building BLOCKS

Mortar Compressive Strength

By Michael Reynolds, Fernando S. Fonseca, Ph.D., S.E., Theodore Moffett

M ortar is specified by proportions or by properties. The pro-

portion method is simply a mortar recipe or certain volumes
of cementitious materials and aggregate combined with water that
gives a workable mix. Experience shows that if a specified recipe is
followed, mortar with certain performance characteristics is consis-
tently obtained. Sampling, testing, or measurement of properties in
the laboratory or in the field is not required of a proportion-specified
mortar.
The property method of specifying mortar allows for construction
flexibility but requires the mortar to have minimum average values
of certain mechanical properties, including compressive strength. The
values of the mortar’s mechanical properties, to be compared with the
minimum specified values, are determined through laboratory testing
according to the requirement prescribed in ASTM C270, Standard
Specification for Mortar for Unit Masonry. Once the minimum
average values of the mechanical properties are obtained, the quantities
of cementitious materials and aggregates used in the preparation of
the laboratory mortar are converted to volumetric proportions for
making the mortar at the construction site.

Compressive Strength
A property-specified mortar needs first to be developed in the labora-
tory, through a trial-and-error procedure, to determine a mix that
meets the property specification of ASTM C270. Trial mixes must
be made from the materials to be used at the construction site as
specified in the project specifications and be prepared according to
the strict specifications outlined in ASTM C270. One of these strict
specifications is that water is added to obtain a flow of only 110 ±
5%. The amount of water to obtain such a flow is significantly smaller
than that used in the preparation of the mortar at the construction
site. Before construction begins, the mortar mix must go through
preconstruction testing evaluation. For preconstruction testing, the
mortar is mixed using the volumetric quantities of the materials to Figure 1. Cube vs. cylinder compressive strength.
be used in construction and must have a consistency similar to that
of the field mortar. To achieve such a field consistency, the amount but significantly lower than that obtained during the trial-and-error
of water added is significantly greater than that used during the mix development.
laboratory trial-and-error procedure to develop a suitable mortar mix. Compressive strength testing of mortar specimens, such as that used
During the preconstruction evaluation, the mortar is tested to establish during the trial-and-error development of the mix and preconstruction
baseline values for comparative evaluation of the field mortar. The and construction evaluations, establishes one of the characteristics of
values obtained during the mortar preconstruction evaluation shall hardened mortar. Field mortar compressive strength test values are
not be compared to the values obtained during the development of not representative of the actual compressive strength of mortar in
the mix because, most importantly, during the mix development, the the masonry wall and are not appropriate for use in predicting the
mortar is mixed to a drier consistency. During construction evaluation, compressive strength that would be attained by the mortar in the
mortar is tested to obtain values for comparison to the baseline values masonry. The measured compressive strength of a molded mortar
established during the preconstruction evaluation and to determine specimen is lower than that of the same mortar in the masonry,
batch-to-batch mortar uniformity. primarily due to differences in mortar water content and specimen
A property-specified mortar typically has three different values of shape. Mortar compressive strength is influenced by mortar water
average compressive strengths: one obtained during the trial-and-error content at the time of set. Because molded mortar specimens are
development of the mix according to ASTM C270, one obtained not in contact with absorptive masonry units and are not subjected
during preconstruction evaluation, and one obtained during con- to other mechanisms of water loss, they have a higher water content
struction evaluation. The values obtained during preconstruction than mortar in the masonry. Higher water content results in lower
and construction evaluations are expected to be similar to each other compressive strength. Specimen size and shape also affect compressive

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 Figure 2. Double punch test results.

strength. Cylinders and cubes exhibit different strengths even when among different masons. Variable water contents were therefore used
made from the same mortar mix, and the use of either specimen in this research to determine the degree to which the compressive
configurations yields lower strengths than what would be attained if strength of the mortar was affected.
a specimen having the same size and configuration of a typical mortar
Mixing Procedures
joint could be reliably tested. In addition, the mortar in a masonry
joint is in a state of stress different from that of the cylinder or cube The mortar utilized was prepared using the procedures listed in ASTM
specimen tested for their unconfined compressive strength. C305, Standard Practice for Mechanical Mixing of Hydraulic Cement
Pastes and Mortars of Plastic Consistency. This standard specifies the
apparatus to be used for mixing the mortar, as well as the temperature
Previous Research and humidity, and provides a step-by-step procedure. The introduction
As described above, the measured compressive strength of a molded of the material into the mixing bowl, however, was modified slightly to
mortar specimen is lower than the strength of the same mortar in accommodate the use of bagged mortar mix instead of raw materials.
the masonry. Research has been conducted to try to determine the After mixing the components of the mortar for the specified amount
compressive strength of in-situ mortar. In most of the cases, however, of time, a small mortar sample was used to perform a mortar flow
research was done to determine the compressive strength of the mortar test in accordance with ASTM C1437.
in existing historical structures, which typically were constructed with
Specimen Shapes and Sizes
weak mortars with very low compressive strength. To the knowledge
of the authors, no attempt has been made to determine a correlation Standard 2-inch mortar cubes and 2- × 4-inch cylinder specimens
between the compressive strengths of a laboratory mortar and an were used for compressive strength testing. According to ASTM
in-situ mortar because of the difficulties associated with obtaining C780, Standard Test Method for Preconstruction and Construction
undisturbed specimens from masonry and the lack of a standardized Evaluation of Mortars for Plain and Reinforced Unit Masonry, when
procedure for testing such specimens. the compressive strengths from cube and cylinder test specimens from
the same mix are compared, the cylinder compressive strength is
approximately 85% of the cube compressive strength. The first phase
A Pilot Research Program of testing was organized to verify the compressive strength disparity
The objective of the research presented herein was to determine between cube and cylinder specimens.
a correlation between the compressive strengths of mortar made In addition, cured cubes were cut to thicknesses of approximately
from the same mix but using different specimen configurations. ¼, 3⁄8, ½, 5⁄8, and 7⁄8 inch. These mortar slices were also used for
Several batches of mortars with different water content were mixed, compressive strength testing. The thicknesses used in this research
and molded specimens of different configurations were made for were selected to provide a wider range, even though bed mortar joint
compressive strength testing. thickness is typically specified as 3⁄8 inch with an allowable tolerance
of plus or minus 1⁄8 inch.
Materials
Both Type N and Type S mortar were used in this research. Pre-
blended mortar mix was used to make all mortar to mitigate
Compressive Strength of Cubes vs. Cylinders
ingredient variability. Mortars with six water content variations were made and a minimum
Water has an integral role in the compressive strength of mortar and is of seven specimens were cast from each mortar batch to compare
the sole determinant of fluidity. ASTM C1437, Standard Test Method the compressive strength of cubes and cylinders. The compressive
for Flow of Hydraulic Cement Mortar, establishes a mortar flow test strength of the specimens was obtained according to the requirement
as the means of measuring the amount of water present in mortar and methodology outlined in ASTM C109, Standard Test Methods
paste. However, flow is seldom paired to a specific water content. for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars. The results
In the field, masons add water until a desired workable consistency of the compressive strength testing of the cubes and cylinders are
is achieved. Different preferences of mortar fluidity may even exist presented in Figure 1 (page 7).

8 STRUCTURE magazine
Table of compressive strengths and corresponding compressive strength increase.

Compressive Strength (psi) Strength Compressive Strength (psi) Strength

Flow Flow
Type N Mortar 3
⁄8-inch-Thick Increase Type S 3
⁄8-inch-Thick Increase
(in) (in)
Cube Specimen (%) Mortar Cube Specimen (%)
5.1 3541 4731 34 4.8 3073 7481 143
5.8 2111 4316 104 6.3 2056 5539 169
6.6 1419 4337 206 7.5 1794 4310 141
7.1 1304 3408 161

The results show small discrepancies as the expected compressive each mortar flow; these values were obtained from the interpolation
strength of the Type N mortar with 5.6-inch flow appears to be slightly of the values presented in Figure 2.
lower, the compressive strength of the Type S mortar with 5-inch flow The Table also shows the percentage increase in compressive strengths
appears to be slightly higher, and the cube compressive strength of for cube mortar specimens compared to a 3⁄8-inch specimen. For all
the Type S mortar with 5-inch flow appears to be slightly higher. In cases, except for Type N mortar with a 5.1-inch flow, the compressive
general, the results indicate that as the flow increases, attributable to strength more than doubled when comparing cube strength to the
water content increases, the compressive strength decreases. Average test typical mortar joint 3⁄8-inch-thick specimen strength.
results indicate that the cylinder compressive strength is approximately These results have significant implications related to the compres-
73% and 65% of the cube compressive strength for Type S and Type N sive strength of mortar in a masonry assembly. During construction
mortar, respectively. The smaller compressive strength of the cylinders evaluation, the mortar is tested and a compressive strength value
was expected due to their higher slenderness ratio and the probability is determined. The obtained value should, however, not be used
of a greater number of flaws and failure planes due to their greater size. to make any judgment of the mortar compressive strength in the
Although the ratios are slightly smaller than that given in ASTM C780, masonry assembly. If, however, the mortar compressive strength in
the values are similar to that obtained by other researchers (Elwell and the masonry assembly is erroneously compared to that of the mortar
Fu 1995, Parsekian et al. 2014). tested during construction evaluation, the research results presented
herein confirm that the compressive strength of the standard mortar
cube will be significantly lower than the compressive strength of
Compressive Strength of Thin Mortar Specimens the in-situ mortar. The reasons are (a) the cubes are thicker yielding
There is no ASTM standard to determine the compressive strength lower compressive strengths; (b) the cubes are cured in non-absorbent
of mortar specimens extracted from a masonry assembly. The molds having higher water content and therefore lower compressive
Double Punch Test (DPT), however, has been used to determine the strength; and (c) the cubes are tested under unconfined compression
compressive strength of thin mortar specimens. The DPT determines which results in lower compressive strength.
the compressive strength of thin mortar specimens by means of
compressing the center area of the specimen with steel rods. The
DPT allows for some simulation of mortar joint confinement. The
Conclusions
DPT involves the use of two steel rods tapered at the ends to create a The following conclusions are made from the research presented:
circular loading surface with a ¾-inch diameter. The rods or punches 1) Water content affects the compressive strength of mortar.
compress both sides of a layer of mortar. 2) Specimen shape influences the compressive strength
Each type of mortar used three variations of water content, and two of mortar.
batches were made for each water content. In most cases, the two 3) Specimen thickness influences the compressive strength
batches with the same water content yielded nearly identical mortar of mortar.
flows, and they were simply combined. However, in one instance, The results presented show that a 3⁄8-inch in-situ mortar joint will
despite careful measurements, a batch of the Type N mortar did not have significantly greater compressive strength over a cube
produce similar flows, so they were kept separate. Several 2-inch specimen made of the same mortar and tested according to
mortar cubes were cast: some tested according to ASTM C109 and prescribed ASTM standards.■
some sliced to thicknesses of approximately ¼, 3⁄8, ½, 5⁄8, and 7⁄8 inch
for double punch testing. The online version of this article contains references.
Results of the Double Punch tests are shown in Figure 2. The results Please visit www.STRUCTUREmag.org.
clearly show that the thickness of the specimen affects the compressive
strength of the mortar and, for the results presented herein, the
compressive strength increased with decreased thickness. There is a Michael Reynolds is a Graduate Student at Brigham Young University,
small increase in compressive strength from the 5⁄8-inch to the 7⁄8-inch Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He participated in the
mortar research project. ([email protected])
specimens since the 7⁄8-inch specimens are thicker than the diameter
of the puncher. Another general observation is that compressive Fernando S. Fonseca is a Professor at Brigham Young University,
strength increases with the decrease of mortar flow, or decreased Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Fonseca supervised
water content. The small discrepancies observed for Type N are due the mortar research project. ([email protected])
to normal variations of mortar testing (Jessop and Langan 1979). Theodore Moffett is a Graduate Student at Brigham Young University,
The Table shows the compressive strengths of the cubes that were Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He participated in the
tested for comparisons to the DPT results. Also presented are the mortar research project. ([email protected])
approximate compressive strengths of a 3⁄8-inch-thick specimen for

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 References
Elwell, D. J., and Fu, G. (1995). Compression testing of concrete: cylinders vs. cubes. Report FHWA/NY/SR-95/199,
Transportation Research and Development Bureau, New York State Department of Transportation.

Parsekian, G. A., Fonseca, F. S., Pinheiro, G. L., and Camacho, J. S. (2014). Properties of Mortar Using Cubes, Prism Halves,
and Cylinder Specimens, ACI Materials Journal, 111(4)

Jessop, E. L., and Langan, B. W. (1979). Influence of Mortar Cube Strength Variability on the Measured Compressive and Flexural
Strengths of Clay Masonry Prisms, 5th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference, 05-10 October 1979,
Washington D.C., U.S.A.

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