Characterisation of dolomitic lime mortars from the benedictine monastery in riesa, saxony (Germany)

Abstract

The binders of joint mortars, renders and plasters used during several construction phases in the history of the Benedictine monastery in Riesa have been identified as dolomitic lime. Magnesite and/or hydromagnesite could be determined as the magnesium bearing carbonate phases beside calcite in the binder. Most of the mortars contain carbonate lumps, partially with altered silicate mineral inclusions, that represent remnants of the original structure of the late Palaeozoic dolomites which were used as the local raw material for lime production over the centuries. Low contents of aluminous silicates in the limestone might have contributed to the formation of hydraulic components. Hydrotalcite has been determined by XRD in some of the samples investigated. © RILEM 2012.