INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL
ENGINEERING
CONTENTS
• MORTAR
• BULKING OF SAND
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LIME MORTAR
Fat lime and hydraulic limes are used for making lime mortar.
If fat lime is used sand mixed is normally 2 to 3 times its volume.
If hydraulic lime is used sand mixed is only 2 times the volume of lime.
Lime is prepared by pounding, if quantity required is small or by grinding, if
greater quantity is required.
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PROPERTIES OF LIME MORTAR
• Lime mortar is more flexible than cement-based mortars, allowing for slight movement and expansion
within masonry structures
• Lime mortar has the ability to self-heal small cracks and imperfections over time
• It provides a strong, durable bond that is well-suited for historical restoration projects and traditional
construction methods.
• Lime mortar has a soft, natural appearance that complements the texture and color of masonry
materials.
• It is often used in heritage conservation projects and historic buildings to preserve the authentic
character of the structure.
• Lime mortar is more environmentally friendly than cement-based mortars, as it requires less energy to
produce and emits lower levels of greenhouse gases during manufacturing.
• It is also recyclable and can be repurposed or reused at the end of its service life. 4
LIME MORTAR
Pounding
For pounding pits are formed in hard ground
The size of pit is usually 1.80 m long, 0.4 m wide and 0.5 m deep
It is provided with lining of bricks or stones.
Lime and sand dry mixed with required proportion is placed in the pit
Small quantity of water is added at intervals.
In each interval the mix is pounded with wooden pounders and mortar is turned up
and down.
The process is continued till uniform colour and desired consistency is achieved.
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LIME MORTAR
Grinding
This is the better way of getting good mix.
The grinding may be carried out in bullock driven
grinding mill or in power driven grinding mill.
Figure 1 shows a typical bullock driven grinding
mill. Figure 1: Bullock driven grinding mill [1]
It consists of a circular trench of radius 3 to 4.5 m,
0.3 m wide and 0.4 m deep.
A wooden shaft pivoted at centre carries a stone
wheel of width just 50 mm to 100 mm less than that 6
of trench.
LIME MORTAR
Bullock drive this wheel in the trench for grinding mortar
The dry mix is placed in the trench.
Water is added gradually and bullock driven stone wheels grind the mix
A worker turns the mix up and down regularly.
This method of preparing mortar needs 6 hours and can produce about 1.7 m3 of
mortar.
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LIME MORTAR
Figure 2 shows a typical power driven grinding mill
used for preparing lime mortar.
Two rollers rotate in a pan of diameter 1.8 to 2.4
m.
Either pan or roller is rotated with the help of oil
engine or electric power.
During mixing required quantity of water is added
gradually. Figure 2: Power driven grinding mill [1]
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USES OF LIME MORTAR
• Lime mortar is often used in the restoration and preservation of historic buildings and
monuments.
• Its compatibility with traditional building materials makes it an ideal choice for maintaining the
authenticity and integrity of historic structures.
• Lime mortar can also be used in new construction projects where a more flexible and breathable
mortar is desired.
• It provides excellent bonding strength and durability, especially in areas prone to seismic activity
or environmental stress.
• lime mortar is used for pointing and repointing mortar joints in existing masonry walls. It helps to
repair damaged or deteriorated mortar joints while maintaining the structural integrity and9
aesthetic appearance of the masonry.
MUD MORTAR
Clay lumps are collected and are wetted with water and allowed to mature for 1
or 2 days.
It is kneeded well until it attains consistency
Sometimes fibrous materials like gobber is added in the mix.
It prevents cracks in the plaster.
If plaster is to be used for outer walls, it is sprayed or painted with bitumen
It is cheap mortar
Its durability is less
It is normally used for the construction of temporary sheds and cheap houses in 10
rural areas
SPECIAL MORTAR
The following are some of the special mortars:
1.Cement clay mortar
2. Gauged mortar
3. Decorative mortar
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SPECIAL MORTAR
1. Cement Clay Mortar
Quality of clay mortar can be improved by adding cement to the mix.
Normal proportion of clay to cement is 1:1
It maintains the economy to some extent and there is sufficient improvements in the
durability of mud-mortar.
It is commonly used in masonry construction for binding bricks, stones, or other structural
elements together.
The addition of clay to the mixture can enhance certain properties of the mortar, such
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as workability and adhesion.
SPECIAL MORTAR
2. Gauged Mortar:
It is the mortar obtained by adding cement to lime mortar.
The usual proportion of cement, lime and sand are 1:1:6, 1:2:9 and 1:3:12.
This mortar is to be used within half an hour after mixing cement.
Obviously, it is cheaper than cement mortar and its quality is between that of cement mortar and
lime mortar.
Gauged mortar is commonly used in construction for various applications such as laying bricks,
stones, or blocks in walls, masonry work.
The use of gauged mortar allows for better control over the properties of the mortar, such as its
strength, workability, and setting time, which are important factors in ensuring the durability and13
stability of the structure being built.
SPECIAL MORTAR
3. Decorative Mortar
These mortars are obtained by using coloured cement.
They are used to give pleasant appearance to outer walls.
By altering the sand size or adding aggregates, decorative mortar can achieve different textures,
such as smooth, rough, or even patterned surfaces
Decorative mortar can be finished in various ways, such as brushed, washed, or polished, to
achieve different looks and textures
decorative mortar provides architects, builders, and homeowners with a versatile tool to14
enhance the aesthetic appeal of their construction projects while still providing the necessary
structural integrity.
TESTS ON MORTAR
The following tests are conducted on the prepared mortars to ensure their quality:
1. Crushing Test
2. Tensile Strength Test
3. Adhesive Test.
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TESTS ON MORTAR
1. Crushing Test
This test is carried out on a brick work with the mortar.
This brick work is crushed in a compression testing machine and the load is noted down.
Then the crushing strength is obtained as load divided by cross-sectional area.
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TESTS ON MORTAR
2. Tensile Strength Test:
The mortar prepared is placed in a mould of
bricket which has central cross-sectional area as
38 mm X 38 mm.
After curing the briquette [Fig.3] is pulled under
the grips of tensile testing machine.
The ultimate load noted Fig 3: Briquette for tensile test
Then the tensile strength of mortar is load divided
by the central cross-sectional area. 17
TESTS ON MORTAR
3. Adhesive Test
Two bricks are joined together with mortar
to be tested as shown in Fig. 4
The upper brick is suspended from an
overhead support.
A board is hung from the lower brick
Fig 4: Adhesiveness test arrangement
Then weights are added to the board till
the bricks separate
The adhesive strength is the load divided 18
by area of contact
BULKING OF SAND
The increase in the volume of sand due to increase in moisture content is known
as bulking of sand.
A film of water is created around the sand particles which forces the particles to
get a side from each other and thus the volume is increased.
The increase in moisture in sand increases the volume of sand.
The volume increase in dry sand is known as the bulking of sand.
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BULKING OF SAND
Bulking of sand depends on the quantity of
moisture in the sand and also the size of the
particles.
Five to eight percent of the increase in
moisture in the sand can increase the volume of
sand up to 20 to 40 percent.
Fig 5: Bulking of sand
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REFERENCES
• 1. TEXTBOOK ON BASIC CIVIL ENGINEERING BY S.S. BHAVIKATTI
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THANK YOU
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