Concrete is a mix of water, aggregate, and cement. The ancient Romans were the first to use it in construction. Grout is a type of Portland cement that is ground to a fine powder and used in concrete. There are eight types of mortar that have unique properties and strengths. The last three types are aerated cements, which contain microscopic air bubbles. Different types of mortar should be chosen based on the purpose and environment of the structure. Variations can affect the color of the resulting concrete.
First, it’s important to understand that cement is only one ingredient in concrete; these two terms are not synonymous. Concrete is the mix of water, some type of aggregate — such as crushed rock or sand — and cement, which acts as a binder to hold all the materials together once it hardens. Evidence suggests that the ancient Romans were the first to use concrete mix in construction, and structures such as the Pantheon are evidence of the success of their invention.
Grout, in its most general and basic form, is referred to as Portland cement, or type one, and is created by burning limestone with other materials at 2,642°F (1,450°C). The result is then ground to produce a fine powder, which becomes one of the components of the concrete. Altering the amounts of the other materials in the burnt mix produces different types of Portland cement, however, each type has unique properties and strengths. The type of mortar used in building a structure should be chosen based on the purpose and environment of the structure.
As the structures have various chemical and physical requirements, eight different types are produced. These types are simply referred to as Type One, Type Two, Type Three, Type Four, Type Five, and Type One-A, Type Two-A, and Type Three-A. Types one through five are distinctly different, while types one-a, two-a, and three-a are modified versions of their counterparts.
Type one is suitable for most basic building uses. Type Two is best for structures built in hot environments, or in soil or water with a high sulfate content. For projects that require strength early on, Type Three is ideal because it provides more strength within a week than the other types. Type Four is useful for limiting heat caused by hydration and is therefore used in massive concrete works, such as dams. When soil or water is rich in chemicals, Type Five should be used because it is manufactured to resist chemical erosion.
The last three types of mortar are known as aerated cements, because they have microscopic air bubbles added to their mixes to increase the concrete’s life. Aerated concretes are especially useful in environments that experience repetitive frosts. Types One-A, Two-A, and Three-A are similar in properties to types One, Two, and Three; air-filled ones simply contain air bubbles.
There are also variations on these eight types that affect the color of the resulting concrete. For example, white can be obtained by leaving out raw materials such as iron and manganese, which give concrete its traditional gray colour.
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