Effect of pozzolanic activity of metakaolin on the mechanical properties of air and quicklime mortars

Abstract eng:
In building conservation practice, there is some difficulty in formulating compatible mortars for use in renders and joints, due to requisites of low elastic modulus, sufficient flexural and compressive strength and adequate behaviour in terms of water intake and drying. To evolve mortars with desired properties, two sets of mortars were prepared: air lime (AL) and quick lime (QL) mortars with a lime/sand volumetric ratio of 1:3. In AL and QL mortars, lime binder was replaced by 10, 20 and 30% of metakaolin (MK). Specimens were cured for 28 days and to latter 90 days. The obtained results show the increase of the mechanical properties in lime-metakaolin mortars when compared to lime mortar, as well as the improvement of flexural and compressive strength with the addition of metakaolin content. This is a result of pozzolanic activity of metakaolin. Mechanical properties of QL/QL-MK mortars are lower compared to AL/AL-MK due to their cracking susceptibility. On the basis of the experiments performed, it can be concluded that the analyzed lime mortars with 30% of metakaolin show the best mechanical properties.

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