Design methodology for masonry mortars with natural sand along with supplementary cementitious material

The focus of this study is to develop a systematic method to design masonry mortar via weigh batching, considering the variance in water-cement (w/c) ratio on its flow characteristics. An experimental investigation with w/c ratios from 0.3 to 1.0 (0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0) was conducted to obtain flow values of 100% and 150%, except 0.3 for 150% flow. Two mixed compositions were studied: 100% Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and 70% OPC and 30% substitute by fly ash as the supplementary cementitious material. These were conducted in accordance with the standard codes, a flow test was conducted, and the results were analysed to find out the relationship between the compressive strength and w/c ratio. The findings help to optimize masonry mortar mix proportions and examine the performance of cement replacement and water content on workability and strength to improve masonry mortar mobility and sustainability in construction.