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mortar mixes |
Cement is the basic ingredient in concrete and mortar mixes, modern cement was developed by a French man (Louis Vicat) in the early 19th century. The Romans had used a basic form of cement thousands of years before. Cement is now the second most consumed product in the world after water!
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Cement |
Sand |
Hydrated Lime |
Gravel |
Mortar and concrete require mixing in the correct quantities by volume. This is relatively easy as all you need to do is find a suitable container. Buckets are great for this but it is a good idea to have a separate bucket for the cement as it soon sucks the moisture from the sand and sticks to the bucket.
Below I will give the correct ratios of ingredients, measured in units. It doesn't matter what a unit is as long as all the units are the same size by volume.
| To make- | Cement | Sand | Hydrated lime | Gravel |
| Concrete | 1 Unit | 2 Units | 3 units |
| Strong and Most Durable Mortar Mix | 1 Unit | 4 Units | 1/4 Of 1 Unit |
| Reasonably durable Mortar Mix | 1 Unit | 5 Units | 1 Unit |
| Weak mix suitable for calcium silicate bricks | 1 Unit | 8 Units | 2 Units |
Mortar or concrete can be mixed by hand using a suitable spade, but it is hard work and a cement mixer makes it far easier.
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| Brickwork |
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