Types of Cement

Dear Readers,

As you are well aware that without Cement modern infrastructure is not possible or even unimaginable now. Cement is a critical component in the construction of buildings, roads and other brick-and-motor creations and it plays vital role in construction Industry. Cement is a grey colored powder that resembles ash in texture. It is a binding substance that is used to harden and set two materials, typical bricks or rocks together. Before using it, cement is mixed with water and other materials in varying ratios and placed between two substances as “glue”. 

It’s time to learn about the many types of cement available in the market to cater to different construction purposes. Cements are broadly classified into two categories – Hydraulic and Non-Hydraulic, depending on how they react to the presence of water.

Hydraulic Cement: This cement gets hardened in a very short span and are widely used in construction industry for saving time and effort.

Non-Hydraulic Cement: They have a very long setting period and can only work in dry conditions. Non-hydraulic is not practical for commercial constructions, as they cannot be used in sites that are open to weather challenges.

Selection of cement based on suitability for different concrete construction is important for durability considerations of structures. Thus, making wise choice of cement type for specific construction site that prevents structure from deteriorating and saves much repair and rehabilitation cost later. 

A wide variety of cement types are available in market, which are suitable for use under certain conditions due to its unique properties. They are as follows.

    1. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC)

    2. Portland pozzolana cement (PPC)

    3. Rapid hardening Portland cement (RHPC)

    4. Low Heat Portland Cement (LHPC)

    5. Portland Slag Cement (PSC)

    6. Sulphate-resisting Portland Cement (SRPC)

    7. Hydrophobic Portland Cement (HPC)

Other Types of cements are based on its either unique property or its application.

    1. High Alumina Cement

    2. Quick-setting Cement

    3. White Cement

    4. Coloured Cement

    5. Air Entraining Cement

    6. Expansive Cement

    7. Extra rapid hardening cement

    8. Super sulphated cement

    9. Oil-well Cement

    10. Ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC)

Ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC) is the latest spectacular development in the domain of Portland cement-based materials.

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Concrete Admixtures

 Dear Readers,

Concrete is widely used in civil engineering and construction. In the concrete mixing process or before the concrete mixing can make the concrete hardening, mixing better materials, called concrete admixtures.

Various types of admixtures are used in concrete to enhance the performance of concrete. Concrete admixture is defined as the material other than the aggregate, water and cement added to the concrete. Admixtures are artificial or natural, and it may be added to the concrete mix, just before or during the mixing, to change one or more properties of the concrete in the plastic or hardened state as required in our structure. 

The successful use of admixtures depends on the proper combination of ingredients and concrete. Most admixtures are supplied in ready-to-use liquid form and are added to the concrete at the factory or construction site. Some additives such as pigments, extenders, and pumping agent, etc., used only in extremely small amounts, generally from the vessel manually pre-measured ingredients.

Types and Functions of admixtures are as Follows.

There are two types of admixtures:

Mineral admixtures 

Chemical admixtures

(1)    Mineral admixtures 

Followings are the types of Mineral admixture:

Fly ash

Silica fume

Ground granulated blast furnace slag

Rice husk ash

(2)    Chemical admixtures 

Chemical admixtures are various types, and they are:

Accelerating admixture

Retarding admixture

Water – reducing admixture

Air – entraining admixture

Super plasticizing admixture

Special Admixtures based on the application

Pozzolanic Admixtures

Damp-proofing Admixtures

Gas forming Admixtures

Air detraining Admixtures

Alkali Aggregate Expansion Inhibiting Admixtures

Anti-washout Admixtures

Grouting Admixtures

Corrosion Inhibiting Admixtures

Fungicidal, Germicidal, Insecticidal Admixtures

Coloring Admixtures Bonding Admixtures

IP RATING

 Dear Readers,

It is Informed to you due to work load and personnel reasons, self could not be posted any Articles in past five months. I am really very sorry. Let us go to the post.

As you may aware that Electric and electronic equipment’s deteriorate or malfunction when water or dust enters to the device. The IEC has developed the ingress protection (IP) ratings, which grade the resistance of an enclosure against the intrusion of dust or liquids.

In this article, we are going to discuss the international rating system that classifies devices for different environmental conditions. That rating system is called the Ingress Protection or IP rating as it is commonly referred to. Sometimes also interpreted as International Protection Rating.

An IP rating is usually a two-digit grading system that’s applied to the enclosure of a mechanical or electrical item. First digit for solids and second digit for Liquids. Occasionally followed by a letter denoting specific materials, hazards or testing scenarios. an additional letter may be appended to the end of an IP rating.

The first characteristic numeral designates the degree of protection of persons against the contact with live or moving parts inside the enclosure, and machines against ingress of solid foreign bodies. The first digit will be a number between 0-6.

The second digit in an IP rating will be a number between 0-9, denoting the quality of resistance to moisture ingress at varying intensities, angles, depths and pressures of exposure or immersion.

Following table furnish the details of first and second characteristic numerals of standard degree of protection.

First characteristic numeral for degree of protection

Second characteristic numeral of standard degree of protection against harmful ingress of water 

Additional letter (optional) and Supplementary letter (optional) For the protection of personnel against access to hazardous parts with

Above the IP ratings are widely used throughout industry. You should not be confused with IP address or Intellectual property.