WHAT IS CEMENT?
A cement is a binder, which is a substance used in construction that hardens, sets, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is rarely used on its own; rather, it is used to bind sand and gravel together. Cement mixed with fine aggregate creates mortar for masonry, and cement mixed with sand and gravel creates concrete.
In concrete construction, various types of cement are used. Based on the composition materials used in its manufacture, each type of cement has unique properties, uses, and advantages.
Types of Cement and their Uses:
1. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC):
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| ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT |
2. Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC):
Pozzolanic clinker is ground with Portland cement to create Portland pozzolana cement. It can also be made by uniformly and closely blending fine pozzolana with Portland cement or by adding pozzolana along with gypsum or calcium sulphate.
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| PORTLAND POZZALANO CEMENT |
When compared to ordinary Portland cement, this cement has a high resistance to various chemical attacks on concrete and is thus widely used. It is used in marine structures, sewage works, and laying concrete underwater for bridges, piers, dams, and mass concrete works, among other things.
3.Rapid Hardening Cement:
Rapid hardening cement achieves high strength early on; it is used in concrete where formwork is removed early on and is similar to ordinary portland cement (OPC). This cement has a higher lime content, higher c3s content, and finer grinding, resulting in earlier strength development than OPC.
The strength of rapid hardening cement after three days is comparable to the strength of OPC after seven days with the same water-cement ratio. As a result, the advantage of this cement is that formwork can be removed earlier, increasing the rate of construction and lowering the cost of construction by saving formwork costs.
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| Rapid hardening cement |
Rapid hardening cement is used in prefabricated concrete construction, road construction, and other applications.
4.Quick setting cement:
The quick setting cement differs from the rapid hardening cement in that it sets faster. At the same time, the rate of strength gain is comparable to that of ordinary Portland cement, whereas quick hardening cement gains strength quickly. Formwork can be removed earlier in both cases.
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| Quick setting cement |
Quick setting cement is used for concreting in static or running water and where work must be completed in a short period of time.
5. Low Heat Cement:
Low heat cement is made by increasing the proportion of C2S while keeping the percentage of tricalcium aluminate below 6%. The addition of a small amount of tricalcium aluminate causes the concrete to have a low heat of hydration. Low heat cement is suitable for mass concrete construction such as gravity dams because the low heat of hydration prevents concrete cracking due to heat.
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| Low heat cement |
This cement has greater sulphate resistance, is less reactive, and has a longer initial setting time than OPC.
6. Sulfates Resisting Cement:
Sulfate-resistant cement is used to reduce the risk of sulphate attack on concrete and is thus used in the construction of foundations in soils with a high sulphate content. This cement has a lower content of C3A and C4AF.
Sulfate-resistant cement is used in construction that is subjected to severe sulphate action by water and soil, such as canal linings, culverts, retaining walls, syphons, and so on.
7. Blast Furnace Slag Cement:
Blast furnace slag cement is made by grinding clinkers with about 60% slag and has properties similar to Portland cement. It can be used for projects where cost is a major consideration.
8. High Alumina Cement:
High alumina cement is made by melting a bauxite-lime mixture and grinding it with clinker. It is a quick-setting cement with initial and final setting times of about 3.5 and 5 hours, respectively.
This cement has a higher compressive strength and is more workable than ordinary portland cement. It is used in applications where concrete is subjected to high temperatures, frost, and acidic action.
9. White Cement:
It is a white variety of regular portland cement that is made from raw materials free of iron oxide. It is more expensive and is used for architectural purposes, including precast curtain walls and facing panels, terrazzo surfaces, etc. It is also used for interior and exterior decorative work, including exterior renderings of buildings, facing slabs, flooring, ornamental concrete products, garden paths, swimming pools, etc.
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| WHITE CEMENT |
10. Colored cement:
It is made by combining common cement with 5- 10% mineral pigments. They are frequently employed for floor decoration projects.
11. Air Entraining Cement:
Air entraining cement is made by grinding clinker with indigenous air-entraining agents such as resins, glues, sodium salts of sulphates, and so on.
This type of cement is especially suited to improving concrete workability with a lower water-cement ratio and improving frost resistance.
12. Expansive Cement:
Expansive cement expands slightly over time and does not contract during or after hardening. This cement is primarily employed in the grouting of anchor bolts and prestressed concrete ducts.
13. Hydrographic cement:
Hydrographic cement, which is made by combining water-repelling chemicals, has a high workability and strength. It repels water and remains unaffected during the monsoon or rains.
Hydrophobic cement is primarily used to build water structures such as dams, water tanks, spillways, and water retaining structures.
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