Skip to main content

Merits and demerits of lime mortar

Short answer

Merits: Lime mortar is economical, plastic, easy to apply, has low shrinkage and good bond with bricks. Demerits: Its strength is low and it gains strength slowly; fat lime mortar cannot set in damp conditions and requires long curing.

State any two merits and demerits of lime mortar.

Merits

  1. It is economical, with good workability and plasticity, and easy to apply.
  2. It has less shrinkage and cracking, and is flexible, accommodating small movements; it has good bond with bricks.

Demerits

  1. Its strength is low and it gains strength slowly because setting is slow (days to weeks).
  2. Fat lime mortar does not set in damp places or under water, and needs a long curing period.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Civil Engineering Materials chapter 6 questions →