There are different uses of lime, and, therefore, each type is best suited for an application. The most common types of lime are:
Hydrated lime: this lime, also known as slaked lime, results from a chemical reaction between water and calcium hydroxide. The characteristics of this construction input will depend on the manufacturing process and the number of impurities, being classified into CH-I, CH-II, and CH-III, from the highest to the lowest degree of purity. You can easily buy it at building supply stores.
Quicklime: its use was very common a few years ago. Virgin wharves were acquired from the trade, and the extinguishing/hydration/burning process was carried out at the construction site. The big problem in this practice was that the hydration of calcium oxide occurs in a violent exothermic reaction, which can cause accidents (and justify the popular term “burning” of lime).
Lime Applications
In construction, lime is generally used for:
Painting: Lime for painting is a binder with a certain degree of hydraulicity (mortar remains stable after application with limited contact with water). It is used in some low-responsibility applications, such as temporary installations and living on a construction site, curbs on sidewalks with free parking, or even in protecting trees in some parks and squares (it can be useful, but there is aesthetic damage).
As an aggregate: Some places in the country have an abundance of limestone rocks and a deficiency in other rock materials that can serve as an aggregate in civil construction. As the volumes used when the building is large, and transport distances are decisive for cost reduction, limestone material is used as an aggregate. However, it changes so that it does not react in the same way as lime, as it needs to be inert, an essential characteristic of an aggregate.
Mixed mortar: The combination of binders (cement and lime) unites the characteristics that each one contributes to the resulting mortar. Lime provides workability (the ability of the mortar to be easily molded and remain in its position after molding) and water retention (necessary for cement hydration and consequent gain in mechanical strength, greater in dolomitic quays).
It is worth mentioning that lime is not intended to gain mechanical strength. For this function, cement is used only and exclusively.
Air lime mortar: Sometimes used indoors due to its low mechanical strength and high shrinkage during hydration. It shouldn’t have a very rich streak. There is the great advantage of allowing the protection of structures and fences against fire.
Soil-lime: Hydrated lime and soil are mixed for later compaction and use in some civil works. The addition of lime increases the bearing capacity of the soil and reduces its expandability. When requesting for limestone, make sure you get from a good supplier like Natural Limestone supplier in Ohio for example to get the best.
