why are 1930's brick buildings ok with cement?

[Flyfisher]

AIUI the pluses of cement are:

* quick setting makes for faster building
* quick setting makes building during frosty times not too much of a problem unlike lime
* higher compressive strength needed for high rise buildings, concrete beams etc
* Harder finish makes it vandal proof.
* Slightly lower material cost

That's the sort of thing I was looking for. I'm now so convinced of the superiority of lime vs cement that I just wanted to understand why cement was still used at all. I guess speed of setting and lower cost are the real biggies, with higher strength being required in specialised applications. Presumably the cost difference is a volume thing - since cement requires less energy to manufacture, shouldn't it be cheaper?

I've also since wondered if limecrete can be used in reinforced applications - would the porosity preclude the use of steel reinforcing bars? Presumably they would rust much quicker in limecrete then expand and damage the material . . . although, perhaps the expansion would be less damaging to a softer material?

 

[MdB]

Presumably the cost difference is a volume thing - since cement requires less energy to manufacture, shouldn't it be cheaper?

I was under the belief that cement required more energy to produce compared to lime. I may be wrong though.

 

[Flyfisher]

Oops - my mistake - I meant to write:

Presumably the cost difference is a volume thing - since LIME requires less energy to manufacture, shouldn't it be cheaper?

 

[NT]

I've also since wondered if limecrete can be used in reinforced applications - would the porosity preclude the use of steel reinforcing bars? Presumably they would rust much quicker in limecrete then expand and damage the material . . . although, perhaps the expansion would be less damaging to a softer material?

I dont know much about the chemistry of lime & steel, but if theres one thing all reinforced crete requires its high compressive strength, and lime just doesnt have that. So I doubt much mileage could be made of steel reinforced lime - but I dont know for sure. Lime is more often reinforced by weak materials like straw & hair.


NT

 

[NT]

Presumably the cost difference is a volume thing - since cement requires less energy to manufacture, shouldn't it be cheaper?

I'd always assumed so. But the big plus of cement mfr is that haz waste & dirty waste can be burnt in the kilns. Perhaps rather than being a cost thats actually an income stream - dont know.


NT