Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Courtyard

Words: Dan KamysThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Campus features a 70,000-square-foot stone paver plaza, constructed with several Quikrete underlayment and grouting products. Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix was used for the two-inch-thick paver underlayment over a cast-in-place concrete slab for all exterior installations.

Quikrete Polymer Modified Veneer Stone Mortar then was mixed and pumped into the one-half-inch paver joints. The veneer stone mortar was factory pre-blended with integral colors to compliment the natural stone colors.

Additionally, a white polymer modified veneer stone mortar formulation was manufactured to match an imported German limestone.

Quikrete Multi-Purpose Thin Set, a polymer modified thin set, was used for the installation of all interior stone tile. Quikrete Polymer Modified Veneer Stone Mortar exceeds the ASTM C 270 requirements for Type S Mortar and exhibits two-times the sheer bond strength of standard Type S Mortar.

The general contractor on the project was Johnston Construction and commenced in March 2010, with completion in September 2010. Quikrete products used included 3,000-pound Sand Topping Mix (447 bulk bags); 50-pound Multi-Purpose Thin Set (5,229 bags); and 80-pound Polymer Modified Veneer Stone Mortar — Colored (966 bags green, 1,050 bags charcoal and 84 bags white).
Restoring Structural Integrity: Reinforcement in Masonry Buildings
August 2026

Masonry, as most of us in the trade know and appreciate, remains one of the most durable and time-tested structural systems in the built environment. Structures built throughout Europe and other parts of the world demonstrate that a masonry building is mo

Kate Vienna
Technical Talks
Brick Historic Restoration Repair & Restoration Restoration
Read More
Designing High-Performance Masonry Envelopes: Selecting the Right Air Barrier System
August 2026

Aric Hutchinson
Technical Talks
Air Barriers
Read More
Beyond the Block: Aesthetic Innovations in CMU Construction
August 2026

Concrete masonry units (CMUs) have long been a mainstay of construction. They are well known as a “tried and true” material with a long history of high-strength structural performance, affordability, ease of assembly, and a long lifecycle. CMU constructio

Peter Roberts
Technical Talks
Block
Read More
The Most Overlooked Profit Center on Your Job Site
August 2026

The real cost of equipment ownership isn't what you pay on day one. It's what happens over the years that follow. The purchase price of a new mortar mixer, grout pump, material handling system, or masonry saw is only part of the investment. What happens

Steve Wheeler
MAP Partner
Read More