15/03/04

Mortar site batching remains in decline

The use of factory-produced mortar has now risen to about 80 per cent of the 2.5 million cubic metres used annually on sites around the country, according to the Mortar Industry Association.

The association’s chairman Neil Beningfield commented this week: “Two years ago we carried out a survey that showed the figure to be at 75 per cent. We estimate this has risen by a further five per cent since then.

“Specifiers increasingly demand consistency in strength, mix and colour and more and more major contractors are changing to factory made mortars without even considering the use of site mixed material. We know of at least one major housebuilder that has taken a policy decision to ban site batching on any of their development sites.

“We believe this trend will continue and expect the use of factory-produced mortar to increase substantially over the next year.

“It is obvious that a man and a shovel cannot meet today’s high specifications, nor do his employers want to bear the cost of mortar failures arising from poorly mixed material.”

The Mortar Industry Association provides independent advice and technical expertise to specifiers and users of factory-produced mortar. It can be contacted by e-mail at Mortar@qpa.org

Further information or access to any photographs contact Brian James at Brian.James@mineralproducts.org or call 020 7963 8000.

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