Why can't lime be used alone as building material?
A rigid inorganic cementitious material consisting mainly of calcium oxide,
Depending on the crystallization and drying of lime carbonation and hardening, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air of low calcium carbonate crust formation and carbonized carbon dioxide to prevent internal penetration, also prevent water evaporation outward, thus hardening slowly, the compressive strength is not high, 1:3 28 d lime mortar compressive strength is only 0.2 ~ 0.5 MPa. In a damp environment, lime moisture in evaporation, carbon dioxide cannot penetrate, hardening will cease; and the calcium hydroxide soluble in water, the hardened lime water will be dissolved away.
Lime should not be used in long-term wet and water soaked environments. Lime in the process of hardening, it is necessary to evaporate a large amount of water, causing significant shrinkage of volume, prone to dry shrinkage cracks. So, the lime is used alone, usually mixed sand, paper, hemp and other materials, to reduce shrinkage, increase tensile strength, and can save lime.
