tubag

Building on secure andecological foundations

Naturally … with original tubagTrass.

Ein Unternehmen der Gruppe

Ecological responsibility– underpinning ouractions.In today’s society, our sense of responsibility towards ournatural habitats has increasedsignificantly. Each individualfeels more and more responsi-ble for our environment.

Building with originaltubagTrass – building on a sense of ecologicalresponsibility.This new sense of responsibi-lity pervades every area ofhuman activity. Thus, there isan increasing demand for future construction projects toutilise sustainable and envi-ronmentally-friendly buildingmaterials. The building mate-rial trass, a natural product, isnot only natural and environ-mentally-friendly, but also fullymeets increasingly stringentstructural engineering require-ments. Thus, trass is a triedand tested material and com-ponent which is natural,sustainable and built to standthe test of time.

Original tubagTrass –meeting ecological andeconomic structuralrequirements.Original Rhineland tubagTrassfully meets the current ecologi-cal and economic requirementsof modern-day buildings. Origi-nal tubagTrass has all the qua-lities required to ensure reliableand economical use when buil-ding from scratch, as well aswhen renovating and restoringour built environment.

Trass – an absolutelynatural building material.Trass, a natural product, is afinely ground volcanic igneousrock comprising a high propor-tion of free silicic acid, variousminerals and both chemicallyand physically bound water. TheDutch gave us the term ‘trass’,which derives from the Italianword ‘terrazzo’ (“cement floor”).Terrazzo, in turn, has its root inthe Latin ‘terra’ (‘earth’).

Trass – an ideal binding agent.While trass itself does not cure,when combined with lime orcement it produces a bindingagent with superb technical mor-tar attributes. Lime mortars con-taining trass cure not only as aresult of absorbing carbon dio-xide from the atmosphere, butalso in conjunction with water.Thus, for example, even theRomans were able to buildunderwater structures. Trass isa completely natural raw mate-rial, and thus poses absolutelyno risk of environmental damageor deterioration. But trass is notsimply ‘just another additive’: italso acts as an enhancing agent,exponentially improving the fullrange of the building material’sphysical attributes.

Times have changed.

OriginalRhinelandtubagTrass

tubagTrass originates from thevolcanoes in theVordereifel region

The earliest buildings:Pre-history, proto-history.

We know from the very begin-nings of architectural historythat lime was used as the firstmineral binding agent. Theoldest lime renders which canbe historically verified can betraced back to the Mesolithicera and are over 7,500 yearsold.However, it soon becameapparent that conventionallime mortar – which only cureswhen exposed to air – lackedstrength, causing early buildersto search for suitable additiveswhich would improve structuralstrength, stability and resi-stance, while also allowingconstruction in and beneaththe water.

Trass in Antiquity.

The Greeks, Phoenicians andRomans were the first whowere able to build harbourstructures which extended farbelow the water’s surface. Spe-cial mortar additives ensuredthe strength of these underwa-ter structures, some of whichstill exist today.A construction manual by theRoman master builder Vitruv,dating back to the first centuryBC, shows that – during an erawhen monumental architecturewas gaining in importance –brick dust and volcanic ashwere added to trass, then usedas a binding agent. The islandof Santorini and the areaaround Puzzoli thus becameknown as excavation sites, andwere heavily used to produceso-called ‘Pozzolana’. The uni-que properties of "Pozzolana”subsequently ensured that itbecame an important compo-nent in Roman architecture.Structures such as the Panthe-on, the Coliseum, the CastelSant'Angelo, Hadrian’s Mauso-leum and countless viaductshave thus braved the elements- not to mention environmentalpollutants - for two millennia.

Exploitation of new deposits in the Rhineland.

As the Roman Empire expan-ded to the Rhineland, theRomans – already familiar withpozzolana – sought suitablemortar additives locally. Theyfound them in the volcanicEastern Eifel region.

Trass at the end of theMiddle Ages.

Towards the end of the 16thcentury, the Dutch – aware ofthe superb binding qualities oftrass - increasingly lookedback to the Romans and theirknowledge of constructionmaterial technology gainedover a thousand years. TheDutch used this experience toensure that structural compo-nents, as well as buildings andcanal networks, were lastinglyprotected from environmentalimpacts such as damp and theeffects of water. During thisperiod, the Dutch term 'trass'became commonly used todenote the high-quality pozzol-ana from the Eastern Eifelregion.

Trass: The history of a natural product.

Ponte Sant’Angelo in Rome

Trass in the modern era.

During subsequent centuries,the increasingly widespread useof concrete went hand-in-handwith continued use of trass,which renders concrete supplerand easier to use. In an erawhen concrete was compres-sed by manual treading, trassalso enabled denser concrete tobe produced - an importantconsideration. In an age of indu-strial production, it also madesense to mix the cement andtrass by grinding them togetherin the factory, ensuring a morehomogenous mixture thancould be obtained by simplyadding the trass when mixingthe mortar and cement.

Trass – past experience,future prospects.

Today, it is impossible to ima-gine a professional, future-cent-red construction philosophywithout the use of trass, trasscement, trass lime and the mor-tars produced with them: afterall, these substances have uni-que qualities. Whether we lookback to the ancient Romanarchitects, whose legacy canstill be admired two millennialater, or we look at contempo-rary buildings, one thing is clear:one cannot but be impressedwith the superb and incompa-rable qualities of trass as a buil-ding material.

Print media academy in Heidelberg

➝ Mortars with trass –are stress-free

The strength gradient of mortars or binding agents containingtrass continuously increases over an extended period, with a rela-tively low total strength level when compared with cement-basedproducts.

Thanks to modern building materials technology, the strengthgradient in building materials containing trass is such that – evenwith the addition of trass – the building materials have controlledearly and final strength levels, determined by the site require-ments in question.

The diagram clearly shows that the use of trass in mortar facilita-tes a targeted strength gradient. The strength gradient, and thefinal strength of the trass mortar, depends on the trass used andthe mortar formula in question.

Compressive strength of lime pozzolanic mortar in 90 days

Co

mp

ress

ive

stre

ng

th in

N/m

m2 20

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

28 90Curing time in days

Rhineland trass*

Italian Pozzolana*

Bavarian trass*

Lime hydrate

Cement

90

Silicic acidSiO2

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

1000

LimeCaO 90

108020

7030

6040

5050

4060

Quartzite

Acid blast furnace slag

Alkaline blast furnace slag

Portland cement

White lime

Trass

3070

2080

1090

0100

AluminaAI2O3

➝ Mortars with trass – an absolutely natural building material

Rhineland trass is a natural, pozzolanic trass from the Eastern Eifelregion that is prepared for use by grinding treated tufa. The EasternEifel volcanic region comprises around 100 volcanic centres. Thevolcanicity dates back to around 650,000 years, and concludedwith the massive Laacher Lake eruption around 11,000 years ago.

Trass – a high-reactivity building materialThe reactivity of trass is based on its chemical composition andis enhanced by fine grinding. Trass alone will not cure, but, whenused in combination with lime hydrate, hydraulic limes orcements, it becomes a binding agent with superb mortar techno-logy features.

Trass – a building material with alkalisThe alkalis (mainly sodium and potassium sulphate) contained inthe natural substance ‘trass’ are bound during the curing process,and – once the substance has cured – are only separable in smallconcentrations. Provided that the correct formulaic geometry isused, the alkalis remaining in the building material will not haveany adverse effects.

* Mixing ratio with lime hydrate 1:1

Mortars utilising original tubagT➝ Decisive benefits on which y

Trass – the chemical analysisIgnition loss Ign. L. 6.00 %Silicon dioxide SiO2 56.90 %Aluminium oxide Al2O3 18.50 %Titanium dioxide TiO2 1.10 %Iron dioxide Fe2O3 6.30 %Magnesium oxide MgO 2.20 %Manganese oxide Mn2O3 0.20 %Phosphorous oxide P2O5 0.20 %Calcium oxide CaO 5.20 %Sulphuretted hydrogen SO3 0.20 %Potassium oxide K2O 5.70 %Sodium oxide Na2O 3.50 %

Aluminous cement

Trass in a ternarydiagram

➝ Mortars with trass – are highly resistant to aggressive environmental factors

Older and historic buildings are especially vulnerable to environ-mental stresses. Acid media are the primary aggressive environ-mental influences.

In the case of building materials containing trass, the lime poten-tial is almost fully bound during the curing process. The lime par-ticles are protected from acid attacks as though enveloped by aprotective shell. This means that mortars containing trass have adenser molecular structure, thus offering a smaller surface areavulnerable to attack by substances which may cause structuraldamage.

➝ Mortars with trass – are highly water-tight

Due to the trass-lime reaction in the building material containingtrass, the capillary pore space is altered during the curing phasein such a manner that the capillary water transport is severelyrestricted. Although trass cement concrete, or mortars containingtrass, are not waterproof, when compared with other buildingmaterials they do have the ability to severely impede capillarywater throughput. That is why, even in antiquity, mortars con-taining trass were used for aquatic structures and water pipe-lines. These structures retain their functionality today.

Trass.you can build.

Scanning microscope image: mortar structure of trass cement

Scanning microscope image: mortar structure of Portland cement

High levels of water tightness: partial sectionof a Roman water pipeline

W. D

ycke

rho

ff In

stit

ut

➝ Mortars with trass – have high lime bindinglevels to combat lime efflorescence

Together with the mortar gauging water and any additional moi-sture, the free lime particles in mineral building materials can causeunsightly efflorescence. Mortars containing trass are able to bindthese free lime particles during the curing process. Once bound inthis manner, it is almost impossible for the free lime to be trans-ported together with the water through the capillary structure modi-fied by the trass. Thus, lime efflorescence outside the buildingmaterial is almost completely eliminated.

➝ Mortars with trass – prevent natural stone discoloration

The addition of trass modifies the capillary structure of the mortar,preventing capillary moisture transport. Substances which couldpromote discoloration are bound within the building material, thanksto the trass-lime reactions.

The difference is visible:

Mortars utilising original tubagT➝ Decisive benefits on which y

300

200

100

1 3 7 14 28 49 90 180 360 days

mg

CaO

/g

400

1) Without trassWater is added to the bindingagent when mixing the mortar.As a result, substances con-taining lime in the gaugingwater enter the solution, rende-ring it highly alkaline. As a resultof the high alkalinity, the colour-less organic and metallic sub-stances present in the mineraldeposits darken, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 1.

2) With trassThe presence of trass in themortar regulates the free lime,thus preventing unsightly disco-lorations, as can be seen in Fig. 2.

Lime binding inrespect of the trass-lime reaction

Lime binding inrespect of buildingmaterials without trass

➝ Mortars with trass –regulate the atmos-pheric environment

It is impossible to imaginetoday’s residential building sec-tor without the use of buildingmaterials containing trass. Thisis primarily because – togetherwith other appropriate buildingmaterials – trass improves theatmospheric environment, lar-gely due to its advantageouscapillary structure. High levelsof humidity absorption, to-gether with excellent humiditydischarge attributes, can berelied on to ensure a pleasantlyconstant and healthy livingenvironment.

Trass.you can build.

➝ Mortars with trass –are very supple

The high fineness level of trass,as well as the high water reten-tion value, ensures that mortarscontaining trass are extremelyeasy to use. Thus, all productsto which trass has been addedare of excellent and consistentquality, while also bonding very well to the substrate. Thus,as far as users are concerned,mortars containing trass represent a natural alternativeto chemically-treated buildingmaterials.

Supple and easy to use … thanks to trass

The options are almost limitlesthanks to original tubagTrass.

In addition to its unique materialfeatures, the primary advantageoffered by trass is its versatility,especially when dealing with difficult areas of application.

When renovating and restoring,old and historic buildings, theuse of tubag mortars and ren-ders containing trass ensureshigh levels of resistance.The tubag product range, whichis based on lime and trass, isideally suited to old masonry,offering optimal security. At thesame time, tubag products offerthe advantage of efficient appli-cation using state-of-the-artequipment.

When carrying out tiling work,tiling adhesives containing trassmake it easy to lay natural stoneor ceramic slabs in the adhe-sive bed. The adhesive is non-sag, thanks to the trass content,ensuring that work progressesrapidly. Specially designed trassadhesives even facilitate opti-mal laying where significantcladding material tolerancesoccur. Trass also reduces theinner friction within the freshmortar, resulting in improvedcompressibility and a homoge-nous structure.Thin bed tiling adhesives con-taining trass are particularly suitable for laying slabs.

Trass: meeting tomorrow’s challengesQuality – that’s what tubag pro-ducts are all about. Thanks totubag quality, users can restassured that they have createdsomething of lasting value. Toensure that they derive optimalbenefit from the special featuresof Rhineland trass, tubag bin-ding agents and mortars con-tain the highest possible pro-portion of trass. Naturally, alltubag products comply withcurrent applicable standards,and even exceed the standardrequirements in many respects.

All tubag products are subject to stringent internal and ex-ternal monitoring. State-of-the-art manufacturing technology,ongoing R&D activities and tech-nology-intensive production con-trols all contribute to improvingproduct features while ensuringthat the natural attributes of trassare preserved. When properlyused, tubag trass products pro-mise optimal results for the areaof application in question.The technical application recom-mendations are based on expe-rience and are in accordancewith state-of-the-art technology.

When plastering,trass mortars containing selec-ted sands are especially suitablefor use with insulating wallingmaterials vulnerable to crackformation. In addition, they arehighly suitable for interior andexterior renders, as well as forrenders in cellars, wet-dutyrooms, garages, works halls etc.Trass mortars regulate humidityand have a beneficial effect onthe atmospheric environment.

When bricklaying,trass renders the mortar suppler,exceptionally dense and –thanks to the high level of sup-pleness – is easier to use.

When laying clinkerson exposed masonry, the useof mortar containing trass preserves the appearance ofattractive architectural details.

Would you like to knowmore?If you would like furtherdetails, please request ourproduct information on therelevant area of application.

ss –

Trass cementTrass limeTrass dust

The tubag range at a glance.Naturally with original tubagTrass.

Trass-lime mortarTrass-cement mortarNatural stone tiling adhesive

Thick-bedMedium-bedThin-bedGrouting

BeddingJointing

BricklayingPointingPlasteringFilling/sealing

Trass binding agents Trass mortars

Laying natural stone Hard Landscaping

Renovating and restoring We will be happy to advise you

tubag Trass Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG

P.O. Box 1180 · 56638 Kruft · Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)26 52 / 813 50 Fax: +49 (0)26 52 / 813 33

info@tubag.de · www.tubag.de

tubag

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