Other aspects under consideration for repointing mortars are the resistance to salts, leaching of lime, deformability, shrinkage, and the bond between mortar and masonry units. In 1997, IRC spearheaded the formation of a Canadian working group interested in sharing knowledge and experience related to repointing mortars used in the rehabilitation of older masonry buildings. Twice a year, the group meets to review advances, discuss current concerns and develop research priorities.
Current membership includes designers, restoration specialists, manufacturers and researchers.
Membership is open to all directly involved in the use of repointing mortar for masonry. The next meeting will be in June 2001 in Montreal. The committee will recommend test methods for the analysis of historic mortars and provide guidelines for assessing the cause of damage to mortars. The committee plans to complete its work by the end of the year 2001. The next meeting of the committee will be held in February in Belgium.