Lime mortar is an old type of mortar used to stick bricks and stones together in building. It is made from ingredients including sand and slaked lime, not from Portland cement. It is still used sometimes in historic preservation projects, where a higher strength mortar might cause damage to softer or more brittle bricks. Mortar holding bricks. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Calcium hydroxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2. ... Sampling fast set Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar and plaster. ...