Basic Information on Cement

&

Cement Industry in Pakistan

Part-I

Basic Information on Cement

1. Cement is powder and is one of the main ingredients in concrete.

Cement and concrete have been used in construction since at least the
Roman Empire. Modern cement is made of limestone, silicon, calcium, and
often aluminum and iron.

2. Main Types of Cement Basing on Manufacturing Technology.

The three types that are often mentioned are:-

a. Portland

b. Blended

c. Hydraulic

3. The reason that there are different types of cements is not only
required because of the different uses of the cement, but also because of the
type of materials available differ by location (Asia, EU or America). Many of the
types described above actually cross-over between the different categories.
This allows for flexibility in particular construction projects. For example,
different pozzolan and slag are available in different regions. As long as the
desired properties of the concrete can be achieved usually, there is flexibility in
the final choice of cement that is used.

4. Portland Cement The type of cement used in almost all concrete is

Portland cement. Portland cement has been around since Year 1824. The

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name Portland does not refer to a brand name, as many might think. The
original inventor, Joseph Aspdin, was a British bricklayer and named his new
invention “Portland” because its color reminded him of the color of the natural
limestone on the Isle of Portland which is a peninsula in the English Channel.
Few other details related to Portland Cement are:-

a. Portland cement is a particular type of hydraulic cement. Portland

cement contains hydraulic calcium silicates. There are eight
specific types of Portland cement that fall into categories ranging
from Type I to Type V.

b. Type I and Type IA are general purpose cements.

c. Type II and Type IIA contain tricalcium aluminate, but no more

than 8%. To compare to the hydraulic cement types, some of the
Type II cements meeting the standard for the moderate heat of
hydration type.

d. Type III and Type IIIA are similar to Type I cements. However,
they have higher early strengths because they are ground finer.

e. Type IV cements is used in special types of structures that require

a small amount of heat to be generated from hydration. Type IV
cements develops their strength over a longer period of time
when compared to other types.

f. Type V cement has a high sulfate resistance which means it

contains no more than 5% tricalcium aluminate.

5. Hydraulic Cement All Portland and blended cements are

actually hydraulic cement. What is hydraulic cement, though? Hydraulic
cement is actually the generic term in the construction industry. It refers to any
cement that will set and harden after it is combined with water. Most modern
construction cements are hydraulic. There are six different types of hydraulic
cement:
a. Type GU: General Use

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 b. Type HE: High Early Strength
c. Type MS: Moderate Sulfate Resistance
d. Type HS: High Sulfate Resistance
e. Type MH: Moderate Heat of Hydration
f. Type LH: Low Heat of Hydration

6. Blended Cement The third type of cement is blended

cement. Blended cement is also hydraulic cement and is made by mixing two
or more materials. Usually the primary materials used in blended cement are
Portland cement and slag cement. Fly ash, slica fume, calcined clay, pozzolan,
and hydrated lime are also used. There are two main types of blended cement:
a. Type IS (X): Portland blast furnace slag cement
b. Type IP (X): Portland - pozzolan cement

c. The X represents the amount of the second material that is in the

mixture.

7. Different Types Basing on Usage Different types and

their usage is as under:

a. OPC(Ordinary Portland Cement):

 Concrete structures
 Mortars
 Soil stabilization
 Grouting

b. RHC:

 Formwork to be removed quickly for reuse

 Frost action, road repairs, prefabricated concrete

c. LHC:

Large gravity dams

d. SRC (Sulphate Resistant Cement):

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  Marine structures of tidal variations
 basements
 foundations
 sewage treatment concrete pipes

e. Whit Portland cement:

Architectural purpose

f. Air Entraining Portland cement:

 Severe frost
 Effect of salt
 sidewalls and pavements for ice and snow removal

g. Oil Well Portland cement:

Used in deep oil wells because they can harden properly at high
temperature

Part-2

Cement Industry in Pakistan

8. General Information
a. History

 In 1921 the first cement plant was established in the city of

Wah (a city 30 Km north from Capital city).
 During its independence in 1947, Pakistan acquired four
cement plants.
 In 1972 the cement industry was nationalized and the State
Cement Corporation of Pakistan was established.
 The cement industry was privatized in 1990 which led to the
setting up of new plants.

b. Cement Market

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 Pakistan's cement market, which at present consists of 29 cement
plants, is divided into two separate regions, North and South. Cement
production capacity in the North is 80 percent while in the South it is
only 20 percent of the total capacity of the country.

 The northern region consists of the provinces of Punjab and

NWFP. Some of the major cement manufacturers in this region
are:

 D.G. Khan
 Lucky Cement
 Maple Leap

 The southern region consists of the province of Sindh and lower

parts of Balochistan. Some of the major cement manufacturers
in this region are:

 Attock
 Zeal Pak
 Thatta

9. Export of Cement from Pakistan

a. According to the Global Cement Report, Pakistan has been

ranked 5th in the world’s cement exports because of high
demands in nearby countries.
b. The statistics of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association
(APCMA) showed that during the year of 2008-09 cement exports
were increased by 47.48 percent.
c. Pakistan Cement Industry produces a surplus of cement which is
exported mainly to Afghanistan, India, Africa and the Middle East.
d. Pakistan is exporting Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC 42.5 N/R),
Sulphate Resistant Cement (SRC) and Slag Cement at very
competitive prices to different destinations like UAE (Dubai),
Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Djibouti, Afghanistan, South Africa India,
Srilanka and other South Asian destinations.

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10. The growth in demand of cement in Asia, India, Middle East and Africa
whereas particularly supply deficit in India and China has geared up export
opportunities for Cement Industry of Pakistan. The demand of Pakistan origin
cement will also be supported by closing down of some cement units in
Europe due to their strict laws governing pollution control and other
environment hazards. Pakistan having many big cements units and due to big
reserves of raw material, the import of Cement from Pakistan is the prime
choice of the International buyers all over the world.
11. Cement Specifications and Standards: Pakistan exports
Ordinary Portland Grey Cement, Grade 42.5 conforming to following
standards:
 EUROPEAN Specification: DIN EN 197-1,
 BRITISH Specification: BSS 12/1996
 AMERICAN Specification: ASTM C-150.
 Pakistan Specification: PS-232-2008 (R) Grade 43
12. Packing & Transportation: We offer top quality cement in 50Kg
Polypropylene woven bags or 1 Ton Jumbo Bags for sea-worthy
transportation with sufficient safeguard against moisture. Pakistan suppliers
also fulfill the special requirements for Bulk shipment and Self Discharge
Pneumatic Vessel from the Karachi home port to any destination port.
13. Payment Terms: Depending upon ordered quantity, Pakistani
suppliers generally accept payment by multiple methods preferably Irrevocable
Letter of Credit by first class non-African bank. Revolving L/C is advised for big
order with weekly shipments. Advance payments are preffered for small trial
orders of 20 containers.

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