Lightweight Masonry Mix Reducing Bag Weight to 65 Pounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pre-mixed mortar, stucco, and masonry mixes are heavy, leading to worker fatigue, increased transportation costs, and environmental impact due to the weight and volume of bags, which current lightweight cement mixes do not address when including sand as a component.
Innovation Solution
A pre-mixed composition comprising 70-80% sand and 20-30% lightweight cement mix, including Portland or hydraulic cement, hydrous lime, sodium tall oil, sodium stearate, sodium C14-16 Alpha Olefin, linear alkyl benzene, and silicon dioxide, which reduces the weight of each bag to approximately 65 pounds while maintaining equivalent volume and strength when mixed with water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional pre-mixed mortar, stucco or masonry is used with standard cement and sand ratios, then strength and structural integrity are achieved, but weight becomes excessive causing worker fatigue and increased transportation costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of cement by incorporating specific additives (silica fume, fly ash, superplasticizers) to reduce density while maintaining compressive strength. This allows the mortar mix to achieve required strength specifications with lower weight per bag
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite cement formulation combining traditional Portland cement with supplementary materials like silica fume and fly ash. This composite approach produces a lighter yet equally strong binding agent that resolves the weight-strength contradiction
2Strength
If heavier bags of pre-mixed mortar are used to maintain volume and strength, then structural performance is ensured, but transportation fuel consumption and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the density parameters of the cement through chemical composition modification, the patent reduces the mass per unit volume. This allows equivalent structural performance with reduced weight, directly lowering transportation fuel consumption and storage space requirements
3Quantity of substance
If more frequent deliveries of heavy mortar bags are made to meet project needs, then supply requirements are met, but transportation costs and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the weight parameter of each delivery unit by using lighter cement formulations. This allows the same total quantity of mortar to be delivered with reduced frequency or lower transportation costs, decreasing environmental impact while meeting project supply requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An application for a pre-mixed mortar, stucco or masonry composition includes a approximately 75% sand and 25% of a light-weight cement mix comprising a cement (either Portland cement or hydraulic cement), hydrous lime, sodium tall oil, sodium stearate, sodium C14-16 Alpha Olefin, linear alkyl benzene; and silicon dioxide.