Utilization of Polymer-Modified Mortars and Concrete in Building and Construction Industry

olymer modified concrete or mortar is an alternative to the advancement of long serving civil engineering material - mortar and concrete. The excellence and promising benefits of modified composites have led to numerous progressive studies of its application. This paper presented a critical review from previous researches on the polymer modified concrete and mortar. Both fresh and hardened state properties were reviewed as they are important for the development of excellent engineering material. Most of the applications of polymer modified concrete and mortar can be seen in diverse types of polymer such as latex, epoxy and emulsion. The utilization of each type of polymers resulted in different characteristics of composite concrete or mortar. Such applications have contributed to the improvement in terms of workability and mechanical strength, especially at higher grade of composite strength of concrete material. Because the use of a polymer in concrete represents a substantial increase in cost, polymers should be used only in applications in which the higher cost can be justified by superior properties, low labor cost or low energy requirements during processing and handling. It is therefore important that architects and engineers have some knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of polymer-concrete/mortar composite materials in order to select the most appropriate and economic product for a specific application.

Keywords:

Polymer , Concrete , Mortar , Workability , Mechanical properties