CEMENT Defination:-

A grey powder, that becomes hard after it is mixed with water and left to dry. It
is used in building for sticking bricks or stones together or for making very
hard surfaces.

Cement is defined as a binding agent that is used to bind various construction

materials. Given its adhesive and cohesive properties, it is an essential
ingredient of concrete and mortar. Cement is mixed with water to form a paste
that binds aggregates like sand or crushed rocks. Calcium, silicon, iron and
aluminium compounds are closely ground to form a fine powdered product –
cement.

How is Cement Made?

1. Rock quarries are blasted with explosives to get limestone (calcium
carbonate) and clay. These raw materials are transported to crushing
units to be crushed into smaller particles.
2. The above raw material is then mixed with additional components like
silica, iron ore, etc., to make the required cement type.
3. Various types of grinding mills are used to ground the above mixture
into a homogenous mixture.
4. This mixture is fed into a kiln that burns it at extremely high
temperatures. A process known as sintering converts the mixture into
clinker. The clinker resembles marble-sized pebbles.
5. Next, the clinker is cooled down and stored in silos and later ground into
a fine powder (cement) with grinding mills.
6. The cement is packed into different types of packaging and shipped.
Types of Cement
There are a variety of types of cement you can use depending on your project's purpose and
conditions. Here are 15 types of cement:

1. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC)

Ordinary Portland cement is the most widely used type of cement manufactured and used
worldwide. “Portland” is a generic name derived from a type of building stone quarried on the
Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. OPC is suitable for most general concrete jobs and mortar
or stucco construction projects.

2. Portland pozzolana cement (PPC)

Manufacturers create Portland pozzolana cement by grinding pozzolanic clinker, sometimes
with additives of gypsum or calcium sulfate, with ordinary Portland cement. Compared to OPC,
it has a higher resistance to various chemical reactions within concrete. PPC is often used for
projects like bridges, piers, dams, marine structures, sewage works or underwater concrete
projects.

3. Rapid-hardening cement
Contractors or construction teams may choose rapid-hardening cement for its high strength in
the early stages of the hardening process. Its strength in three days is comparable to OPC
strength at seven days with the same water-to-cement ratio. Rapid-hardening cement may have
an increased lime content, combined with a finer grinding process, or better strength
development. It is often used for projects with early-stage formwork removal or when the focus
is on increasing construction rates and decreasing costs.

4. Extra-rapid-hardening cement
Extra-rapid-hardening cement may set and become durable even faster than OPC and rapid-
hardening cement. Construction professionals achieve this by adding calcium chloride to rapid-
hardening cement. This cement type may be useful for cold-weather concrete projects due to its
fast setting rate.

5. Quick-setting cement
Similar to extra-rapid-hardening cement, this concrete type may set and become stronger even
quicker than OPC and rapid-hardening cement. Its grain and strength rate are similar to OPC,
but it hardens faster. Quick-setting cement may be beneficial for time-sensitive projects or those
located near stagnant or running water.

6. Low-heat cement
Manufacturers produce low-heat cement by monitoring the percentage of tricalcium aluminate in
the mixture to ensure it stays below 6% of the whole. This helps maintain low heat during the
hydration process, making this cement type more resistant to sulfates and less reactive than
other types of cement. It may be suitable for mass concrete construction or projects to help
prevent cracking due to heat. However, low-heat cement may have a longer initial setting time
than other types.

7. Sulfate-resisting cement
Sulfate-resisting cement helps reduce the risk of sulfate side effects on concrete. Its most
common use is for constructing foundations in soil with high sulfate content. This concrete type
can also be beneficial for projects like canal linings, culverts and retaining walls.

8. Blast furnace slag cement

Manufacturers make blast furnace slag cement by grinding clinker with up to 60% slag. This
creates cement with many of the same properties as OPC. However, it may be less expensive
to produce than other types, making it a good choice for financially conscious projects.

9. High-alumina cement
High-alumina cement is a type of rapid-hardening cement created by melting bauxite and lime
together and grinding it with clinker. It has high compressive strength and may be more flexible
and workable than OPC. Construction teams can use high-alumina cement for projects where
cement is subject to extreme weather like high temperatures or frost.

10. White cement

White cement is a type of OPC that's white instead of gray. It's prepared from raw materials that
don't include iron oxide and may be more expensive than other cement types. It's often useful in
architectural projects and interior and exterior decorative projects like designing garden paths,
floors, swimming pools and ornamental concrete products.

11. Colored cement

Colored cement has properties similar to OPC and white cement. Manufacturers mix 5% to 10%
mineral pigments with OPC to achieve the desired color. Like white cement, contractors often
use this type for decorative purposes and projects to enhance their designs.

12. Air-entraining cement

Air-entraining cement is more workable with a smaller water-cement ratio than OPC and other
types of cement. Manufacturers add air-entraining agents like glues, sodium salts and resins to
the clinker during the grinding process to create this cement. A common use for this type of
cement is for frost resistance in concrete.

13. Expansive cement

Expansive cement can grow slightly over time without shrinking during the hardening process. It
may be beneficial for projects like grouting anchor bolts or concrete ducts. Teams can also use
it in structure joints or to reinforce other concrete structures.

14. Hydrographic cement

Manufacturers create hydrographic cement by mixing in water-repelling chemicals. This cement
type has high workability and strength and also repels water to prevent weather damage.
Teams can use hydrographic cement for projects such as dams, water tanks, spillways and
water retaining structures.

15. Portland-limestone cement (PLC)

Portland-limestone cement is a blend of Portland cement and 5% to 15% fine limestone. Its
properties are similar to Portland cement for general use. However, it also has about 10% lower
greenhouse gas emissions, which can help increase sustainability .
Properties of Cement
The following are the various physical properties of cement:

 Fineness:
It is the size of the particles of the cement. The desired fineness can be
achieved by adjusting the grinding of the clinker.

 Soundness:
Soundness is the ability of the cement to resist shrinking upon
hardening. The Le-Chatelier test and Autoclave test help determine the
soundness of cement.

 Consistency:
Consistency of cement is the cement paste’s viscosity or its ability to
flow.

 Strength:
The compressive, tensile and flexural strength of cement is measured to
assess the durability of cement after an elongated period.

 Setting Time:
The setting time of cement is defined as the time required for the
concrete to change from its liquid state to plastic state, and then from
the plastic state to solid state.
 Heat of Hydration:

It is the energy generated when water comes in contact with cement.

Heat of Hydration is a critical factor of curing concrete.

 Loss of Ignition:
It is the process of measuring weight change of cement sample after it
has been heated. Loss of ignition helps indicate adulteration of cement
due to transportation or other factors.

 Bulk Density:
Bulk density is the mass per unit of cement in a definite volume.

 Specific Gravity:
The specific gravity or relative density of cement is defined as the ratio
of the mass of cement to the mass of the reference material which is
usually water.
 Uses:-
Cement is a very useful binding material in construction. The applications of cement in
various fields of construction have made it a very important civil engineering material.
Some of the numerous functions of cement are given below.

1. It is used in mortar for plastering, masonry work, pointing, etc.

2. It is used for making joints for drains and pipes.
3. It is used for the water-tightness of the structure.
4. It is used in concrete for laying floors, and roofs and constructing lintels, beams,
stairs, pillars, etc.
5. It is used where a hard surface is required for the protection of exposed surfaces of
structures against the destructive agents of the weather and certain organic or
inorganic chemicals.
6. It is used for precast pipes manufacturing, piles, fencing posts, etc.
7. It is used in the construction of important engineering structures such as bridges,
culverts, dams, tunnels, lighthouses, etc.
8. It is used in the preparation of foundations, watertight floors, footpaths, etc.
9. It is employed for the construction of wells, water tanks, tennis courts, lamp posts,
telephone cabins, roads, etc.

Cement mortar and Proportion:-

Proportion of Cement Mortar

The Proportion means the relative quantity of different
components to be mixed to make good mortar, or simply the ratio
between different materials.
Following are the proportions of cement mortar which is
commonly recommended for different works:
01. Masonry Construction:
 For ordinary masonry work with brick/ stone as a structural unit.
– 1:3 to 1:6
 Forreinforced brick work – 1:2 to 1:3.
 For all work in moist situations – 1:3
 For Architectural work – 1:6
 For Load Bearing structures – 1:3 or 1:4
02. Plaster Work:
 For External Plaster and Ceiling Plaster – 1:4
 Internal Plaster (If sand is not fine i.e. Fineness Modulus> 3) – 1:5
 For Internal Plaster (if fine sand is available) – 1:6
For external plaster work, as per Government of India, ‘CPWD
SPECIFICATIONS (VOL.-2) ’ (Central Public Works
Department), the under coat shall consist of cement mortar 1:5 (1
cement: 5 coarse sand) and the top coat shall be of cement
mortar 1:4 (1 cement: 4 fine sand) unless otherwise specified.
03. Flooring Work:
Mortar ratio of 1:4 to 1:8 (cement: sand, water to be judgmental),
for 5 to 7 times thickness of verified tiles, should be given as bed
between RCC floor and tiles.

04. Pointing Work:

 For pointing work proportion of cement mortar should be 1:1 to 1:3

(c) Mixing of Ingredients

To prepare cement mortar, cement and sand are properly mixed
in dry condition. Water is then added gradually and mixed using a
shovel. The water should be free from clay and other impurities.
Cement mortar can either be mixed manually (Hand Mixing) or
mechanically (Machine Mixing). For small construction, hand
mixing is commonly used. Mechanical mixing is required when the
mortar is needed in large quantities and needs to be used in
continuous order.

Curing of Cement Mortar

Cement gains strength with hydration. So, it is necessary to see
that the mortar remains wet until hydration occurs. After placing
the mortar/concrete, the process of ensuring sufficient moisture
for hydration is called curing. Curing is ensured by spraying
water. Generally, curing begins 6–24 hours after using mortar.
Initially, more water is required for hydration, which can be
 reduced gradually. Curing for cement mortar is recommended for
7 days.

Properties of Cement
Mortar
The important properties of cement mortar are:
 Well-proportioned and well laid mortar provides an impervious
surface.
 When water is added to dry mixture of cement and sand, hydration
of cement occurs, and it binds with sand particles and the
surrounding surfaces of masonry and concrete.
 A rich mortar of more than 1:3 is prone to shrinkage.
 The leaner mix is not capable of closing the voids in sand, and
hence the plastered surface will remain porous.

Its uses are as follows,

 To bind masonry units like stone, bricks, blocks, cement
 For Plastering on walls and slabs to make them impervious.
 As a filler material in Ferro cement works and stone masonry.
 To fill cracks and joints in the wall.
 Use of cement mortar gives a neat finishing work to wall and
concrete work.
 For pointing the joints of masonry.
 For preparing the building blocks.