Field tests for cement:

Following four field tests may be carried out to ascertain roughly

the quality of cement
(1) Colour
nt tuo
d Sode 3189 903ihs si
bsi2223
esmsto yisup 3
(2) Physical properties s t 1sb10.n fese

(3) Presence of lumpsoiio lstups yii630 nl 2slios o1 fdstesb 2

(4) Strength96 sd bituode al ss0ol a namso nas E
(1) Colour: The colour of cement should be uniform. It should
be typical cement colour i.e. grey colour with a light greenish shade.
This is not always a reliable test. But it gives an indication of excess
lime or day and the degree of burning.
9192
(2) Physical properties: The cement should feel smooth when
touched or rubbed in between fingers. If it is. felt rough, it indicates
adulteration with sand. If hand is inserted in a bag or heap of cement,
it should feel.cool and not warm. If a small quantity of cement is
thrown in a bucket of water, it should sink and should not float
on the surface. A thin paste of cement with water should feel sticky
between the fingers. If the cement contains too much of pounded
clay and silt as an adulterant, the
paste will give an earthy smell.
(3) Presence of lumps:. The cement should be free from
hard Jumps. Such lumps are formed by the absorption of moisture
from the atmosphere. Any bag of cement containing such lumps should
be rejected. 3199
(4) Strength: The strength of cement can be roughly ascertained
in the following ways: dtpnewa steneT
) The briquettes with a lean or weak mortar are made. The
size of briquette may be about 75 mm x 25 mm x 12 mm. The
proportion of cement and sand may be 1:6. The briquettes are
immersed in water for a period of 3 days. If cement is of sound
 148
Engineering Materterials
such
quality, briquettes broken
will not be
to convert them into
powder form.olls z easily and it will sivsCementniga
149
iil A block of bouo6 be difiuh are carried out
to
cement 25 mm x (1) Chemical composition: The various tests
is prepared and it is 25 mm the chemical
immersed for 7 days in and 200 mm determine the chemical constituents of
cement. Following are
on supports
15
apart and it is loaded water. is then long
mm
requirements of ordinary cement as per BIS: 269-1975:
The block should with a pleced
not show signs of failure. weight of 340 (i) Ratio of percentage of alumina to that of
iron oxide: This
(ii) A thick N ratio should not be less than 0.66.
paste of cement with
thick glass and it is water is made on to those of alumina, iron oxide
and not crack. kept under water for a
piece of (ii) Ratio of percentage of lime
24 hours. t and silica: This ratio is known the lime saturation factor (LSF)
as
should set
Laboratory tests for cementa and it should not be less than 0.66 and it should not
be greater
calculated by the following formula:
The exhaustive tests are carried
than 1.02, when
eotediym
the out in CaO 0.7 SOg
quality of cement. The
extreme laboratory to decide precisely
the sample of cement. In care should be
Al03+0.65 Fe,O 3 l fv
order to taken to collect auo 2.8 SiO2 + 1.2
is desirable make a
to collect in
nearly equal portions representative
as follows:sin
sample, it Cil) Total loss on ignition: This should not be greater than 4
(1) When cement is 3 per cent.
loose: t should be taken
points from heap or heaps of from at least 12 (iv) Total sulphur content: The sulphur content is calculated as
cement.
(2) When cement is in SO3 and it should not be greater than 2.75 per cent.
12 different bags: t should be taken
bags or packages. from at least (v)Weight of insoluble residue: This should not be greater than
The quantity of cement so 1.50 per cent.a 1u0
final sample of cement
collected is intimately mixed and the bs bns
(vi) Weight of magnesia: This should not exceed 5%.
weighing at least 50 N is prepared. It is then
stored in air-tight container till
e bsol sdt
the tests are started.saciy 1Duo 1o (2) Fineness: This test is carried out to check proper grinding
Following are the
purposes of testing of cement (BIS: 4031/1968): of cement. The
fineness of cement particles may be determined either
(1) to by sieve test by permeability apparatus test.
or
determine the physical and chemical properties of
(2) cement; In sieve test, the cement weighing 100 gm is taken and it is
to regulate the various stages in the manufacturing process continuously passed for 15 minutes through standard BIS sieve no. 9.
sbr as a slight difference in the process of manufacture of cement
The residue is then weighed and this
may cause a great difference in the quality of cement; and weight should not be more
than 10 per cent of original weight.. z2go
(3) to understand the behaviour of cement after its the 10leofb
use on works. In permeability apparatus test,
specific surface area of cement
Following are the standard tests for cement: bu particles is calculated. This test is better than sieve test and it
(1) Chemical composition iss to ps an idea of
gives
120m.
uniformity of fineness. The specific surface acts as a measure
(2) Fineness of the frequency of
particles of average size. The specific surface of
(3) Compressive strength cement should
not be less than 2250 cm-lgm. 197w
T
(4) Tensile strength (3) Compressive strength:
This test is carried out to determine
(5) Consistencyom csw 1o p:1 the compressive
strength of cement. Following procedure is adopted:
(6) Setting times (i) The mortar of cement and sand is
(7) Soundness. is 1:3 which means prepared. The proportion
that x gm of cement is mixed with
below.sa 3x gm of
A brief description of each of the above test is given sand.
1R elussqe bus
 151
Engineering Materials Cement
150 twelve
standard
Such
The water is added t0 the mortar. Ine water of briquette.
(iil cement the other face 600 gm for
ratio
is repeated for c e m e n t may be
quantity of
is kept as 0.4
which means that 0.4x gm of water is added to dry briquettes are prepared. The
mortar.
12 briquettes.
(ii) The mortar is placed in moulds. The test specimens are
in
the form of cubes with side as 70.6 mm or 76 mm. The moulds
are of metal and they are constructed in such a way that the
specimens hbiero
can be out without being damaged. For 70.6
easily taken mm and
76 mm cubes, the cement required is 185 gm and 235 gm
respectively. SElevation
K 38.10 mm
(iv) The mortar,
after being placed in the moulds, is compacted O R abiiOm K
J8J0mm
in vibrating machine for 2 minutes.
(v) The moulds are placed in a damp cabin for 24 hours.
(vi) The specimens are removed from the moulds and they are
submerged in clean water for curing.
(vii) The cubes are then tested in compression testing machine
at
the end of 3 days and 7 days. The testing of cubes is carried K-4K
270mm
50.80 mm-
t270 mm
out on their three sides without packing. Thus three cubes are tested -76.20 mm
each time to find out the compressive strength at the end of 3 days Plan
and 7 days. The average value is then worked out. During the test, Standard briquette
the load is to be applied uniformly at the rate of 350 kg/cm2 or t FiG. 5-7
35 N/mm.o kept in a damp cabin for 24 hours.
(iv) The briquettes are

(viii) The compressive strength at the end of 3 days should not removed from the moulds and they
(v) The briquettes are carefully
be less than 115 kg/cm or 11.50 N/mm and that at the end of are submerged in clean water for curing.
7 days should not be less than 175 kg/cm 17.50 N/mm machine at the end of
(vi) The briquettes are tested in testing
or

in each test and average

(4) Tensile strength: This test was formerly used to have an 3 days and 7 days. Six briquettes are tested
indirect indication of compressive strength of cement. t is at present is found out. During the test, the load is to be applied uniformly
generally used for the rapid hardening cement. Following procedure at the rate of 35 kg/cm or 3.50 N/mm
is adopted: 2sbiisg
bs1sthale (vii) It may be noted that cross-sectional area of briquette at its
s ) The mortar of cement and sand is prepared. The proportion is
least section is 6.45 cm2. Hence the ultimate tensile stress of cement
1:3 which means that r gm of cement is mixed with 3x gm of sand. paste is obtained from the following relation:
(i) The water is added to the mortar. The quantity of water is
8 per cent by weight of cement and
sand.se s2qs E Ultimate tensile stress failing6.45load
=

(ii) The mortar is placed in briquette moulds. A typical briquette (viii) The tensile stress at the end of 3 days should not be less
is shown in fig. 5-7. The mould is filled with mortar and then a
small heap of mortar is formed at its top. It is beaten down by a than 20 kg/cm or 2 N/mm and that at the end of 7 days should
not be
standard spatula till water appears on the surface. Same procedure less than 25 kg/em or 2.50 N/mm sne siso2 lsoi
 152 Engineering Materials 153
atshs Cementf
(5) Consistency:
The purpose of this
test is to The Vicat
into two halves.
percentage of water required for preparing cement determine the the form of a cylinder and it can be split
There a r e three
a t t achments
tests. Following procedure is pastes for othe n o n - p o r o u s plate.
adopted: ner mould is placed
on a
collar. The square
() Take 300 gm of cement needle with annular
and add 30 per cent square needle,
plunger and is used for
-

the plunger
90 gm of water to it. by weight initial setting time test,
or needle is used for annular collar is used
for final
test and the needle with
(ii) Mix water and cement consistency
on a
should be done non-porous suriace. The mixina setting time test.
thoroughly. attached to the movable
rod of Vicat apparatus.
(ii) Fill the mould of Vicat (v) The plunger is in the mould.
addition of water to
apparatus. The interval
between the The plunger is gently
lowered on the paste
the commencement of is between
filling
the mould is
known is noted. If the penetration
as the time of
gauging and it should be 3/4 to (vi) The settlement of plunger
41/4 minutes. bottom of mould, the water added is correct.
5 mm to 7 mm from the with different
proper, the process
is repeated
If penetration is not
till the desired penetration is obtained.
percentages of water
todetect. the deterioration
3.30 mm (6) Setting times: This test is used
Movable Rod due It may however be noted that this is purely
of cement to storage.
relation with the setting
a conventional type of test and it has got no
Imm Square- or hardening of actual concrete.
The test is carried out to find out
initial setting time and final setting time.
Indicator- ofloou
Air Vent
Initial setting time: Following procedure is adopted:

(i) The cement weighing with

O50mm
300 gm is taken and it
determined in consistency test.
is mixed
10t ids percentage of water as

Needle for i) The cement paste is filled in the Vicat mould.

ysd bH -10mm Dia.
53 316 Final Settinigdi 1
Plunger (ii) The square needle of cross-section 1 mm x 1 mm is attached
to the moving rod of the Vicat apparatus.
1o bas Framepri s fv
Needle I mm Square
9pS79V5 Ds -80mm Non-porous Plate2b
(iv) The needle is quickly released and it is allowed to penetrate
the cement
glomolinu bsilqq paste.
In the beginning, the needle penetrates
completely.
L Cylindrical It is then taken out and
dropped at a fresh
place. The
procedure
Mould is repeated at regular intervals till the needle
does not penetrate
at 16 119upind completely. The needle should
-Seat penetrate upto about 5 mm measured
Jnsm9 o 22912 site51 975 from bottom! i fin sisi
Vicat apparatus
FiG. 5-8 (v) The initial setting time is
the interval between the addition
of
ofa
water to cement and the stage when needle ceases to penetrate
iv) The Vicat apparatus is shown in 5-8. fig. t consists completely. This time should be about 30 minutes for ordinary cement.
frame to which is attached a movable rod weighing 300 gm and
An Final setting time: Following procedure
having diameter and length as 10 mm and 50 mm respectively. is adopted:
indicator is attached to the movable rod. This indicator
moves on (1) The cement
paste is prepared as above and it is filled in the
a vertical scale and it gives the penetration. The Vicat
mould is in Vicat mould.
 Engineering Materials 155
154
atatseCementior
(i) The needle with annular collar iS
attached to the small weight
f the
Vicat apparatus. This needle has a movina. covered at top by
another glass plate. A for
sharp point projectina in (ii) It is is submerged in
water
the centre with annular collar as shown in and the whole asembly to 35°C.
fig. 5-8. is placed top
at
of water should
be between 24°C
(i) The needle is 24 hours. The temperature The
gently released. The time at which of indicator is
noted.
makes an impresion on test block and the collar the nee, (iv) The distance
between the points
in such a way
fails to do so t water and heat is applied
noted. mould is again placed in minutes. The boiling
is reached in about 30
that boiling point of water
(iv) The final setting time is the
difference is continued for one hour.10J2 20
beda sgsiolt f0
which water was added to cement and time as between the time at of water
cool
and it is allowed to
time should be about 10 hours for
recorded in (ii). This (v) The mould is removed
from water

ordinary cement. down.

3975
r
9biT of indicator is again measured.
(7) Soun dness:
The purpose of this test is to
detect the presence (vi) The distance between the points
of uncombined lime in cement. This test the expansion of
is performed with the The difference between the two readings indicates
of Le Chatelier apparatus as shown in help
fig. 5-9. t consists of a brass cement and it should not exceed 10
mm.
mould of diameter 30 mm and height 30 mm.
There is a split in Storage of cement u o d s stiupo iliw 1m93 o 1at 0
10
mould and it does not exceed 0.50 mm. On either
side of split, there it may absorb
Otherwise
are two indicators with
pointed ends. The thickness of mould cylinder The cement should be stored carefully.
useless for the structural
is 0.50 mm. moisture from the atmosphere and may become
work. Following precautions are to be taken for the storage of cement:
Following procedure is adopted: (1) Moisture: If moisture is kept away from cement, it is
found

(i) The cement paste is that cement will maintain its quality for indefinite period. An absorption
prepared. The percentage of water is taken
determined in the of one to two per cent of' moisture has n o appreciable effect on
as
consistency test. get9399 quality of cement. But if moisture absorption exceeds 5 per cent, the
(ii) The mould is placed on a glass plate and it is filled by cement cement becomes totally useless. Hence, when cerment is to be stored
paste.
Is 2i m mimnois2-270 s
for a long period, it should be stored in air-tight containers.
to e
Glass Pate (2) Perlod of storage: The loose cement may be stored indefinitely
. in air-tight containers. But it is advisable to avoid storing of cement
in jute bags for a period longer than 3, months. If it is unavoidable,
lsisfe the cement should be tested to ascertain its properties.
Gloss Plate
97336s
Eleoation (3) Piles: The cement bags are stacked in piles. It is economical
sS1/9 Brass. Mould
to
form a pile of 10 bags of cement. A distance of about 300 mmn
10
bsTuess7 Thiceness O50mmn should be kept between the piles of cement bags and exterior walls
Indicators with Pointed Ends11 i of building. The passages of width about 900 mm
should be provided
between the piles. For long storage, the top and bottom of
3 0
m m

Split Not More Than 0.50 mm piles should

be covered with tarpaulins or water-proof paper. 21
Ttans
(4) Quality of cement: The cement which
165 mm
more active and
is finely ground is
Plan
consequently, it absorbs moisture rapidly from the
31 atmosphere. Hence extraordinary precautions should be taken to store
Le Chatelier apparatuss
ttn bstl 2t tbns s Fa. 5-9
finely ground cement. ts 2qiq eissb 1ot 2teiol pabteM e
 157
156 Engineering Materials
Cement
artistically
(5) Removal
of cement: When cement
bags are to be remove piles, garden
seats,
from piles of sufficient height, the steps should be ved of precast pipes,
Manufacture fencing posts,
elc.
formed by takin (6) dust bins,
out fwo or three bags from front o designed urns,
flower pots, etc.,
etc.
piles. t is also advisable to remo watertight floors,
footpaths,
cement in order of its storage period i.e. cement which of foundations,
is stored Preparation
should be taken out first. In other words, 1he previously (7)
rule of first Varieties of cement:
out should be followed. in ist s are the other Important
cement, the following
In addition to ordinary
(6) Storage sheds: For storing cement for varieties of cement:
period, the storage sheds of
a
sufficiently
special design should be constructed. lona (1) Acid-resistant cement
walls, roof and floor of such sheds should be of The
Few small windows should be water-proof construction. atsm (2) Blast furnace cement
provided and they should be kept tightly Coloured cement Ses
shut. The floor should be above oe(3)
ground. If necessary, the drainage 19 0 ot 0 ods he onuor
should be provided to drain water collected in (4) Expanding cement
For determining the size of vicinity of such shed. (5) High alumina cements n2n199
storage shed, t is found that 20 bags
or 10 kN of cement will
require about 1m of space.
6) Hydrophobic cement Hdorg1 soriol zopoy
voig ursg br
should be noted that cement, even if stored in the most
t i ( 7 ) Low heat cement e 2
favourable 15 b at 12ubo
conditions, loses ts activity when stored for a (8) Pozzuolana cement
long time. For instanxe (9) Quick setting cement
the storage durations of 3 months and 12 months will
cause a reduction
(10) Rapid hardening cement tes 63 tC
in the activity of cement to the extent of about 20% and 40
respectively. T i i m ylatmint d
Hence it is advisable to reactivate the cement stored lor prolonged (11) Sulphate resisting cement
period. The most efective method ol recting such cement consists (12) White cement.
in vibro-grinding which ensures greater fineness of cement and makes Each of the above variety of cement will now be discussed in
cement fit for use, brief.
Uses of cement bse sd uoda 1o o (1) Acld-resistant cement: An acid-resistant cement is composed
At present, the cement is widely used in the construction of various of the following:

engineering structures. t has proved to be one of the leading isps such as quartz, quartzites, etc.;
(1) acid-resistant aggregates
in production
engineering material of modern times and has no rivals siete (2) additive such as sodium fluosilicate Na2 SiF6 and
and applications.Following are various possible uses of cement: (3) aqueous solution of sodium silicate or soluble glass.
etc.
(1) Cement mortar for masonry work, plaster, pointing, The
addition of additive sodium fluosilicate accelerates the hardening
(2) Concrete for laying loors, roofs and constructing lintels, beams, process of
soluble glass and it also increases the resistance of cement
pillars, etc. to acid and water.
weather sheds. stairs,
engineering structures such as The binding material
of acid-resistant cement is soluble glass whichn
(3) Construction of important houses,
tunnels, storage reservoirs, light is a solution of sodium silicate,
water
bridges, culverts, dams, Na20.nSiO2 or potassium
silicate, K20.nSiO2. where n is the glass modulus.
docks, elc.
tanks,
Constrution of
water tanks, wells, tennis courts, septic The term glass modulus is used to indicate the ratio of the
sd 14) etc. of silica molecules to that of number
roads, telephone cabins, alkali oxide molecules and
ote o lamp posts, in soluble
glass
varies from 2.50
its value
pipes, etc. to 3.50.
(5) Making joints for drains,
 158
Engineering Materials 159
The acid-resistant cement is used for Cementalan3
heat-resistant coatings of lime should
water-resistant and it fails when
installations
chemical
micalof
attacked by waterindustr t is and
acid-resistant
industry. 32 per cent and the ratio by
weight of
alumina to the
known by the trade names

By adding 0.50
per cent of linseed This cement is
or we not 0.85 and 1.30.
resistance to the water is increased oil or 2 per cent of
weak adds. be between Lumnite in America. to
in England and
and water resistant and it Cerer
is then known as #
of Cement Fondu
of this cement:
cement. Following are the advantages
hours.
(2) Blast furnace acid is m o r e than 3 /2
cement
time of this
from blast furnace is cement: For this cement, the i) The initial setting It therefore allows
hours.
is about 5
used. The slag is a slag as The final setting time
manufacturing prOcess of pig-iron waste productobtained more time for mixing
and placing operations.
of cement, and it contains in the
nanely, alumina, lime and silica. the basic
elements (ii) It can stand high temperatures.
therefore not affected
are ground with The It is
about 60 to 65 clinkers of cement
per cent of (ii) It evolves great heat during setting.
The slag. by frost.
properties
of ordinary cement.
of this cement are
more or less the action of acids in a
better way.
lts strength in same as those (iv) It resists the short
early ultimate strength in a
requires longer curing period. t days is less and hence t (v) It sets quickly and attains higher
proves to be is about 40 N/mm and that
is a waste
product, is used in its manufacture.economical as slag,
This cement is
which period. Its strength after 1 day
but not suitable for use in
dry arid zones. durable, after 3days is about 50 N/mm.
on the chemical reactions
(3) Coloured cement: The cement of (vi) Its setting action mainly depends
to fine powder.
desired colour may be obtained and hence it is not necessary to grind it
by intimately mixing mineral pigments with
of colouring material may ordinary cement. The amount Following are the disadvantages of this cement:eqm
vary from 5 to 10 per cent. If this percentage
The extreme care is to be taken to see that it does not
come
exceeds 10 per cent, the strength of cement is alfected. (i)
in contact with even traces of lime or ordinary cement.
The chromium oxide gives green colour. The cobalt
imparts blue (ii) It cannot be used in mass construction as it evolves great
colour. The iron oxide in diffserent proportions gives brown, red or
yellow colour. The manganese dioxide is used to produce black or
heat and as it sets soon. 3716122 169T 21l1o 1 fi
(ii) It is costly. Pestte sies 19pirt 2522922og
brown coloured cement.
(6) Hydrophoblc cement: This type of cement contains admixtures
The coloured cements are widely used for finishing of floors, external which decrease the wetting ability of cement grains. The usual hydrophobic
textured panel faces, stair
surfaces, artificial marble, window sill slabs, admixtures are acidol, naphthenesoap, oxidized petrolatum, etc. These
treads, etc. substances form a thin film around cement grains.
sldufoz 10 763liz
cement: This type of cement is produced by
adding When water is added to hydrophobic cement, the absorption films
onis (4) Expanding
sulpho-aluminate and stabilising agent
a are torn off the surface and they do not in
expanding medium like any way, prevent the
expands whereas other
an
Hence this cement normal hardening of cement. However, in initial
to the ordinary cement. stage, the gain in
strength is less as hydrophobic films on cement grains prevent the
cements shrink. a l tosins tnsia bnid interaction with water. However its strength after 28
construction of water retaining days is equal
cement is used for the to that of ordinary Portland cement.
The expanding
uie the damaged concrete surfaces.
s t r u c t u r e s and
also for repairing When hydrophobic cement is used, the fine
This cement is
produced by grinding pores in concrete are
alumina cement: aluminium uniformly distributed and thus the frost resistance and the water
The bauxite is
an
(5) High bauxite and lime. resistance of such concrete are
less than considerably increased.sd bas
l i n k e r s formed by calcining alumina c o n t e n t should not be
that total
ore. h is specified
160
7 Low heat Engineering Materials 161
the setting cement: The laioo Cement
gn
this type of
action of cement.
In
considerable heat is when this cement is used as

cement is order to produced is to be

taken short
used. h Teduce in a very
contains ower the amount auring
care completed
aluminate
te CaA of The extreme
are to be water or
about 5% of concrete static
C25 of about 463 and higher heal
percentage of trigal mixing and placing
is used to lay
concrete
under

This cement
percentage of ricaliu
dicaldum:
um siliate
period. This
cement

times
possesses less running water final setting
time is The initial and
about one hour compressive (10) Rapid hardening
cement: attains
But it
used for mass and final setting strength.
is mainly The initial as those of ordinary
cement.
the same
of tricalcium
(8) concrete work. time is about 10 setine of this cement are
It contains high percentage
Pozruolana hour high strength in early
days.
is due to the
following
H is
found in taly cement: The to the extent of
about 56%. This
near pozuolana
is a silicate C3S busteni bazu el fsul lo
by burning
bricks made Vesuvius. t
resembles volcanic facts: a9tzslqdatnil 1o0oil 1o1
from shales and from
ordinary soils.
surkhi which is powder. Burning at high temperatures.
prepared
material should becertain types of days. The can also be processed
t (i)
Increased lime content in cement
composition.
(ii) 7 9 i s o 9 hsaat
between 10 to 30. petcentage ol
Following are the pozzuolana i ) Very fine grinding
i) t attains
advantages of this cement: This cementslightly
is costlier than ordinary cement, but is offerss
compressive
resist action of strength with age.
(i) h can the following advantages:

less heat sulphates

i) h evolves ) As it sets rapidly, the construction work may be carried out
during speedily.
imparts higher degree setting bos
(iv) Jeno
(ii) The formwork of concrete can be removed earlier and it can
of watentightness.
(vtimparts plasticity and workability therefore be used frequently.
lo
prepared from it.m lo oE to the mortar and concrete pr ii) It obtains
strength in a short period. The compressive strength
(vil t is
cheap. 99 he Dh oals a at the
end of one day is about 11.50
N/mm and that at
(viil t offers
great resistance to the
oels bo the end of 3 days is about 21 N/mm. Similarly the tensile
(viil h expansionnsos
possesses higher tensile strength. strength at the end of one day is about 2 and that N/mm
at the end of 3
Following are the
days is about 3 N/mm.
disadvantages of this cemend:odgonb ta iv) t is light in
weight.
i) ts compressive strength in early days is less. (v) It is not
damaged easily.
bp
i) possesses less resistance to the erosion and weathering action. (vi) The structural
members constructed with this cement
This cement is used to
loaded earlier. may be
prepareof lean mix and
mass concrete
(vii) This cement
for marine structures. t is also used in
sewage works and for laying requires short period of curing.
conctete under water
(viil) The use of this
cement allows t o s9l
in the higher
design. It therefore results in permissible
stresses
(9) Quick settiog cement: This cement is produced by adding (11) economic
a small percentage of aluminium sulphate and by finely grinding the of Sulphate resisting cement: In this
design.
tricalcium alumínate C3A cement, the
is
cement. The percentage of gypsum or retarder for setting action is in the
increase in
resisting
kept below 5 per cent
and it results
percentage
also greatly reduced. The addition of aluminium sulphate and ineness power
This cement is against sulphates.
of grinding are responsible for accelerating the setting action of cement by severe used for
addition of structures which are
alkaline conditions
The setting action of cement starts within five minutes after syphons, etc. such as canallikelylinings,
to be
water and it becomes hard like stone
in less than 30 minutes or so. damaged
culrerts,
 Engineering Materials
162
(12) White cement: The first white cement factory a
was set
in Kottayam, Kerala by Travancore Cement Limited
(TCL) in up
and the
cement was sold under the brand name 1956
Vembanad Cement
Few more plants
have now been put up for the
manufacture of
cement in our country. white
This is just a variety of
ordinary cement and it is prepared
frrom
such raw materials which are ctically free from colouring
of iron, manganese or chromium. For burning of oxides
this cement,
oil fuel is used instead of coal. It is white in the
colour and it is used
for floor finish, plaster work,
ornamental work, etc. It should
earlier than 30 minutes. It should be not set
carefully transported and stored
in closed containers only. It is more
costly than ordinary cement because
of specific requirements imposed
upon the raw materials and the
manufacturing process.
The white cement is the wonder material of
the century and it
has quickly established itself as
absolutely indispensable for the housing
and construction industry. It is quick drying, possesses high
and has superior aesthetic values. The
strength
miscellaneous applications of
white cement are in swimming pools where it replaces the use
of
glazed tiles with coloured shades usable under water, for moulding
sculptures and statues, for painting garden furniture, etc. It is also
used for ready mixed concrete and precast, concrete blocks and also
for fixing marble and glazed tiles.
 chapter4
Cement

Natural cement is
brown in colour. It
artificial cement, and hence it has limited use.
sets very quickly after the addition
of water and is not as strong as
It was in the eighteenth
century that the most important advances in the development of cement were
made, which finally led to the invention of Portdand cemernt. In
lime which can resist the action of water can be obtained not
1756,John Smeaton showed that the hydraulic
only from hard lime but also from a limestone
which contains a substantial proportion of clay.
In 1796, Joseph Parker found that the modules of
cement when burnt in the usual manner.
argillaceous limestone made excellent hydraulic
Later, several experiments with several mixtures of limestone
and argillaceous were carried out so that the
properties of the product could be kept under more uni-
form and proper control by using varying lime and
clay proportions. In 1824, Joseph Aspidin of Leeds
inEngland introduced Portland cement.

4.1 PROPERTIES OF CEMENT

The properties of cement are:

1Atgives strength to the masonry.

s.
t acts as an
excellent binding material.
t offers good resistance to moisture.
t lt possesses good plasticity.
5. It stiffens or hardens early.
6. It is easily workable.

4.2 INGREDIENTS OF CEMENT

1 Lime (CaO): The chiefconstituent of cement is lime. Its proportion varies from 60 to 67 per cent.
The lime in excess makes the cement unsound and causes the cement to expand and disintegrate and
also retards the setting property On the other hand, if lime is in deficiency,it reduces the strength of
cement
2.
2. Sihca (SiO, ): It forms 17 to 25 per cent of Ordinary Portland Cement. Itimparts strength to the
Cement due to the formation of dicalcium and tricalcium silicates. Excess of silica increases the
time the setting time is prolonged.
strength of cement, but at the same
Alumina (AlO,): It acts as a flux and lowers the clinkering temperature. It imparts quick setting

Property to cement. If in excess, it

weakens the strength of cement.
 24 Basic Cvil Engineering
saulpbate (Caso): This ingredient is in the form of gypsum. It is generally added in very
4.Cala
small amounts (2 per cent of wt.) to cement towards the last stage of manufacture with a view of

retarding the setting time of cement.

5. Iren cxide (Fe,0,)J: This is responsible for imparting the characteristic grey colour to cement. I

ercentage varies from 0.5 to 6 per

cent.

Magncia (MO; Magnesia varies from 0.1 to 45 per cent. Excess of magnesia reduces the sound
ness of cement. It imparts hardness and colour to the cement.
7. Saupeaur It varies from 1 to 2.5 per cent. If it is in excess, it makes the cement unsound.
s. Aaie Most of the alkalies present in raw materials ane carried away bythefue gases during heat
ing. If they anre in excess in cement, they result in alkali-aggTegate reaction, efflorescence and staining
when used in masonry work

421 Harmful constituents of cement

The presence of alkali arides ike KOand Na,O and magnesium oxides like MgO adversely affccts the qualiy
of cement. Ifthe amount of alkai corides exceeds 1 per cent, it leads to the failure ofconcrete. If the content of
agnesium amide exceeds 5 per cent, it causes cracks after mortar and the concrete hardens. Table 4.1 shows
he adnissble rerage (in $) and limits (in %) of ingredients in ordinary cement.

Table4.1 AdmissibleAverage(in 96) and Limits (in 96)ofIngredientsin Ordinary Cement

Lngredient Limits (6) Average (%).
1.Lime 60-66
2 Slica 18-25
2)
3 Alumina 3-8
4 ron cide 05-5
5. Magnesa 1-5
6 Sodium and potassium oides 05-5
7. suphuric anhydride 05-5

43 SETTINGTIME OF CEMENT
Whea wris added o cement,theingredients of cement reactchemically with waterandform acompli
cad chemical comprnd The mizing of cement with water results in a sticky cement paste and it gradualy
soe hikeingin corseinoftime.Itis found that ordinarycementachieves 70 percent ofitsfinal strengh
n 20 ds zdDe t lyear or so.
Tte time ofseing is greaiy inftuenced by the following factors
L The eperzteawlich he cement paste is allowed to set.
2 The perentge df water mised to cement in making the paste.
3. Te bumidiry at wtich the seting is allowed.
S e g i e s isingished into initial setting time and final setting time on the basis of the time takes
b he test specimen to set to a specified minimum depthh
A We edepgzs Ísued for the determination of setting time (Figure 4.1).
 Cement 25

weight
300 gm

indicator

plunger

non-porous
plate

Figure 4.1Vicat apparatus

Apparatus
TVaME DAUMAM
22930103W
1. It consists of a trame with a movable rod fitted with a cap.
2. A needle of 1 mm square cross section is attached to the lower end of the rod for the determination
of initial setting time. The total weight of the rod along with the needle is 300 gi
3. Another needle like the above mentioned but with a hollow metallic attáchment with a circular
cutting edge of 5 mm diameter and having a 0.5mm projection at the end is used to determine the
final settingtime
4. A standardVicat mouldinwhich the specimen is allowed toset. tbrnai a 1soind n i o

4.3.1 Initial setting time-procedureo st t a 1907bsu t a

a. Take 300 g by weight of cement and mix with 0.85 times the water required to give a paste of stan-
dard consistency.
b Start thestop watch attheinstant wateris added to the cement, 00abecmot
Fill the Vicat mould with the cement paste and smooth the surface. alwot

d. Place the square needle of cross section 1 mm to the moving rod of the Vicat apparatus.
Lower the needle gently bringing it in contact with the surface and quickly release allowing it to
penetrate the paste,
In the beginning the needle will completely pierce the test block. Repeat the procedure in a fresh
the test block and released, fails to pierce the
place until the needle, when brought in contact with
block for 5 mm measured from the bottom.
Ihe initial setting time is the interval between the addition of water to the cement and the stage when the
needle fails to for 5 mm measured from the bottom.
pierce the test block

4.3.2 Final setting time procedure

needle with annular attachment for the final
a.
Replace the needle for initial setting time by the an

setting time
26 Basic Civil Engineering

b. The cement shall be considered as finally set, when upon applying the necdle gently to the surtace of
attachment fails to do so.
the test block, the needle makes an impression thereon while the
Ihe fhinal setting time is the interval between the addition of water to the cement and the time at which the
surface of the test block
needle makes animpression while the attachment fails to make an impression on the
The following table shows the initial and final setting time of varios grades of cements

Table 4.2 The Initial and FinalSetting Time of Various Grades of Cements
Final setting time
Type of cement Initial setting time

It shall not be less than 30 minutes It shall not be more than 10 hours.
1.Ordinary
It shall not be more than 10 hours.
2. Rapid hardening It shall not be less than 30 minutes
3. Low heat It shall not be less than 60 minutes. It shall not be more than 10 hours.

4.4 MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT

4.4.1 Wet process
In the carlier part ofthe century, from 1913 to 1960, the wet process was used for the manufactureof cenent.

4.4.1.1 Mixing of raw materials

The calcareous materials such as limestones are crushed and stored in silos or storage tanks. The argillaceos
materials, such as clay, are thoroughly mixed with water in a container known as wash mill and they are stored
in basins. Now in correct proportions, the limestones from storage tanks and wet clay from basins are allowed
to fall in a channel. This channel leads the material to grinding mills where they are brought to form a slurr
The grinding is carried out in either ball mill or tube mill or both. The slurry is lead to correcting basins where
it is constantly stirred and at this stage the chemical compositions are adjusted as necessary. This corrected
slurry is then stored in a different storage tank from where it is fed to the rotary kiln for burning.

4.4.1.2 Burning
The burning is carried out in the rotary kiln. The rotary kilh is formed of steel tubes whose diameter varies
from 250 to 300 cm. The lengthvariesfrom 90 to 120 m. It is laid at a gradient of 1 in 25 to 1 in 30. The kiln
is supported at intervals by columns of masonry.A refractory lining is provided inside the kiln. It is arranged
in such a way that the kin rotates at 1-3 revolutions perminute about its longitudinal axis. The corrected
slurry is charged into the rotary kiln for the wet process. Coal in finely pulverized form, fuel oil and gas are
the common fuels for burning these kilns. The portion of the kiln near its upper end is known as dry zone and
in this zone the water of the sBury is evaporated. As the slury descends to the next zone, there is a rise in,
temperature from where the carbon dioxide from the slurry is evaporated. Small lumps known as nodules are
formed at this stage. These nodules gradualy pass through zones of rising temperature and ultimately reach
the burning zone where temperature is around 1,500'C. In the burning zone, the calcined productis formed
and nodules are converted into smal, hard, dark, greenish blue balls which are known as clinkers. The size of
the clinkers varies from 3 to 20 mm. Rotary kilns of small size are provided to cool down the clinkers and the
cooled clinkers having temperature around 95C are collected in containers of suitable sizes.

4.4.1.3 Grinding
The clinkers obtained from the rotary kilh are fhnely ground in ball mills and tube mills. During grinding, a small
quantity, around 3-4 per cent, or gpsum i5 added. ypsum controls the initial setting time of cement. If gypsum
 Cement 27
is not added, the cement woud set as soon as
water is added. After
grinding,
the product
is stored in storage
tanks and finally they ae packead in bags of different types to ensure a 50 kg net weight of cement bag with 200
g. Each bag contains 50 KgOr about 0.035 m of cement.The
bags are automatically discharged from the packer
to the conveyor belt to dirrerent loading areas and are carefully
stored in the right place (Figure 4.2).
4.4.2 Dry process
Nowadays the dry process or
manutacture of cement is most often
adopted and this improves the quality
of cement produced, with
less consumption power. this process, the raw materials which are ground.
of In
to about 25 mm size in crushers are dried by passing dry air over it. They are then pulverized to a very hne
powder in ball mills and tube mills. This is done separately for each raw material and then they are mixed in
the correct proportion and made ready for the feed of the
rotary kiln.
Calcareous Argillaceous
material lime material clay

Crushing Washing
Storage in Storagein
silos basins

Channel

Grinding mill
Formation of slurry

Correcting basin
Storage tanks

Rotary kiln Coal dust

i Formation of clinkers
Coolers
den Grinding of clinkers in ball mills
andtube mills
Gypsum

Storage In sllos

Weighing and packing In bags

|Distribution

Figure 4.2 Schematic diagram of different processes involved in the

manufacturing ofcement
28 Basic Civil Engineering

USES
4.5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CEMENT AND
from the name ofa stone (Portland) which
resemble
its
Pruinary Portland Cement: It derives
name
1 mortar for masonry Work,
in mortar f
used building material in
its colour. It is the most commonly in cement concrete, reintorced cement concret
rete
plastering and pointing and
a as binding medium
and prestressed cement concrete construction.

cement: The rapid hardening property

is imparted to the cement primarily by burn-
apid bardening finer grinding of the particles.
The initial and final
ing at a higher temperature and secondly by in the early
tinme of the cement is the same as ordinary
cement, but it attains high strength
setting in 4 days which ordinary
It is usefül in situations as it develops the same strength
stages. emergency Cement. The uses
cement acquires in 28 days. It is comparatively
costlier than Ordinary Portland
and advantages of this cement are:

It can be used when the construction has to be carried out tast.

b. When the formwork of the concrete has to be removed earlier.

I t is light in weight.
d It is not damaged easily.
loaded earlier.
The structural members constructed out of this cement can be
This cement requires short period of curing.
It allows higher permissible stresses in the design.
Low beat cement: It is a type of Portland cement which sets and hardens with the evolution of very
and
low heat of hydration. It contains low percentage of tricalcium aluminate, of about 5 per cent,
for construction
higher percentage of dicalcium silicate, of about 45 per cent. This is the ideal cement
of dams as it reduces the development of cracks in the structure.
Heat of bydration is the heat produced during the chemical action between cement and water.In
mass concreting like construction of dams, this heat produced will be high and will affect the stabil
ity of the structure. So, there is a necessity to control the amount of heat produced and it is in these
situations that the use of this type of cement comes into play.
Quich setting cement: It is produced by adding a small percentage ofaluminium sulphate and by finely
grinding the cement. It contains very little or no retarding substances like gypsum. The setting action
ofthe cement starts within 5 minutes after addition ofwater and it becomes hard in less than 3
minutes. The mixing and placing of concrete should be done in a very short time. This type of cement
can be used for construction under water.
High alumina cement: It is obtained by adding bauxite (ALO,) of about 5 per cent and lime (Ca0
of about 35-45 per cent, The advantages are:
a. It is highly resistant to attack by sea water
b. It rapidly hardens
C. It does notexpand while setting
d. It can stand very high temperatures
e. It resists the action of frost.
. t
 DCE
L 1 B R A R Y

LABR23)
1 3 ) .Cement
No..
29

The disadvantages are:

a. It cannot be used tor massive concrete work.
KEON
JHAR

b. It is much costlier.
c. Extreme care should be taken to see that it does not come in contact with ordinary cement or
lime as it reduces the
strength.
6. Coloured cement: "This cement will produce a surface of desired colour and is manufactured by the
addition ofa small proportion of some colouring material, generally a mineral pigment to the clinker.
The amount of colouring material may vary from
5 to 10 per cent. Chromium oxide gives green
colour and cobalt imparts blue colour. Iron oxides in different
proportions give brown, red and yellow
colour and manganese dioxide produces black and brown colour.
7. Expanding cement: This cement is used to neutralize the effect of shrinkage of ordinary concrete.
It is produced by adding an expanding medium like sulpho-aluminate and a stabilizing agent to the
ordinary cement. It is used for the construction of water-retaining structures and also for repairing
damaged concrete surfaces.
8. Hydrophobic cement: It contains admixtures which decrease the wetting ability of cement. The admix-
tures usualy used are acidol, naphtenesoap, etc. These substances form a thin film around the cement
grains. When water is added to this cement, the absorption films are torn offthe surface and they
do not in any way prevent the normal hardening of cement. However, in the initial stage the gain of
strength is less as the hydrophobic films ofcement grains prevent the interaction with water.
9. Air entraining cement: Air content of 2-6 per cent is introduced in the cement by grinding air
entraining agents with the cement clinker during the manufacture of cement. The addition of air
entraining agentsintroduceslarge amount of air which results in the formation of voids and increases
the workability of concrete. The weight as well as the strength of the concrete is reduced.
10. White cement: White cement is manufactured from china clay and white chalk in place of limestone
and clay It is used asa decorative feature for high-quality plasterwork. The white colouring effect
is due to the absence of iron oxide. The cement is about four times costlier than Ordinary Portland
Cement. It has quick drying properties, high strength and superior aesthetic values. It is used in
swimming pools where it replaces the use of glazed tiles with coloured shades, for moulding sculp-
tures and statues, for painting garden furniture and for fixing marbles and glazed tiles.
11. iron and
Blastfurnace slagThe
cement: The
is waste
steel industry produces large quantities ofblast furnace sag
as a by-product. slag a
productin the manufacturing of iron
pig and it contains the
basic elements of cement, namely alumina, lime and silica. The clinkers of cement are ground with
60-65 per cent of the slag. This cement has a slow rate of hardening and less heat of hydration. It
is not affected by sea water and, hence, is used for marine structures. Its
eewst
strength in the early days
1sless and, hence,requires longer curing period. ag

4.6 DIFFERENT GRADES OF CEMENTeemngst isret s

Frior to 1987, there was only one grade of Ordinary Portland Cement which was governed by IS 269-1976.
After 1987 higher-grade cements were introduced to India. The Ordinary Portland Cement was classified into
three grades,
namely 33 grade, 43 grade and 53 grade depending upon the
when tested as per IS 4031-1988. If the 28-day strength is not less than 33 strength
of the cement at 28 days
N/mm, it is called 33 grade cement.
Ifthe 28-day strength is not less than 43 N/mm, it is called 43
grade cement. If the 28-day
strength is notless
 30 Basic Civil Engineering

than 53 N/mm>, it is called 53 grade cement. But the actual strength obtained by the cement at the factory
much higher than the BIS is
specification. Table 4.3 shows compressive strength of different gracles of cement,
Table 4.3 Compressive Strength of Different Grades of Cement
Compressive strength
e
1 day min 3 days min. 7 days min.
SI. No. 28 days min.
Type of cement MPa MP, MPa MPo
33 grade OPC (IS 269-1989) N.S. 16 es 22
2 t 233
43 grade OPC (IS 269-1989) N.S. 23 33 H
53 grade OPC (IS 269-1989) N.S.
43
27 37 53
N.S. Not specified

The
compressive strength of Ordinary Portland Cement increases with
(IS 269-1989) acquires a compressive strength of 16 N/mm* at 3 days, time, For example, 33 grade OPC
28 days. 22 N/mm' at 7 days and 33 N/mm' at

4.7 STORAGE OF CEMENT p e

Cement absorbs moisture from nature and gets hardened. so suitable precautions should be talken in
cement.
An absorption of 5 per cent moisture means
tne cencit be n
stored in a moisture-free atmosphere. It is advisable not to store cement in jute2nd Bof the
bage be cement is to
than 3 months. The cement bags should be stored in piles of one above the other, atmaPeriod of more
300 mm from the exterior walls. Between the piles, a passage of 900 mm width thould
hould be
be umdistance of
bottom of the piles should be covered and waterproofed for long storage. The top and kept.
Storage for longer periods makes the cement weaker, even under favourable condition
one