Investigation on Application of Iron Mine Tailing Sand in Building Mortar

Abstract

The building mortar was prepared with iron mine tailing sand substituted for natural sand, and the effect of tailing sand on the performances of mortar, such as consistency, stratification, density and strength, was investigated. The results show that it is feasible to prepare building mortar with iron mine tailing sand. The sediment percentage in tailing sand has relatively large effect on the fluidity of mortar, and the tailing sand should be washed with water before being used. When the mortar with low W/C ratio is prepared, a proper amount of water-reducing admixture should be used to adjust the stratification of mortar into the right range. The density of the mortar mixture can meet the requirement of the standard in China. The building mortars with different strength grade and different use can be prepared by adjusting the mixture proportion.