Masonry Magazine October 2008 Page. 36
MORTARS
And, if mortar is the critical element in the wall, then for many masons, the critical element in mortar has become the way it is done on the jobsite. According to Jeff Leonard, VP of bulk materials for Quikrete in Milwaukee, "From our perspective and commercial masonry's perspective, the influx of silo delivery systems, such as those from Spec Mix, has lent itself to the use of pre-blended mortars. In the past, we were able to add pigments in just the exact amounts that were necessary, but today we get many more requests than just for color. More and more, we're seeing the need for accelerators or retarders. We do integral water repellant mortars. Those require dosages that are very small compared to the 3000-pound bag that we make them in - as little as 1.75 pounds on some of these materials per 3000 pounds."
Pre-mix companies like Quikrete are able to be precise with some of these items to meet certain situations that the masons, owner or architect may desire. An example of that is a job in New York where the brick that was specified is a king sized and very hard brick, with very low absorption and very heavy. Leonard recalls, "It was specified that we put an accelerant in the mortar so after the mason laid his bed of mortar and put a course of brick on, that the brick did not swim or start moving around before he got to the next course. So we added a dosage of accelerant-just a couple of pounds per 3000-pound super sack of mortar-to provide just enough of a kick to the mortar so that when they put on their course the brick didn't swim."
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Innovations in Packaging
By Lori L. Kardos and Anand Sundaresan
Purchasing cement in plastic bags can save time, money.
When selecting masonry cement mix, the type of packaging material use might not be your first consideration. But packaging can have a significant impact on the performance of cement and may, potentially, reduce product loss. Paper cement bags can become damaged from contact with rain or standing water and may be susceptible to tears or punctures, while plastic cement bags offer a barrier against the elements and have additional toughness protection against rips. Consider the following scenarios when you're thinking about choosing a plastic cement bag over paper.
Case #1: 's not uncommon to dispose of cement bags sitting on a pallet because of rain pooling around the load, or to have to pick out the good bags because the load was rained on the day before. In fact, unless you're planning to use the cement on the day the distributor sends over a load without pallet covers, you're forced to find a roof to avoid product loss. Paper bags don't protect the cement from moisture if they're stored outside. Plastic bags offer a long-term moisture barrier that can prevent the cement from turning lumpy when exposed to the elements.
Case #2: Dry cement can be lost when paper bags tear during routine handling. While breakability is useful when emptying contents into a mixer, the same feature can result in a tear that weakens the bag and causes it to break before it reaches the mixer. If the cement is being transported from a distributor or brick dealer, a small puncture can become a large rip from wind exposure in the back of a truck. Plastic bags offer strong resistance to tears or punctures during transport and handling. At the same time, perforations in the bag help it break easily at the mixer, not before.
The moisture barrier afforded by plastic bags is useful for more than just product storage. Transporting cement becomes much more convenient when moisture damage is of no concern. The cement bags can be shipped on open beds, with no need for a topsheet to protect them from the elements. IMAS
Lori L. Kardos is application & LDPE technology leader, Industrial & Consumer Packaging, for The Dow Chemical Co. Anand Sundaresan, is NA market manager for Heavy Duty Shipping Sacks, The Dow Chemical Co.
Bonsal American, makers of the ProSpec and Sakrete brands, sees similar requirements from their customers. Shawn King, director of marketing for Bonsal American in Charlotte, N.C., says, "We are seeing a significant amount of interest in the pre-blended products from a couple of different standpoints: one, it takes the guess work out of what's actually going into the mortar mix. Did they count the number of sand shovels and cement shovels, whatever the ratio is for that particular application? Was it done correctly? Also, from the standpoint that it's a labor savings. All they have to do here is rip open an 80-pound bag and pour it into the mixer, or take a bulk bag and silo system onto the site, and the job goes a lot faster."