Selection of best and suitable cement for the construction work
Cement is most essential and important component in construction work it act as binding material which binds the course aggregate and fine aggregate in the concrete and make the structure rigid and safe. There are many types of cement available in market, different e cement have different quality and use for different purpose, it is difficult to choose or selecting the right cement for your construction work. Today through this article I am going to provide you the complete detailed guide on how you can choose the best cement for your construction work.
Frist off all we have to know how many types of cement are available in the market for different purpose-:
There are several cement available in market which have different characteristics
1-: Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) : It is most common general purpose cement which is most commonly use in every construction work
2-:Quick setting cement : In this type of cement the setting time of cement is very low due to which it shows Quick setting. It is use in the project where we have less time, or required urgent work. Generally this type of cement is use in army or military construction of road and bridges.
3-: Low heat cement : In low heat cement the heat of hydration comes out when water is added to the cement is low as compare to the other cement. It is genially use in the large projects like the construction of dam or any reservoir where mass or bulk concreting is required. By the use of this cement the we can protect the structure from cracks due to heat of hydration.
4-: Sulphate resisting cement : this cement is use to protect the structure from Sulphur attack. It is generally use in salts of sulphur are present for example under deep water marines, inside the main hole and sewer, canal, water bridges.
5:- High alumina cement: in high alumina cement the amount of alumina is 35% . its strength is generally more than the ordinary cement and it give the more heat of hydration when water is added so this cement is not preferred in the mass concreting or large construction works. It is use in furnaces of chemical factories it is also use in marine work.
6:- White cement : White cement is white in color and it is generally used to make the good appearance and in decorative purpose. It is two to three times more expensive than the ordinary cement.
7:- Portland pozzolana cement (PPC) : in this cement the fly ash is used in the manufacturing of cement fly ash is the burnt dust of the volcanic mountains which is also known as pozzolana. It is generally same as the ordinary Portland cement.
Now, there are some factors which we have to consider when we select the best cement from the market
1). Project requirement : Determine the purpose of your construction and your needs for the construction for example you need for good strength, durability, good looking.
2). Environmental condition : After deciding the purpose of the construction the you need to notice the climate, exposure of the surrounding and temperature
3). Budget : Now chose the cement as per your budget, which have best quality and cost effective
4). Availability : Before stare the construction work check the availability of that specific cement which is required in your construction it is easily available or not.
5). Structure design : Decide which type of structure you need. it is for heavy load bearing or normal structure
Now there are some factor in which the cement is depends:
1).Compressive strength : Compressive strength of cement it means the strength of cement to resist the compressive nature load. Different type of cement have different compressive strength for example high alumina cement have the more compressive strength the the ordinary Portland cement.
2).Setting time : Setting time means the time required to the cement to change its state from plastic nature to rigid or non-deformable state. Is known as setting time of the cement
3).Workability: Workability of cement denotes how easily we can do work with it. Fine cement is more workable then the cement in which the lumps are present and have the large size of partical.
4).Durability : Durability of cement tells about the how much cement is durable to resist the chemical attack, weathering and erosion
5). Color and finish : On the basis of color and appearance there are many cement in the market by use of that cement we can enhance the appearance for example white cement .
Now check the cement for the certification and marks :
Look for :-
- ISI Mark: Indian Standards Institution certification
- ASTM Certification: American Society for Testing and Materials compliance.
- ISO Certification: International Organization for Standardization compliance.
Now there are some other measures which you have to consider before buying the cement for the construction work:
- Check the brands of cement manufacturer in the market. Find the best and trusted brand for the cement. Check the brand history and find the customer of that brand and take there honest review about the product.
- Check the quality of cement of different brands and compare it and also check the manufacturing process of that cement is actually followed by the company or not.
Comparison and selection
- Create a list: first step is to create the list of all cement types and brand. Now identify which one is stabile for your requirement.
- Compare characteristics: In this step compare the feature of each cement in the different aspects such as compressive strength, hardness, fineness etc.
- Consult experts: Before start the work first take the advice of the architecture or engineer they told you which cement is best for your requirement and needs.
- Final Selection: when you are going to select the cement finally then you should have to see these things
- Quantity
- Cost
- Availability
Now there are some steps to get better results from the cement
- Store Cement Properly: As we all know that when the cement comes with the contact of the moisture it becomes harder so we have to protect them from the moisture attack when it is store in the site.
- Follow Mixing Instructions: we should have to know the proper instructions for mixing of cement with the fine and course aggregate for example water cement ratio which is most important and responsible for the strength of the concrete and workability of the past. Second one is mix properly each part of the cement with water if any partials or the some part of cement is not mix with the water then it decrease the strength of the concrete. Then you have to also check for the right temperature of concreting and right temperature of the water use for the mix of concrete
Conclusion
Choosing the right cement for construction is very important step and you have to very careful when choose the cement you have to consider the project requirements, environmental condition of that construction site and cement characteristics. This all you can done by considering all the factors, testing of cement, brands, and by following best practice to mix the cement.