How can damage to masonry of historical buildings be repaired quickly and on a sustainable basis? Building material engineers at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar have been exploring this question through long-standing development work. The result is a »universal mortar system for use in a sulfatic and hydraulic environment«, which is expected to be of particular benefit to companies working in historical monument conservation and building repairs.

»The mortar is strong and can be used universally without laborious preliminary investigations of renovation projects«, explains Prof. Ludwig, Head of FIB Weimar. Major restoration mistakes can thus be avoided, continues Prof. Ludwig: »The secret to success lies in the composition of the Weimar mortar system, which can be used for the first time for gypsum-containing historical masonry as well as for other types of masonry«.

Mortar system – for universal use on a sustainable basis

Mortar is a building material which has been used for centuries to connect masonry bricks and to plaster walls and ceilings. The mixture is created using a binding agent, for example limestone or cement, an aggregate and water. Whereas traditional restoration materials often react with gypsum-containing historical masonry in damp conditions or at low temperatures, the Weimar mortar remains stable even in unfavourable conditions. »The formation of cracks and damage to supporting structures can therefore be excluded«, confirms the research team. This has been proven clearly by means of a series of field and laboratory tests over a period of four years. The patent was registered by Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in October 2017.

Thuringian Innovations 2018

iENA, the trade fair for innovations and new products, has taken place in Nuremberg since 1948. Innovations from Thuringian universities are given the opportunity of local representation by the Patent Center Thuringia (PATON). In 2015 a total of 15 medals, including 9 gold medals, were presented to Thuringian innovators and researchers. In addition to the gold medal for the patent »Universal mortar system for use in a sulfatic and hydraulic environment« the following Weimar innovations also received certificates of achievement »Seismic tomography for the detection of damage to dam walls« (Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Tom Lahmer, M.Sc. Muyiwa Alalade, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Wuttke) and »Ultrasound cement and mortar mixers« (M.Sc. Ricardo Remus, Dr. Christiane Rößler, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Michael Ludwig).

If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst-Michael Ludwig, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, F.A. Finger Institute for Building Material Engineering, by phoning +49 (0) 36 43/58 47 61 or emailing horst-michael.ludwig[at]uni-weimar.de.