How is the development of dry-mixed mortar abroad?
A: Dry-mixed mortar first originated in Europe. Back in the 1st century, Austria invented the building dry-mixed mortar. Till the 1960s, dry-mixed mortar had got developed rapidly in Europe. The main reason is that Europe needs a lot of construction after World War II, but labor costs were very expensive then because of labor shortages (especially lack of experienced skilled workers). The market required shortening the construction period, reducing costs and improving the quality, while the technology of on-site mixing mortar had been unable to meet these requirements; in addition, the invention of powdery admixtures and the advance in the technology of mixing materials also promoted the development of dry-mixed mortar. The mechanized construction and the use of ready-mixed mortar could improve the production efficiency and reduce the requirements for the proficiency of workers. Up to the 1970s and 1980s, dry-mixed mortar had formed a new industry in Europe and America.
Since the 1960s, many modernized dry-mixed mortar production plants with an annual output reaching one million tons have been established around the world. Germany is one of the world’s most developed countries of dry-mixed mortar. In 1974, the output of dry-mixed mortar in Germany was only 100,000 t, while in 1986 it increased to 3,000,000 t. By 2000, Germany had had more than 150 plants whose production scale is more than 100,000 t. There is one dry-mixed mortar plant for approximately every 550,000 people.
In 2004, the global production of dry-mixed mortar was 180 million t, of which Europe took up 90 million t. In European countries, for the city with a population of every one million in average, there are two dry-mixed mortar plants. Its scale is usually 300-500 thousand T/year. Dry-mixed mortar has accounted for more than 80% of building mortar, and the amount of site mixing mortar becomes less and less.
In Europe, dry-mixed mortar products have reached a few hundred kinds, including masonry, plastering, bonding, repairing, decoration mortars and other broad categories, and each category has several to dozens of varieties. The dry-mixed mortar products of mass production are masonry mortar, plastering mortar, putty (interior and exterior), tile adhesives, self-leveling mortar, exterior insulation mortar, powder coatings, patching and repairing mortar.