Masonry Magazine September 2010 Page. 28
MORTARS, MIXTURES AND STAINING
Tyler says, "With the Mason Bond, we were able to adhere to the pavers directly to the concrete wall. In addition, the pavers were two inches thick, and some were 12 X 12 inches, so we were concerned the weight would approach the design limits of mortar.
"Test reports showed the bond strength with Mason Bond was more than 3.33 times stronger than code requirements and had better durability than mortar when exposed to environmental conditions that the wall would be exposed to, like freeze-thaw. In addition, we were installing the pavers a few days before the stadium would open, and we wanted to make sure the wall would be fully cured. Mason Bond would be as strong as mortar in four hours and would reach full cure within 24 to 48 hours."
Can do in Kansas
WHEN KIRK BROTHERS INC. of Alvada, Ohio, installed the pavers, one of the initial challenges was assuring the pavers didn't pull away from the wall as the adhesive was curing. Kirk Brothers was able to develop a simple, wooden brace for the system that applied positive pressure to the pavers and held them in place as the adhesive cured. After about 45 minutes, they were able to remove the brace, since Mason Bond then had enough strength to hold the pavers in place.
The high strength of Mason Bond resulted in C.L. Maurer, senior landscape architect at Landplan Engineering in Lawrence, Kan, specifying Mason Bond on two high school stadium projects, also in Lawrence. The School District of Lawrence Kansas decided to build new sports complexes, which included 8,000-seat football stadiums for both schools with soccer, softball and baseball facilities. Landplan designed the bleachers for the stadiums using retaining wall blocks, caps for the seats, and pavers. Construction of the stadiums was completed in August 2009.
During the design, Maurer expressed concern about the dynamic pressure load of people moving up and down the stadium stairs and the seats. Brad Minnick, sales manager of Capital Concrete, recommended Mason Bond for the project.
"I recommended Mason Bond, because it is three times stronger than other hardscape adhesives, and they have done extensive testing to verify its performance based on strength and durability," Minnick says.
Product Watch
Polymer Modified Stone Veneer Mortar That Sticks
If you've ever installed a thin stone or brick masonry unit, only to have the stone or bricks sag and fall off the wall, any mason who has had callback issues with sagging stone veneer and thin stone units will more than appreciate this new, pre-blended Polymer Modified Stone Veneer Mortar from SPEC MIX. The SPEC MIX Polymer Modified Stone Veneer Mortar (PMSVM) is blend of dry cementitious materials, masonry sand and performance admixtures, including bonding agents specifically designed reduce sag during installation and increase adhesion of thin veneer masonry units without having to add liquid bonding agents, to provide superior bond for adhered manufactured and natural thin stone as well as thin brick veneer units. The blend of high performance materials used in SPEC MIX PMSVM reduce and eliminate sagging of the masonry unit during installation and delivers a high strength bond to the substrate.
SPEC MIX PMSVM is a technically advanced mortar designed to provide excellent workability, cohesion, high bond strength, water resistance, efflorescence minimization, and durability. The mortar is used to bond thin veneer stones and thin bricks to a substrate, and works perfectly for scratch and base coat applications. SPEC MIX PMSVM is the ideal a solution for architects and contractors with projects in which an immediate and ongoing need for mortar delivering high bond strength and sag resistance during installation is required. In applications in which mortar joints are not utilized, such as dry stack applications, SPEC MIX PMSVM should be used to gain bond strength and pop-out protection. SPEC MIX PMSVM meets the requirements of ASTM C270 for Type S and N mortar as well as ANSI 118.4 and ACI 530 shear bond standards. SPEC MIX PMSVM has been rigorously tested to reduce the probability of unit "pop-offs" and contractor callbacks to repair failures common with inferior standard mortars.
SPEC MIX Polymer Modified Stone Veneer Mortar benefits:
* HIGH BOND STRENGTH
* High bond strength
* Non-sag performance and reduced cracking
* Reduces pop-offs, call backs and repairs
* Resistance to water penetration and efflorescence
* Pre-blended with sand to minimize labor and waste
* Consistent quality control with every bag
* Great workability and board life.
SPEC MIX PMSVM significantly outperforms standard Type S and N mortar and is the preferred mortar for adhered thinstone veneer masonry installations. SPEC MIX PMSVM requires only water to be added; there are no bonding agents to mix on the jobsite. SPEC MIX PMSVM, and the product has taken the guesswork out of mortar production and selection for adhered stone veneer installation. By blending all of the components together during the manufacturing process, SPEC MIX PMSVM ensures installers, designers and project owners alike that the building is constructed with material engineered for consistent workability, high performance, and superior bond strength.
For more information on this innovative preblended stone veneer mortar product contact SPECMIX at 888-773-2649 or go to www.specmix.com. IMAS
Long-term testing addressed various environmental conditions, including freeze-thaw, hot, cold, and wet-dry cycling that are typical to the conditions the stadiums are exposed to in Lawrence. The testing gave Landplan the confidence to specify Mason Bond for the projects.
"It is amazing how well it has held up since the project ended," Maurer says.
ITW TACC didn't expect the hardscape market to use Mason Bond, due to the higher cost of Mason Bond compared to other hardscape adhesives. "We discovered many architects and contractors have realized the performance benefits, including superior strength and quick cure time, and are specifying