This article contains the results of a study of the strength characteristics of building mortars of various compositions based on magnesia binder (magnesia oxychloride cement). The results obtained: the final compressive strength (28-day) within the studied compositions is from 12 to 45 MPa, the kinetics (rate) of strength growth on the first day of hardening is from 22 to 38%, on the third day of hardening – 33-68%, on the seventh day – from 50-88%, and about 120% from the design (28-day) with further hardening.

Keywords: magnesia oxychloride cement, magnesia binder, magnesia mortar, magnesia concrete, caustic magnesite, magnesium chloride, compressive strength, strength set kinetics

The article collects and structures information about the effect of chemical additives on the properties of concrete and concrete mix. The relevance of topic is due to the fragmentation of the background information and the lack of data on the study of new additives. The presentation of information in the form of a morphological table simplifies the selection of additives and reduces the risk of errors in the selection of concrete composition. Mineral additives were not considered in this article.

Keywords: construction materials, concrete, concrete mix, chemical additives, concrete properties, concrete composition, modified concrete