Tools for monitoring the

Cement Usage Properties

By Abdellatif BOUMIZ

Abdellatif BOUMIZ / 20.09.05 - 1

 Technical challenges for mastery the Cement
Usage Properties in Applications
• Promote Concrete & microconcrete laboratories for customer assistance &
product development
• Equipped with a quality control system

• Promote new testing methods for controlling & evaluating the concrete usage
values in Cement Works…
• Light methods (microconcrete)
• Sulfates characterization (Soluble alkalis, Gypsum/Hemi-Hydrate repartition, Weathering…)

• Mastery of cement usage properties for different applications and markets

• Ready Mix Concrete: ordinary concrete, high performances concrete, fluid
concrete…
• Precast applications
• Individual Home Builders applications: brick lying, tilling, plastering, flooring…
• Road applications: soil treatment, concrete for road…

• Understand and control critical cement parameters for different applications and
markets Abdellatif Boumiz Tools for evaluating the Cement Usage Properties 22-24 November 05 - 2
• Mastery of binders and admixtures interactions
Concrete & Microconcrete laboratories

• Support the BUs to develop reference concrete &

microconcrete laboratories in ATC zone
• Equipped with a quality control system

• Animate the concrete & microconcrete laboratories

round robin test

• Transfer the microconcrete tool to the cement works

• Workability
• Specific properties needed by big customers (setting time,
bleeding, strengths…)

Abdellatif Boumiz Tools for evaluating the Cement Usage Properties 22-24 November 05 - 3
 Sulfates characterization

• Soluble alkalis evaluation by flame photometer method

• Gypsum hemi-hydrate evaluation by

• Rietveld XRD method (new Lafarge method)
• Or thermal analysis methods (DSC or TDA)
• Or conductivity method (D/Rio) based on the evaluation of the
reactvity of sulphates
• Low cost method but heavy for use-need continuous calibration

• Cement aging and weathering

• Thermal analysis methods (DSC or TDA)

Abdellatif Boumiz Tools for evaluating the Cement Usage Properties 22-24 November 05 - 4