m In the most general sense of the word, |

  | 

, a substance that sets and

hardens independently, and can bind other materials together.

m ¬ement used in construction is characterized as w  |

   w  |
  ñydraulic
cements (e.g., Portland cement) harden because of hydration chemical reactions that
occur independently of the mixture's water content; they can harden even underwater or
when constantly exposed to wet weather. The chemical reaction that results when the
anhydrous cement powder is mixed with water produces hydrates that are not water-
soluble.

m À w  |


 (e.g., Y
  

Y ) must be kept dry in order to
retain their strength.

m Portland cement was developed from natural cements made in Britain in the early part of
the nineteenth century, and its name is derived from its similarity to Portland stone, a
type of building stone that was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England.[1]
m The most important use of cement is the production of  | |


ôthe bonding of natural or artificial aggregates to form a strong
building material that is durable in the face of normal environmental
effects.

m ¬oncrete should not be confused with cement because the term cement
refers to the material used to bind the aggregate materials of concrete.
¬   
  
 
  
m Portland cement is the chief ingredient in cement paste - the binding agent in
portland cement concrete (P¬¬). It is a hydraulic cement that, when combined
with water, hardens into a solid mass. Interspersed in an aggregate matrix it
forms P¬¬.

m As a material, portland cement has been used for well over 175 years and, from
an empirical perspective, its behavior is well-understood. ¬w
 |

w


 |

  | 
 
|
whose mechanisms and
interactions have yet to be fully defined.

m ASTM ¬ 125 and the Portland ¬ement Association (P¬A) provide the
following precise definitions:
G hydraulic cement - An inorganic material or a mixture of inorganic materials
that sets and develops strength by chemical reaction with water by formation
of hydrates and is capable of doing so under water.
G portland cement - A hydraulic cement composed primarily of hydraulic
calcium silicates.
m A hydraulic cement capable of setting, and hardening remaining stable under
water.

m It consists essentially of hydraulic calcium silicates, usually containing calcium

sulphate.
m ½aw Materials:
G 2/3 calcareous materials (lime bearing) - limestone
G 1/3 argillaceous materials (silica, alumina, iron) - clay
m Type 1:
m Normal Portland cement. Type 1 is general use cement.

m Type 2
m Is used for structures in water or soil containing moderate amounts of sulfate, or when heat
build-up is a concern.

m Type 3:
m ñigh early strength. Used when high strength are desired at very early periods.

m Type 4:
m Low heat Portland cement. Used where the amount and rate of heat generation must be kept
to a minimum.

m Type 5:
m Sulfate resistant Portland cement. Used where the water or soil is high in alkali.

m Types IA, IIA and IIIA are cements used to make air-entrained concrete. They have the same
properties as types I, II, and III, except that they have small quantities of air-entrained
materials combined with them.
m Sulphate ½esisting Portland ¬ement: This cement is beneficial in the areas where
concrete has an exposure to seacoast or sea water or soil or ground water. Under
any such instances, the concrete is vulnerable to sulphates attack in large amounts
and can cause damage to the structure. ñence, by using this cement one can reduce
the impact of damage to the structure. This cement has high demand in India.

m ½apid ñardening Portland ¬ement: The texture of this cement type is quite similar
to that of OP¬. But, it is bit more fine than OP¬ and possesses immense
compressible strength, which makes casting work easy.

m Ordinary Portland ¬ement (OP¬): Also referred to as grey cement or OP¬, it is of

much use in ordinary concrete construction. In the production of this type of
cement in India, Iron (Fe2O3), Magnesium (MgO), Silica (SiO2), Alumina
(AL2O3), and Sulphur trioxide (SO3) components are used.
m Portland Pozolona ¬ement (PP¬): As it prevents cracks, it is useful in the casting work of
huge volumes of concrete. The rate of hydration heat is lower in this cement type. Fly ash,
coal waste or burnt clay is used in the production of this category of cement. It can be availed
at low cost in comparison to OP¬.

m Oil Well ¬ement: Made of iron, coke, limestone and iron scrap, Oil Well ¬ement is used in
constructing or fixing oil wells. This is applied on both the off-shore and on-shore of the
wells.

m ¬linker ¬ement: Produced at the temperature of about 1400 to1450 degree ¬elsius, clinker
cement is needed in the construction work of complexes, houses and bridges. The ingredients
for this cement comprise iron, quartz, clay, limestone and bauxite.

m White cement: It is a kind of Ordinary Portland ¬ement. The ingredients of this cement are
inclusive of clinker, fuel oil and iron oxide. The content of iron oxide is maintained below
0.4% to secure whiteness. White cement is largely used to increase the aesthetic value of a
construction. It is preferred for tiles and flooring works. This cement costs more than grey
cement.
m Apart from these, some of the other types of cement that are available in
India can be classified as:

m Low heat cement

m ñigh early strength cement
m ñydrophobic cement
m ñigh aluminium cement
m Masonry cement
m INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME
m We need to calculate the initial and final setting time as per IS: 4031 (Part 5) ± 1988. To do so we need Vicat apparatus conforming to IS:
5513 ± 1976, Balance, whose permissible variation at a load of 1000g should be +1.0g, Gauging trowel conforming to IS: 10086 ± 1982.

m Procedure to determine initial and final setting time of cement

m i) Prepare a cement paste by gauging the cement with 0.85 times the water required to give a paste of standard consistency.
m ii) Start a stop-watch, the moment water is added to the cement.
m iii) Fill the Vicat mould completely with the cement paste gauged as above, the mould resting on a non-porous plate and smooth off the
surface of the paste making it level with the top of the mould. The cement block thus prepared in the mould is the test block.

m A) INITIAL SETTING TIME

m Place the test block under the rod bearing the needle. Lower the needle gently in order to make contact with the surface of the cement
paste and release quickly, allowing it to penetrate the test block. ½epeat the procedure till the needle fails to pierce the test block to a
point 5.0 0.5mm measured from the bottom of the mould.The time period elapsing between the time, water is added to the cement and
the time, the needle fails to pierce the test block by 5.0 0.5mm measured from the bottom of the mould, is the initial setting time.

m B) FINAL SETTING TIME

m ½eplace the above needle by the one with an annular attachment. The cement should be considered as finally set when, upon applying the
needle gently to the surface of the test block, the needle makes an impression therein, while the attachment fails to do so. The period
elapsing between the time, water is added to the cement and the time, the needle makes an impression on the surface of the test block,
while the attachment fails to do so, is the final setting time.
m FINENESS
m So we need to determine the fineness of cement by dry sieving as per IS: 4031 (Part 1) ± 1996.The
principle of this is that we determine the proportion of cement whose grain size is larger then specified
mesh size.
m The apparatus used are 90µm IS Sieve, Balance capable of weighing 10g to the nearest 10mg, A nylon or
pure bristle brush, preferably with 25 to 40mm, bristle, for cleaning the sieve.
m Sieve shown in pic below is not the actual 90µm seive.Its just for reference.

m Procedure to determine fineness of cement

m i) Weigh approximately 10g of cement to the nearest 0.01g and place it on the sieve.
m ii) Agitate the sieve by swirling, planetary and linear movements, until no more fine material passes
through it.
m iii) Weigh the residue and express its mass as a percentage ½1,of the quantity first placed on the sieve to the
nearest 0.1 percent.
m iv) Gently brush all the fine material off the base of the sieve.
m v) ½epeat the whole procedure using a fresh 10g sample to obtain ½2. Then calculate ½ as the mean of ½1
and ½2 as a percentage, expressed to the nearest 0.1 percent. When the results differ by more than 1 percent
absolute, carry out a third sieving and calculate the mean of the three values.
m SOUNDNESS
m Soundness of cement is determined by Le-¬hatelier method as per IS: 4031 (Part 3) ± 1988.
m Apparatus ± The apparatus for conducting the Le-¬hatelier test should conform to IS: 5514 ± 1969
m Balance, whose permissible variation at a load of 1000g should be +1.0g and Water bath.

m Procedure to determine soundness of cement

m i) Place the mould on a glass sheet and fill it with the cement paste formed by gauging cement with 0.78
times the water required to give a paste of standard consistency.
m ii) ¬over the mould with another piece of glass sheet, place a small weight on this covering glass sheet and
immediately submerge the whole assembly in water at a temperature of 27 2o¬ and keep it there for
24hrs.
m iii) Measure the distance separating the indicator points to the nearest 0.5mm (say d1 ).
m iv) Submerge the mould again in water at the temperature prescribed above. Bring the water to boiling
point in 25 to 30 minutes and keep it boiling for 3hrs.
m v) ½emove the mould from the water, allow it to cool and measure the distance between the indicator points
(say d2 ).
m vi) (d2 d1 ) represents the expansion of cement.
m ¬ONSISTEN¬
m The basic aim is to find out the water content required to produce a cement paste of standard consistency as
specified by the IS: 4031 (Part 4) ± 1988. The principle is that standard consistency of cement is that
consistency at which the Vicat plunger penetrates to a point 5-7mm from the bottom of Vicat mould.
m Apparatus ± Vicat apparatus conforming to IS: 5513 ± 1976, Balance, whose permissible variation at a load
of 1000g should be +1.0g, Gauging trowel conforming to IS: 10086 ± 1982.

m Procedure to determine consistency of cement

m i) Weigh approximately 400g of cement and mix it with a weighed quantity of water. The time of gauging
should be between 3 to 5 minutes.
m ii) Fill the Vicat mould with paste and level it with a trowel.
m iii) Lower the plunger gently till it touches the cement surface.
m iv) ½elease the plunger allowing it to sink into the paste.
m v) Note the reading on the gauge.
m vi) ½epeat the above procedure taking fresh samples of cement and different quantities of water until the
reading on the gauge is 5 to 7mm.
m ¬ement bags should not be stored in an enclosed area where the walls, roof
and floor is not completely weatherproof.
m ¬ement bags must not be stored in wet surroundings and humid conditions.
m Stack cement bags on wooden planks or concrete floor and do not stack the
against the wall.
m ¬ement bags should be piled close together.
m It is better to arrange the cement bags in a header and stretcher fashion.
m ¬ement bags that were stored first must be used first.
m ¬ement bags must not be piled up in the field at work site, instead they
should be piled up on a raised platform and covered with a sheet.
m An admixture is a material other than water, aggregates, or cement that is used as an
ingredient of concrete or mortar to control setting and early hardening, workability, or to
provide additional cementing properties.

m èw  |




m Over decades, attempts have been made to obtain concrete with certain desired
characteristics such as high compressive strength, high workability, and high
performance and durability parameters to meet the requirement of complexity of modern
structures.
m The properties commonly modified are the heat of hydration, accelerate or retard setting
time, workability, water reduction, dispersion and air-entrainment, impermeability and
durability factors.

m © 
 


m ¬hemical admixtures - Accelerators, ½etarders, Water-reducing agents, Super
plasticizers, Air entraining agents etc.
m Mineral admixtures - Fly-ash Blast-furnace slag, Silica fume and ½ice husk Ash etc