on air lime-earth blended mortars but particularly that this type of mortars can have very good workability, mechanical resistance similar to pure air lime mortars and fulfill the requirements for rendering mortars.