Speakers - 2026

Title: Characterisation of the mineralogical, chemical and physical properties of earth mortars

Abstract

Earth and cement mortars are commonly used in masonry, especially for building structures made of earth blocks and for heritage construction. The purpose of this study is to examine how mineralogical and chemical elements influence the mechanical properties of two types of mortars. We also measured the water absorption coefficient of the two mortars, which contain different amounts of cement, in order to improve their durability. The results show that compressive strength increases due to the reaction between calcium hydroxide in the cement and the silico-aluminous compounds in the clay minerals. The addition of cement affects the mortar not only through particle size distribution but also through its mineralogical composition, particularly the clay content. Moreover, water absorption decreases with the addition of cement, while it increases when the clay contains more magnesium oxide.