1.

4 Mortar and Mortar Joints

Summary of Requirements

Mortar
Minimum Strength: 12.5 MPa at 28 days for structural masonry.

Minimum Bond Strength: 200 kPa at 7 days for non-structural veneer.

Durability: M4 Exposed/Coastal Cement 1 part : Lime 0-0.25 part : Sand 3 parts

M3 Exterior/Inland Cement 1 part : Lime 0.50 part : Sand 4 parts
M2 Interior Cement 1 part : Lime 1 part : Sand 6 parts
Admixture complying with AS 1478 can replace lime.

Sand: To comply with NZS 3103 Specification for sands for mortars and plasters,
Class A.
The sand should not contain more than 0.04% of chloride by dry weight of sand.

Cement: To comply with NZS 3122 Specification for Portland and blended cements
(General and special purpose).

Water: To comply with NZS 3121 Specification for water and aggregate for concrete.

Pigment: Dosage not to exceed 3% dry weight of cement.

Pre-bagged products of Dry Mortar meeting these requirements are available from Cemix Limited and Dricon.

Joints
Nominal Thickness: 10 mm.

Tolerance: ± 3 mm.

Bottom Joint: May vary in thickness from 7 mm to maximum of 20 mm to accommodate

foundation/floor tolerances.

Tooling: Maximum depth 6 mm.

Introduction and segmental retaining wall units - Masonry units

allows a manufacturing tolerance of ± 3 mm in unit
Masonry units are usually bonded together by laying height dimensions so it is feasible that a unit of one
and bedding the units in Portland cement mortar. type could be a little higher or lower than a unit of
The thickness of the mortar joint is part of the another type. This variance can be accommodated
modular system of blockwork. There are some by mortar joints. Mortarless systems require units to
patent mortarless systems available overseas. be manufactured to a significantly higher degree of
dimensional accuracy.
The nominal bedding joint thickness for concrete
masonry is 10 mm.
New Zealand Building Code
The pliable nature of mortar also resolves problems
such as could occur where adjacent units are of The New Zealand Building Code sets out
different types and possibly of differing moulds. requirements or both structural masonry and veneer
AS/NZS 4455 Part 1 Masonry units, pavers, flags construction. The materials and workmanship

New Zealand
Concrete Masonry
Association Inc.
aspects of these two strands of masonry are Water for mixing mortar should be clean, potable
covered by the New Zealand Standard NZS 4210 and comply with NZS 3121 Specification for water
Masonry Construction: Materials and Workmanship. and aggregate for concrete.

Section 2.2 of this Standard sets out the various Mortars may be coloured by adding liquid or powder
requirements for materials and workmanship for pigment during mixing. A suitable pigment must
mortar and mortar joints. maintain colour fastness under sunlight, be
chemically stable in the alkalinity produced by the
Requirements for weathertightness are directly cement and have no detrimental effect on the setting
found within the New Zealand Building Code E2 AS1 time, permeability, workability or strength
and AS3. This issue is discussed further in Section requirements of the mortar. Pigment should be
2.2 of this Manual. added at a rate not exceeding 3% by weight of
cement unless it can be shown that the increased
concentrations have no detrimental effect on the
Materials bond strengths of the mortar, the maximum
permitted dosage being 6%.
Cement used in masonry mortars shall be Portland
cement complying with NZS 3122 Specification for
Portland and blended cements (General and special Mortar Mixes
purpose). Lime shall comply with BS 890 (Building
limes), but may be replaced wholly or partially by The sand/cement ratio of satisfactory mortar is
admixtures provided the strength requirement will be influenced by the characteristics of the sand and by
maintained and the bond between units will not be the service requirements of the mortar. It is
impaired. It is important that a full understanding of accordingly difficult to pre-specify the exact
admixtures and their effects should be gained before sand/cement ratios for masonry mortars.
they are used. Tests should be carried out to check Acceptable mortar mixes, therefore, usually result
that the nominated admixture does not reduce the from considerable experience on the part of the
quality of the mortar and that the required concrete blocklayer; and supported and proved by
compressive and bond strengths can be obtained. standard tests and performance in service.

More than one type of admixture should never be The following mortar mixes are given as a guide to
used together unless such usage has been proved sand/cement ratios, by volume:
to be compatible. Sands for mortars are specified in
NZS 3103 Specification for sands for mortars and
plasters and are defined therein as Class A which Durability Portland Hydrated Mortar
requires that 100% passes a.4.75 mm test sieve. Cement Lime* Sand
Particle size distribution, particle shape and texture
are controlled by a sand flow test as set out in NZS
M4 Very High 1 0-0.25 3.0
3111 Methods of test for water and aggregate for
concrete. Provision is made in NZS 3103 for service
M3 High 1 0.5 4.5
records of sands to be kept and to be the basis of
automatic approval of those sands recorded as
being of the required standard. M2 Medium 1 1 6.0

* Where lime is replaced by a patent admixture it is important

In practice, each mortar sand has its own that such admixture be used in strict accordance with the
characteristics which influence the precise supplier’s instructions and that it would allow the mortar to
proportions used in mortar mixes. A well-graded attain its strength and bond requirements.
sand may be used in larger proportions than
otherwise. Experience is the best guide to a good
mortar sand, but if there is any doubt it is suggested It should be noted that mortar ingredients are usually
that advice be sought from a block manufacturer or measured by volume rather than by weight. In order
licensed mason. that consistency may be achieved it is
recommended that accurate gauging boxes or
The presence of chloride salts from the use of buckets be used in preference to shovels or spades.
unwashed beach sand can cause corrosion of ties
and contribute to salt deposits appearing on the wall The importance of proper proportioning of all mortar
surface. materials cannot be over-emphasised. Over-dosing
with any material could cause problems such as
BRANZ recommendations are that 0.04% of dry colour variation, cracking, absorption and reduced
weight of sand is the maximum level to be tolerated. bond strength.

New Zealand
Concrete Masonry
Association Inc.
Compressive strength of the mortar in structural Mixing
masonry should be at least 12.5 MPa at 28 days and
the masonry to mortar bond should be 200 KPa at 7 Mortar materials should be thoroughly mixed to an
days. even consistency in a mechanical mixer. Paddle
type mixers are preferable, although tilting-drum
Generally the compressive strength of mortar should mixers may be used provided the blades have been
be less than the strength of the units it is bonding adapted to produce the churning effect of a paddle
together. The general strength requirement for mixer. Mixing time should be at least five minutes.
concrete masonry units is 14 MPa.
For small qualities of mortar, e.g. three or four
The bond strength is of limited interest for structural buckets not exceeding 0.03 m, hand-mixing may be
masonry where reinforcing steel and grout provide used provided full-mixing and blending is achieved.
the primary bonding. However in unreinforced
veneer adequate bond strengths are necessary Generally, mortar not used within 1½ hours should
since it is this property that transfers loads of wind be discarded unless special provisions have been
and earthquake to the wall ties, i.e. the bond made.
strength is more important than compressive
strength. Mortar may be retempered by the addition of water
and thorough remixing providing that such mortar is
Typical values of bond strengths on concrete bricks used within the 1½ hour prescribed period from the
are included in the Veneer Section (5.3). initial mixing of the mortar, i.e. retempering does not
extend the life of the mortar beyond 1½ hours.
The water retention test which relates to the loss of
water from the wet mortar to the unit may be
requested although a practical on-site test can be Joint Types
performed as follows:
Figure 1 (page 4) shows some of the tooling details
(a) Mortar two bricks together to correct joint width, commonly practiced. Some are not recommended
strike off mortar and wait two minutes. for external application because of their poorer
weatherproofing properties, but this will be of lesser
(b) Lift the couplet by the top brick to a convenient significance where cavity protects the inner wall.
height, usually waist height, turning the couplet
over so that the lower brick becomes the top Because of the positive barrier to ingress of moisture
brick. any of the joint details illustrated in Figure 1 may be
applied to external cavity or veneer walls without risk
(c) The couplet is then lowered holding the new to inside finishes.
top brick.
Of the details shown, types A, B and C are suitable
(d) The couplet should not part during this test. for internal or external use. Raked and extruded
joints should not be used externally except in cavity
If after adjustment to the mortar mix or dampening of or veneer construction. The flush joint is
bricks, the test still cannot be performed, then the recommended only for walls which received a later
invoking of a full test to ASTM C91 may be required. applied finish or coating.

NZS 4210 Masonry construction: Materials and The joints A, B and C, should only be tooled to a
workmanship describes sample procedures for the maximum depth of 6 mm after initial stiffening has
compressive strength tests in Appendix 2A and for occurred. The delaying of the tooling operation is
the bond test in Appendix 2B (referencing AS 3700). vital if a tight weatherproof joint is to be produced in
Reference should be made to that document for the horizontal and, particularly, vertical joints.
details.
Figure 2 (page 4) illustrates in an exaggerated way
It is very important that having followed the what is happening in the joint and how tooling gives
procedures laid down for sampling and making an improved weathertightness. The whole matter of
specimens of mortar, that correct curing of these the tooling of external joints is of paramount
specimens is undertaken otherwise misleading importance and strict attention to delaying the
results will be produced. operation after initial set of the mortar must be given.

The standard curing regime for mortar strength Further details of tooling are discussed in Section
specimens is shown in the CCANZ Information 1.5 Blocklaying and under Section 2.2 Weather
Bulletin 51 Taking Test Cylinders on Site. Resistance.

New Zealand
Concrete Masonry
Association Inc.
 Figure 1: Joint Types

Figure 2: Tooling of Joints

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Concrete Masonry
Association Inc.