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BY HOUSING NEWS DESK | MAY 29, 2023

Types of Cement and Their Common

Uses in Construction

Mentioned are the various types of cement like ordinary portland cement, high alumina cement
etc and its uses
Cement is a coarse, grey powder consisting of calcium carbonate and clay. Concrete and
plasters can be made by combining water, grit, or pebbles. Cement is just a component of
concrete and not the nished article, but it is a crucial component of household and business
architectural projects. It is essential since it maintains the concrete mixture and gives it
strength by binding it.

Table of Contents

1. Cement: composition
2. Types of cement and their uses
3. Ordinary portland cement
4. Air entraining cement
5. High alumina cement
6. Portland pozzolana cement (PPC)
7. Low-heat cement
8. Oil-well cement
9. White cement
10. Expansive cement
11. Hydraulic cement
12. Rapid hardening cement
13. Quick setting cement
14. FAQs

Cement: composition
When cement substances are immersed in water, a mechanism causes hydration, creating tiny
granules or a gel-like condition with an enormous surface expanse. It further causes setting
and hardening. The following elements are combined chemically under controlled propositions
to make cement:

Calcium
Silicon
Aluminium
Iron
Limestone
Shells
Chalk
Marl combined with shale
Clay
Slate
Blast furnace slag
Silica sand
Iron ore

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Types of cement and their uses

Ordinary portland cement
One of the most in uential and popular forms of cement in the building sector is OPC. It is a
type of cement widely used worldwide as a fundamental component of concrete, mortar,
stucco, and non-speciality grout. In the early stages, it is more potent than PPC. The tensile
capacity of the cement, which is evaluated after 28 days, determines the grade of the
adhesive. Ordinary portland cement can be divided primarily into three categories.

Uses
Pavements, sidewalks, reinforced concrete buildings, bridges, railings, tanks, and reservoirs
are all constructed using it.
OPC is a top-notch building substance that strengthens structural parts because of its
solid binding capabilities.
The majority of concrete masonry units use it.

See also: All about Cement calculator

Air entraining cement

When the clinker is being ground, local air-entraining agents, such as resins, glues, sodium salts
of sulphates, etc., are added to create air-entraining cement. For resistance to freeze-thaw,
air-entraining concrete is primarily used. This cement is particularly well suited to enhancing
concrete’s frost resistance and workability with less water and cement.

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Uses
During mixing, air-entraining admixtures help concrete produce a system of microscopic
air bubbles.
They give the water the necessary room to expand, preventing the concrete from
rupturing.
They improve workability, resistance to scaling brought on by deicing agents, and freeze-
thaw resistance of concrete.
In the case of a freeze event, the air spaces serve as pressure relief locations.

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High alumina cement

During the OPC production process, bauxite, chalk, and lime are combined with clinker and
calcined to produce high alumina cement. HAC has a solid ability to withstand re and entirely
withstand acid and sulphate attacks. An adhesive must contain at least 32% of its total weight
in alumina and maintain a weight-to-lime ratio of 0.85 to 1.30 to qualify as high alumina
cement.

Uses
Refractory concrete is used most frequently in durable high-temperature structures like
workshops, furnaces, boilers, kilns, chimneys, and foundries.
It can be utilised to build a storage yard or a chemical facility.
Underwater construction employs high alumina cement.

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Portland pozzolana cement (PPC)

Pozzolans are substances, either natural or arti cial, that have reactive forms of silica. When
nely divided, it combines with the calcium hydroxide created by hydrating cement to produce
di erent cementation materials. It is an integrated cement made by synthesising OPC cement
in a particular ratio with pozzolanic ingredients. OPC clinker, gypsum, and pozzolanic
ingredients such as y ash, volcanic ash, calcined clay, and silica fumes are all components of
PPC cement.

Source: Pinterest
Uses
PPC is frequently used in the construction of dams, maritime structures, and hydraulic
structures.
Additionally, it is utilised in pre- and post-tensioned concrete members.
It is utilised in decorative and artistic systems because it provides a better surface polish.
Additionally, it is employed in the production of precast sewage pipes.

Low-heat cement
Low-heat cement has a reduced hydration rate and consumes less water during mixing and
setting processes. It is speci cally formulated to reduce the hydration heat of concrete. This
form of cement is created from the same components as portland cement but with slightly
di erent proportions: it contains less tricalcium illuminate (5% less) and more dicalcium silicate
(approximately 46% more).

Uses
Chemical industries frequently use it for oors and surfaces because of its excellent
chemical corrosion resistance.
It is utilised in mass concrete constructions where the risk of thermal cracking is reduced
by controlling the pace of temperature rise and the highest temperature obtained.
This cement is utilised in dams, the feet of wind turbines, as well as massive footings and
raft slabs of concrete because of its great strength and resistance to wear and breakage.

Oil-well cement
Oil-well cement is a special cement used to ll in the gaps between steel casing and
sedimentary rock strata in oil wells that have been dug to look for oil. This cement stops
sulphur fumes, dissolved salts in water, and oil or gas from escaping the oil well. It o ers a top-
notch casing, ensuring the wellbore’s long-term durability. Oil-well cement is given all its
qualities by combining cement compound composition with delaying agents such as starches,
cellulose materials, or acids.

Uses
When drilling oil wells, when high temperatures and pressures are present, it is utilised to
cement the work.
It provides the casing with support and corrosion protection.
 It separates the well’s water, gas, and oil-producing regions.

White cement
Among other things, cement is used to x marble tile, roo ng, and ooring. Additionally, the
product combines various substrates to create wall skirting and oor sheathing. It is used to
decorate the interior and outside of things like face slabs and ornamental concrete goods.
Although white, its chemical makeup is identical to ordinary portland cement. The primary
usage of white material is to improve the structure’s outside decoration and decorative value.
Source: Pinterest

Uses
It is used to sheath walls, oors, and roofs and restore marble tiles.
They are frequently employed to create cast stones with attractive appearances.
Precast parts and components are also produced using a lot of white cement.
White concrete is made for premium infrastructure ventures and ornamental work. It is
done using white supplementary cementitious materials and white agglomerates.

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Expansive cement
A form of cement called expansive cement dries with no change in volume. Additionally, this
kind of cement does not contract as it dries. The modest contraction when new concrete dries
for the rst time is partially mitigated by the expansion that occurs when expanding and non-
shrinking blocks of cement hydrate. It creates a paste when combined with water that develops
in volume after setting more than portland-cement paste does. Sulfoaluminate clinker is often
mixed with portland cement and stabiliser.

Uses
It is generally utilised to reduce cracking by drying shrinkage in concrete pavement and
slab structures and in unique situations like stopping water leaks.
Compressibility considerably a ects durability, this cement is utilised to grout rebars,
machinery underpinnings, and shear wall ducting.
It is employed in the building of water-retentive buildings as well as in the restoration of
damaged concrete surfaces.

Hydraulic cement
The IL, IS, IP, and IT forms of hydraulic cement are prime examples of hydrophobic types of
cement. They are used in underwater and waterproo ng structural applications because they
are impervious to water and are set up quickly. The specialised admixtures are applied to
concrete constructions to block and seal water or uid leaks. It hardens after mixing with water
and is also quite strong and resistant to rust and corrosion—hydraulic cement struggles in
cooler climates.
Uses
It is perfect for interior and exterior applications to block water seepage through aws and
cracks in masonry, concrete dams, and pool structures.
It may ll and smooth over cracks in oors and basements and is utilised on a lesser scale
for house, building, and structural repairs.
To “glue” together masonry materials like brick, stone, or concrete blocks, hydraulic cement
alone is typically employed as mortar.

Rapid hardening cement

Compared to regular cement, concrete made with special-purpose adhesive develops its
strength more quickly. When OPC has a higher concentration of nely ground tri-calcium
silicate (C3S), it builds strength more rapidly than OPC. Rapid hardening cement is the name
given to this kind of OPC. It has a 30-minute initial setting time and a 600-minute nal setting
time. RHPC’s better early performance is primarily made possible by increased product
neness.

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Source: Pinterest

Uses
Because it provides high strength, rapid hardening cement is typically utilised where a
speedy building is required, such as pavement construction.
Road pavements, for example, use rapid-hardening cement to enable early tra c opening.
Because the quick generation of heat during hydration prevents the concrete from
freezing, it is utilised for cold weather concreting.
 In colder regions, it also produces precast concrete slabs, posts, and electric poles.

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Quick setting cement

Quick-setting cement, which sets more quickly than OPC but maintains the same strength, is
also o ered by cement providers in Malaysia. The amount of gypsum in this formula is
decreased. The cement setting time is sped up by grinding the cement clinkers with aluminium
sulphate. It is one of the cement types utilised in speci c building situations, such as those
with owing water, where the rst setting takes place in 5 minutes, and the complete
environment occurs in 30 minutes.

Uses
This cement is employed in the rapid setting for constructions that require a quick
background, such as underwater structures and in chilly and rainy climates.
For mining and tunnelling, it is used for anchoring or rock bolting.
It is necessary for repairing concrete with a quick setting cement. Perfect for xing
cracked edges on concrete curbs and steps.
Quick-setting cement is necessary to fasten rock bolts in the tunnel and all underground
activities.

See also about Ingredients of cement: All you need to know

FAQs

Which type of cement is ideal for quick construction?

For projects that must be completed quickly and where the contractor must attain initial
strength quickly, OPC 53 Grade cement is employed. Compared to 43-grade cement, 53-
grade OPC sets up more quickly.

How do blended blocks of cement work?

Di erent ne materials are grounded or blended to create blended hydraulic cement. It is
combined with additional cementitious elements added at the concrete factory.

What exactly does setting time entail?

After mixing, the chemical reaction between the water and cement continues, sti ening
the paste as it solidi es. The setting time refers to the initial stage of hardening.

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