Standards & Specifications

C2 - Factory Produced Mortars

This Topic page covers the routine use of aggregates and cement in factory produced mortars.

There are two main types of factory produced mortar:

• Ready to use mortars
• Lime:sand mortars.

Factory produced mortars are specified in:

• BS EN 998 Specification for mortar for masonry

This BS EN Standard is published as two Parts:

• BS EN 998-1 Part 1: Rendering and plastering mortar
• BS EN 998-2 Part 2: Masonry mortar

Guidance on the use of BS EN 998-2 is published by BSI as:

• PD 6678 Guide to the selection and specification of masonry mortar

The BS EN Standards for mortar are written in terms of performance.  This is a departure from traditional UK practice based on recipes – generally based on the relative ratios of sand, lime and cement.

BS EN 998 replaced the established British (BS) Standard:

• BS 4721 Specification for ready-mixed building mortar

Mortars used in floor screeds are specified in a separate Standard:

• BS EN 13813 Screed material and floor screeds – properties and requirements

The trade association for the factory mixed mortar industry is the Mortar Industry Association (MIA).  MIA is a Product association within the Quarry Products Association (QPA).  A series of data sheets about factory produced mortar is published on the MIA website: www.mortar.org.uk