The global drymix mortar industry (Part 1)
Summary: Drymix mortar technology plays a vital role in the development of today’s global construction materials market. Not only are these mortars essential for the aesthetic finish of a building, in more and more cases they provide for thermal insulation and are essential for increasing construction efficiency. All around the world new applications are being developed to address the specific targets of the building industry, as well as those of the general public (e. g. environmental issues). Since 2005 the new markets have been growing at a rate of over 20 % per year, this growth has hardly been impacted by the economic crisis, which mainly affected “old economic areas” and “boomtowns”, such as Dubai.
Minerally bound mortars have been in use for over 2500 years. In the course of time, builders, architects and construction workers have found the following technical terms for the individual building material, which are in use:
– Drymix mortar: dry mixture of aggregates and binder (cement, lime, gypsum), some with performance-enhancing additives and polymers.
– Renders (cementitious, exterior): large volume mortar applications for the finish of brick and blockwork, cement-bound, thicknesses from 5 mm to 40 mm, and related...
