Cement

Portland cement is called so because when it hardens, it resembles a stone found

in the quarries of Portland in England.
The basic raw material of making cement is limestone and clay.

1. Major Types of Cement

OPC- Ordinary Portland Cement

PPC- Pozzolana Portland Cement
PSC- Portland Slag Cement

OPC

is further classified as 33 G, 43 G, and 53 G (where G denotes grade)

according to 28 day compressive strength of cement mortar cubes prepared with
cement and standard sand in the ratio 1:3 , with water added , mould vibrated,
cubes cured and tested as per Indian Standard. Thus 43 G means the cement
mortar cubes have 28 day compressive strength of 43 Mpa at 28 days.

Week month
and year of
manufacture
BIS certification
Cement brand
name

Type and grade

of cement

OPC 43 grade cement

PPC

is produced by intergrinding predetermined quantities of Portland cement

clinker and pozzolana
(Fly ash, 15 to 35 % by weight), (Fly ash is a byproduct in coal based thermal power
plants) If strict quality control procedures are adopted at the cement plant while
selecting fly ash then PPC can generally be used wherever OPC is used under
normal circumstances.
PPC is especially suited for mass concrete works like foundation and for structures
subjected to aggressive environments (like sewers, marine construction)
.
Requires longer curing, ideally 14 days, compared to 10 days for OPC.

Indian standard
for PPC, IS 1489
pt 1

Cement type,
PPC

Cement source
name

PPC cement
As per Indian Standards PPC has to satisfy the strength requirement of 33 G OPC, but in
reality higher strength PPC are available in the market.

PSC is made by intergrinding 35 to 65 percent of OPC clinker with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace s

(an industrial waste product obtained during the manufacture of pig iron). PSC is most
suitable for construction near coastal areas but is unsuitable in cold weather.

Indian standard
for PSC, IS 455

Type of cement
(PSC)

Cement brand
name

PSC cement

Net qty of
cement,
50
Kg

PSC gains strength less rapidly than OPC, but unlike OPC it continues to gain
strength significantly even after 28 days and hence the ultimate strength gained is
higher than same grade OPC. The curing period for PSC is longer compared to OPC,
a minimum of 14 days is recommended. The compressive strength of PSC is
equivalent to that of "33" grade OPC. However, slag cements of strength equivalent
to "43" and "53" grade OPC are available in the market. The slag constituent shall
not be less than 25 per cent and not more than 70 per cent in PSC.

2. Selection of Cement

Selection of cement is normally based on:

Durability Characteristics
Functional requirement - Deflection, crack width etc.
Design parameters- Strength, fineness, setting time requirement etc.

 Speed of construction- Time for construction etc.

Environmental Conditions- Ground conditions, soluble salts, sulphates, Chemical
plants etc.
For normal building construction like independent houses and villas any of the three
type of cement (OPC, PPC, PSC) can be used. If using OPC, 43 G or 53 G is suitable,
if found economical use 43 G.

3. Cement Test Certificate

Type and grade of
cement

Cement brand
name

Cement source
name
Test certificate
date
Cement
production
week
Test results
required as per
Indian
Standard
Test results
obtained

Compressive
strength
Setting time

Cement Test Certificate

The test certificates indicate:

Grade and type of cement

Source of cement
Week number for which the test certificate is applicable (week number is
printed on each bag of cement.)
Test results obtained.
Test results required as per Indian Standards.
For some test results there may not be corresponding requirement in Indian
Standard. (Like consistency, etc.)
So while procuring cement, consumers can check the test certificate corresponding
to the batch of cement (week number printed on cement bags) they are buying.

4. Points to be observed during purchase of cement

On the cement bag ensure the following:

Type of cement Colour of lettering on the bag is Black for OPC, Red for PPC
and Orange for PSC
IS Certification Mark is present.
Net mass of cement is marked.
Maximum Retail Price (MRP) is indicated.
Week number and year of manufacture of the cement as marked on each bag
Check whether the company's original packing is intact (stitching should be
machine stitching only).
Check the weight of cement bag. A bag should weight 50 kg. A variation of
0.5kg in any individual bag is permitted as packing tolerance. However, 20
bags, when weighed together, should not be less than 1000 kg (net).

5. Storage of cement
Proper storage of cement permits easy access for workers. Cement should be stored
in suitable weather-tight structures to protect it from dampness it should be stored in
a manner that no dampness or moisture is allowed to reach it either from the
ground, walls or from the environment. This becomes particularly important during
the humid season and in coastal regions. Cement strength deteriorates with
passage of time by absorbing moisture directly or indirectly.

No cement bags should be stacked in contact with an external wall.

Bags should be piled off-the-floor upon wooden planks. If, however, the floor
is a well-constructed dry concrete floor, the bags can be placed directly on it
after spreading tarpaulin or polythene sheet.
Cement bags should be placed closely together in the stack to reduce
circulation of air as much as possible.
For extra safety during rainy season, the stacks of cement bags should be
enclosed completely in polythene sheets

Cement bags should not be piled higher than ten bags in a stack and has to be
arranged in header and stretcher fashion as far as possible. While removing the
bags for use, the First in, first out rule should be applied.
Cement required for a day may be stored at site in the open. In such cases cement
bags should be laid on a dry platform made of wooden planks resting over brickmasonry, concrete, dry sand or aggregates raised about 15 cm above the ground
level. The number of bags should be kept to a minimum, preferably just sufficient
for the day's consumption. The stack must be kept fully covered with tarpaulin or
polythene sheet and protected against atmospheric moisture.

6. Reason for cement not used in the neat form

Cement is not used in neat form because of both technical and economical reasons.
Cement releases considerable quantities of heat during hydration that creates
shrinkage cracks during cooling. This phenomenon causes tensile stresses resulting
in development of cracks in the matrix. Without using aggregate the matrix form of
cement is not effective hence dimensional stability is at stake. Aggregates such as
sand and crushed stone are less expensive than cement. Mortar is prepared by
mixing cement and sand or any other fine aggregate together with water. Concrete
is prepared by mixing cement, sand, coarse aggregate together with water.

7. Impact of color on technical properties of cement

As a general rule there is no impact of color on technical virtues of cement. Color
consciousness is more of a mind set and conviction, rather than technical
performance. As long as the operating conditions of kiln and the rate of cooling are
maintained within the stipulated limits, cements with any color behave similarly.

8. Setting time of cement

Setting time of cement is of practical implication. Basically the initial setting
determines the length of time in which the cement paste remains plastic and
workable. The term setting implies solidification of the plastic cement paste. The
beginning of solidification, called the initial set marks the point in time when the
paste has become unworkable. Accordingly, placement, compaction, and finishing
of concrete beyond this stage will be very difficult. The paste does not solidify
suddenly; it requires considerable time to become fully rigid. The time taken to
solidify completely marks the final set.

9. Proper cement content in concrete

Minimum cement content in concrete is prescribed under BIS code IS: 456
depending upon the environment to which concrete will be exposed. IS 456 also
limits the maximum cement content in concrete.
It is best to leave the design of concrete to an experienced civil engineer.

10.

Reasons for slow setting & quick setting of cement

Slow setting in cement is due to salts and chemicals in water, sand and aggregate.
Cold weather, less cement, high percentage of impurities, adulterated cement and
improper water cement ratio.
Quick setting of cement is due to addition of low quantity of Gypsum, hot weather
condition, high cement fineness.

The author is a consulting engineer at keystone architecture and engineering, contact

rabishnair@yahoo.co.in