Concrete and Mortar? What’s the difference?

We use these terms everyday in our industry, but do you actually know what the differences are between them?

Concrete is a composite construction material composed primarily of aggregate, cement, and water. There are many formulations of concrete, which provide varied properties. Concrete mixes can also be designed with other materials incorporated into the mix to provide special uses such as coloured concrete, lightweight concrete or as in this case ready mixed mortar.

Mortar is a workable paste used to bind building blocks such as stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units together, fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, and sometimes add decorative colors or patterns in masonry walls. In its broadest sense mortar includes pitch, asphalt, and soft mud or clay, as used between mud bricks. Mortar comes from Latin mortarium meaning crushed.

Concrete and mortar are both used in building projects but they have different properties and uses.

Mortar is a mixture of water, cement, lime and sand. It is used for bonding or laying bricks, blocks and other masonry work. It is used to fill gaps between building materials.

Concrete on the other hand is a mixture of gravel, sand, cement and water. It is typically much thicker than mortar. Concrete is laid in foundation walls and above-ground walls. It can also be used for floors and roofs. It has great compressive strength but not as good tensile strength as mortar.

Concrete forms the structural element of a building whereas mortar fills in the gaps between masonry units like bricks or blocks.

In the construction industry there is often confusion between what is classified as concrete, and what is classified as mortar. Concrete and mortar are not the same thing, but both products can be made by using ready mix concrete.

Mortar is a mixture of sand, a binder (such as cement or lime) and water. It has a variety of uses such as binding bricks together, or sticking tiles to their background.

Concrete is different in that it is made up of cement and aggregate particles: gravel or crushed stone. The addition of these extra materials makes the mix more durable than mortar alone.

Common uses of concrete include driveways, garden walls, foundations for buildings, and bridges. Concrete can be used in almost any construction project you can think of!

Concrete and mortar are perhaps the most misunderstood of building materials. Often mistakenly referred to as cement, each is used in different ways and for different purposes.

Concrete is a man-made material that consists of cement, sand, crushed stone and water. Concrete has become the construction material of choice for architects and engineers around the globe due to its versatility, fire resistance, durability and ability to be shaped by moulds into almost any form or texture.

Mortar is a mixture of sand, cement and water that holds bricks together. It is used as a filler between blocks or brickwork to give stability and strength to structures.

While concrete can be used for both domestic and commercial applications, mortar is only used commercially.

In simple terms, concrete is a composite material made of aggregate (usually sand and gravel), cement and water. The cement and water form a paste that coats the surface of the aggregate, filling all voids. As the water in the paste evaporates, the concrete hardens and becomes a rock-like mass, which is typically strong enough to support itself as a structural element without additional reinforcement.

Mortar is also a composite material of sand and cement in which water is used to make it sticky. Mortar serves as the bonding agent between bricks, blocks or stones. It provides structures with strength, stability and insulation – but mortar has a wider use than just these applications.

Mortar is a workable paste which hardens to bind building blocks such as stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units, to fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, spread the weight of them evenly, and sometimes to add decorative colors or patterns to masonry walls.

In its broadest sense mortar includes pitch, asphalt, and soft mud or clay, as used between mud bricks. Mortar comes from Latin mortarium meaning crushed. Cement mortar becomes hard when it cures, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure; however the mortar is intended solely to bind the building blocks together, and shrinkage of the mortar itself is of no consequence (unless it cracks).

Concrete is cement with gravel and sand added. The gravel and sand act as “filler” material. Mortar is cement with lime and sand added. In essence concrete is stronger but more brittle than mortar.

Concrete is a composite material made up of cement, aggregates and water. Concrete hardens due to a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a stone-like material.

Concrete can be purchased in multiple forms, including concrete mix (which is already batched), or in larger amounts, such as cement mix. Concrete mix is delivered in a truck that mixes all of the ingredients to ensure uniformity and consistency.