3.

Cement
It is an artificial building material used for imparting binding
property in the construction work. It was developed by Joseph
Aspdin in the year 1824-25.
3.1 Ordinary Cement Contains two basic ingredients:
a). Calcareous Compound (CaCO3 predominates)
b). Argillaceous Compound (Clay predominates)
3.2 Ingredients of Cement:
a) Lime (CaO): 62-67%
It imparts strength to the cement and is responsible for its
soundness. If it is in excess, it makes cement unsound, causing
it to expand and finally disintegrate. It's deficiency reduces
strength and setting time.
b) Silica (Si02): 17-25%.
It imparts strength to the cement.
c)Alumina (Al₂O3): 3-8%.
It acts as a flux, imparts quick setting property to the cement. It
reduces the clinkering temperature. If it is in excess then it
weakens the cement.
d)Calcium sulphate (CaSO4): 3-4%.
It is added in the form of gypsum i.e., CaSO4. 2H₂O at the time
of grinding of cement clinkers. It acts as a retarder i.e., it
increases the initial setting time of cement.
v) Iron Oxide (Fe₂03): 3-4%
It imparts colour, hardness and strength to the cement.
vi)Magnesia (MgO): 1-3%
It imparts colour, strength and hardness to the cement.
Magnesia in excess makes the cement unsound.
vii) Sulphur Trioxide (S03): 1-3%
A very small quantity of sulphur in the cement makes the
cement sound. If it is in excess, it makes the cement unsound.
viii) Alkalies (Na₂0, K₂0): 0.2-1%
Most of the alkalies present in raw materials carried away by
the flue gases during heating. If they are in excess, they causes
efflorescence and staining on the surface of concrete. The
reaction of alkali with aggregate, is an expansive reaction
known as cancer of cement.
3.3 Bogue's Compound:
The various constituents combine in burning and form cement
clinker. The compounds in the burning process have the
properties of setting and hardening in the presence of water.
They are known as bogue’s compound.
a) Tricalcium Silicate (C3S), 3 CaO SiO₂, Aelite (45-65) %:
It undergoes hydration within a week or so. Hence responsible
for early strength. It has best cementing value among all
bogue's compound. It increases the resistance of cement against
frost action. The amount of heat liberated its 500J/gm.
b) Dicalcium Silicate (C₂S), 2CaO SiO₂, Belite (15-35) %: It
undergoes hydration within a year after the addition of water to
cement. It is responsible for ultimate or progressive strength of
cement. The amount of heat liberated is 260J/gm.
c) Tricalcium aluminate (C3A), 3Cao Al₂O3, Celite (4-14)
%: It undergoes hydration within 24 hrs, after the addition of
water to cement. It is responsible for flash setting of cement.
The amount of heat liberated is 865J/gm.
d)Tetracalcium alumino ferrite (C4AF) 4CaOAL₂O3
Fe₂O3, Felite (8-14)% : It undergoes hydration within 24 hours
of addition of water to cement. It has the poorest cementing
value. The amount of heat liberated is 420J/gm.
3.4 Quality Test for Cement
A) Field test for cement:
a) Colour: The colour of cement should be uniform and
greenish-grey. The cement colour shows a sign of excess of
clay or lime and a burning degree.
b) Adulteration Test: Sample should give smooth feeling
when rubbed between the fingers.
c). Presence of lumps: The presence of lumps in cement
indicates that it has absorbed moisture. So, we should reject
cement bags that contain small and hard lumps. The lumps
indicates that the cement setting took place. Cement should be
free from any hard lumps.
d) Float Test: When a handful of Cement is thrown in a bucket
full of water, it should float on the surface of water before
sinking.
e) Temperature Test: Sample should give cool feeling when
a hand is thrusted inside the bag of cement. The cool feeling
shows that cement hydration has not taken place in that bag of
cement.
 f) Soundness Test: A thick paste of cement with water is made
on a thick glass plate and is kept under water for 24 hours. It
should set and not crack.
LAB TEST ON CEMENT
Following are the various lab tests performed on cement.
i)Fineness Test: The test is carried out to check proper grinding
of cement. It controls the rate of hydration. It can be done either
by sieve test or air permeability test. In sieve test, 100 gm of
cement is taken and its continuously passed for 15 min through
standard Is sieve No. 9 i.e., 90 µ
𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆
% fineness = 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏

% Fineness should not be more than 10% for OPC.

In permeability test, specific surface area is measured. for OPC,
SSA should not be less than 2250 cm2/gm.
ii). Consistency Test: The purpose of this test is to determine
the percentage of water required for preparing cement paste for
other tests such as initial setting time, final setting time,
soundness, compressive strength and tensile strength of
cement. Vicat’s apparatus is used for this purpose. The test is
performed in the following steps:
i). Take 300 gm of cement add 24% water by weight of cement
ii). Mix water and cement thoroughly. Fill the vicat’s mould
iii) The plunger is then attached to the movable rod and is
gently lowered on the surface of the paste in the mould
iv) The settlement of plunger is noted.
v) If the penetration is between 33-35mm from top or 5-7mm
from the bottom of mould, then water added is correct.
vi) If not then repeat the process with increasing percentage of
water, till the desired penetration is obtained.
For OPC the standard consistency varies from (28-32) %

iii) Setting Time: The test is used to detect the deterioration of

cement due to storage.
a) Initial setting time:
i) 300gm of cement is mixed with (0.85 P) % of water by weight
of cement.
ii) Place the mould on non-porous plate.
iii) Now fill the mix in vicat’s mould.
iv) The needle is attached to the movable rod and is gently
lowered to the surface of paste and then quickly released.
v) In the beginning, the needle penetrates completely. The
process is repeated continuously till the needle penetrates into
the mould up to a depth of 33-35 mm from top or 5-7mm from
the bottom
Initial Setting Time = 30 min, Final Setting Time = 10 hours
for OPC.
b) Final setting time:
 The cement paste is prepared as above and it is filled in
the Vicat mould.
 The needle with annular collar is attached to the moving
rod of the Vicat apparatus.
 The needle is gently released. The time at which the needle
makes an impression on test block and the collar fails to
do so is noted.
 Final setting time is the difference between the time at
which water was added to cement and time as recorded in
previous step, and it should be less than 10hours for OPC.
c) Soundness
 The purpose of this test is to detect the presence of
uncombine lime in the cement.
 The cement paste is prepared by adding 0.78P% water
by weight of cement.
 Le-Chatelier apparatus is used for this purpose.
 The mould is placed and it is filled by cement paste.
 It is covered at top and bottom by glass plate. A small
weight is placed at top and the whole assembly is
submerged in water for 24 hours.
 The distance between the points of indicator is noted.
The mould is again placed in water and heat is applied
in such a way that boiling point of water is reached in
 about 30 minutes. The boiling of water is continued for
one hour.
 The mould is removed from water and it is allowed to
cool down.
 The distance between the points of indicator is again
measured. The difference between the two readings
indicates the expansion of cement and it should not
exceed 10 mm for OPC cement.

Compressive strength
 This test is carried out to determine the compressive
strength of cement.
  The mortar of cement and sand is prepared in ratio 1:3.
 Water is added to mortar in water cement ratio 0.4 or (
by dry weight of cement.
 The mortar is placed in moulds. The test specimens are in
the form of cubes and the moulds are of metals having size
70.6 mm.
 Then the mortar is compacted in vibrating machine for 2
minutes and the moulds are placed in a damp cabin for 24
hours.
 The specimens are removed from the moulds and they are
submerged in clean water for curing.
 The cubes are then tested in compression testing machine
at the end of 3days, 7days and 28 days.
 For OPC GRADE 33 The compressive strength at the end
of 3 days should not be less than 16 N/mm2, at the end of
7 days it should not be less than 22N/mm2 and at the end
of 28 days it should not be less than 33N/mm2

Tensile strength
 The mortar of sand and cement is prepared in the ratio 1:3.
 The amount of water added is ( % by dry weight
of cement.
 The mortar is placed in briquette moulds. The mould is
filled with mortar.
 The briquettes are kept in a damp for 24 hours and
carefully removed from the moulds.
 The samples are then taken out and immersed in water.
 The briquettes are tested in a Universal testing machine at
the end of 3days, 7 days and 28 days.
 Six briquettes are tested at the above day and the average
of six is calculated.
 The tensile strength of OPC should not be less than 2
N/mm2 at the end of 3 days, 2.5 N/mm2 at the end of 7 day
and 4.5N/mm2 at the end of 28 days.
Types of Cement:
i) Ordinary Portland cement:
It is one of the most common types of cement is used in
construction industry. The ordinary Portland cement is
manufactured by mixing, intergrinding and burning calcareous
materials and argillaceous materials. There are 3 grades of
ordinary portland cement available in the market i.e., grade 33,
grade 43 and grade 53.
ii) Rapid Hardening Cement:
 Initial and final setting times of this cement are the same
as those of ordinary cement. But it attains high strength at
early days.
 It is finer than OPC. It contains more C3S and less C₂S
than OPC.
 It's 3 days strength is same as 7days strength of OPC.
 Uses: Used where early strength is required i.e., in
pre-fabricated structures, road construction, cold weather
concreting etc.
iii) Low heat Portland Cement:
 The amount of heat liberated is less than OPC.
  It has less percentage of C3A and relatively more
percentage of C₂S than OPC.
 Initial setting time is about 1hour and final setting time is
about 10hours.
 It is mainly used for mass concrete work. e.g., Dams,
bridge abutments, bridges.
iv) Sulphate resisting portland Cement:
 In this percentage of C3A is kept low and it results in
increase in resistance against sulphates.
 The cement is used for structures which are likely to be
damaged by severe alkaline conditions such as canal
linings, culverts, syphons etc.
v). White Cement:
 This is just a variety of OPC.
 It is free from colouring oxides of iron, manganese or
chromium.
 It is costlier than OPC. Oil fuel is used instead of coal.
 It is used for floor finish work, plaster work, ornamental
wok etc.
 It is costlier than OPC.

vi)Coloured Cement:
 Cement of desired colour may be obtained by mixing
colouring pigments with OPC.
 If the percentage of colouring pigment exceeds 10% the
strength of cement is affected.
 Chromium oxide gives green colour. Cobalt imparts blue
colour. Iron oxide imparts brown or red colour to the
cement, manganese oxide imparts black or brown.
  It is widely used for finishing of floors, external surfaces,
artificial marble etc.
vii). High Alumina Cement:
 It is formed by grinding clinkers formed by calcinating
bauxite and lime.
 The total alumina content should not be less than 32%.
 It evolves great heat during setting. It is therefore not
affected by frost action. Initial setting time is 3.5 hours and
final setting time is 5 hours.
 It is used in boilers, kilns and chimneys. It can withstand
high temperature.

viii) Expansive Cement:

 This type of cement is produced by adding an expanding
medium and a stabilising agent to OPC.
 Hence this cement, expands whereas other cement
shrinks.
 It is used for the repairing of damaged concrete structures.

ix) Quick setting cement:

 This cement sets quickly.
 It is produced by adding small amount of aluminium
sulphate and reducing the percentage of gypsum.
 It is finer than OPC.
 The Initial setting time is 5 min and final setting time is
30min. It is used in underwater construction and in
grouting operation.

x) Portland Pozzolana Cement:

 This cement is produced by inter grinding the cement. clinkers
with 10-30% of pozzolanic material. Silica fumes, fly ash,
surkhi, rice husk ash or blast furnace slag can be used as a
pozzolanic material. This is cheaper than OPC. It offers less
heat of hydration. The rate of gain of strength is less than OPC.
It is used in the construction of hydraulic structure, marine
work or in mass concreting works.

PROPERTIES OF DIFFERENT CEMENT

Cement %Finenes Specific IST and Soundn Compressiv

Type s surface FST ess e strength
area
Rapid should not should not IST=30min should
At 1 day =16
Hardening exceed 5% be less than FST=10hrs be less
N/mm²
Cement (3250 than At 3 days
cm²/gm). 10mm.=27 N/mm²
Low Heat should not should not IST=60min should
At 3day =10
Cement exceed be less than FST=10hrs be less
N/mm²
10% (3200 than At 7day =16
cm²/gm). 10mm.N/mm²
At 28 days
=35 N/mm²
Sulphate should not should not IST=30min should At 3day =10
Resisting exceed 5% be less than FST=10hrs be less N/mm²
Cement (2250 than At 7day =16
cm²/gm). 10mm. N/mm²
At 28 days
=33 N/mm²
High _ should not IST=3.5hrs should At 1 day =30
Alumina be less than FST=5hrs be less N/mm²
Cement
 (2250 than At 3 days
cm²/gm). 5mm. =35 N/mm²
Ordinary should not should not IST=30min should At 3day =16
Portland exceed be less than FST=10hrs be less N/mm²
Cement 10% (2250 than At 7day =22
cm²/gm). 10mm. N/mm²
At 28 days
=33 N/mm²
Portland should not should not IST=30min should At 3day =16
Pozzolana exceed 5% be less than FST=10hrs be less N/mm²
Cement (3000 than At 7day =22
cm²/gm). 10mm. N/mm²
At 28 days
=33 N/mm²