CONCRETE MATERIALS

CEMENT
 Introduction
Greek & Romans
Calcined limestones (ground
active silica and alumina in
volcanic ash + lime =
Pozzolanic cement)
Development of other hydraulic cement
Roman cement – James Parker
Portland Cement – Joseph Aspdin
(1824). Heating of finely divided
clay with hard limestone in
furnace until CO2 driven off.
Eighteenth Century
Advanced in knowledge of cements
occurred.
John Smeaton rebuild Eddystone Lighthouse
– found mortar produced when pozzolan
mixed with Limestone contain considerable
portion of Clayey matter. (Chemical
properties of Hydraulic lime – burning
mixture of lime and clay.
Prototype Modern Cement – Isaac Johnson
(1845)
- Burnt a mixture of clay and chalk until
clinkering so that the reaction necessary for
the formation of strongly cementitious
compounds took place.
 History of Portland
Cement
 Joseph Aspdin, an English mason who patented
the product in 1824.
 Given originally due to resemblance of the colour
and quality of the hardened cement to Portland
stone – a limestone quarried in Dorset.
 A cement obtained by intimately mixing together
calcareous and argillaceous or other silica,
alumina and iron oxide bearing materials, burning
them at a clinkering temperature and grinding
the resulting clinker.
 Cement
 Cement can be described as a material with adhesive
(lekatan) and cohesive (lekitan) properties which make
it capable of bonding mineral fragments/aggregates
into a compact mass.
 In other words, a cement is a binder (together with
water), a substance that sets and hardens
independently, and can bind other materials together.
 The function :-
to bind the sand and coarse aggregate together.
to fill the voids in between sand and coarse
aggregate particles to form a compact mass.
 Manufacture of Cement
 Mixture of argillaceous (clay or shale) and calcareous
materials (chalk or limestone) or, in other words;
limestone, sand, clay, and iron ore are blended,
ground, and heated to 1400°C – 1550°C in a rotating
kiln such that chemical combination occurs, and
produced material which is called ‘clinker’.
 5% gypsum is added to the resulting clinker to
prevent ‘flash’ setting.
 Important minor components include the alkalies,
sodium and potassium (can affect the setting time,
strength development, and the durability of concrete).
 Active constituents in all Portland Cement are

Calcium Silicate
derived from
Limestone or Chalk Clay or Shale

(CaCO3, CaO) Contain Iron (Fe2O3) &

Aluminium (Al2O3)
 The process of manufacture of cement
consists of:
a. Grinding the raw materials (crush the
materials into powder).
b. Mixing them intimately in certain
proportions.
c. Burning in large-rotary kiln at a
temperature (1300° - 1400°C) when the
materials are partially fused into balls –
called clinker.
d. The clinker is cooled and ground to a
clinker fine powder with sum gypsum added.

http://www.cement.org/basics/images/flashtour.
html
Portland Cement Production
 PRODUCTION OF PORTLAND CEMENT

Raw materials
1. LIMESTONE 2. CLAY/SHALE

QUARRYING PROCESS

CRUSHING PROCESS

CRUSHED LIMESTONE + CLAY/SHALE

ARE MIXED AND GROUND TOGETHER

MIXTURE IS HEATED IN A KILN

CLINKER

GYPSUM IS ADDED AND THE MIXTURE IS

GROUND TO A POWDER RESULTING IN
PORTLAND CEMENT
 Raw
M aterials
free water
clay decomposes
limestone decomposes
formation of initial compounds
initial formation ofdicalcium silicate
formation of
tricalcium silicate

dehydration
zone

calcination zone heat

clinkering
zone
cooling zone
gas temp.
ÞC 450 800 1200 1350 1550
clinker
Dry Process
 TYPES OF CEMENT
 Cements can be classified into nine types:
1. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
2. Rapid Hardening Cement (RHC)
3. Sulphate-Resisting Cement (SRC)
4. Low Heat Cement (LHC)
5. High Alumina Cement
6. Blast Furnace Cement
7. Quick Setting Cement
8. Portland Pozzolana Cement
9. Air-Entraining Cement
 Ordinary Portland Cement
(OPC)
 Has medium rate of hardening and suitable
for most type of work.
 Most commonly used for structural purposes.
 Used when there is no exposure to sulphates
in soil or groundwater.
 Classified into three grades, namely 33 grade,
43 grade and 53 grade depending upon the
strength of the cement at 28 days when
tested as per IS 4031-1988.
 Rapid Hardening Cement
(RHC)
 Similar composition with OPC, but ground finer
(Specific surface 450m2/kg, min 325m2/kg)
 High rate of hydration and rate of early hardening
(high early strength cement).
 3-days strength = 7-days strength OPC (same
ratio), but similar 28-days strength as compared to
OPC.
 Used for early removal of formwork (e.g., for
prefabricated concrete construction)
 Cold weather concreting & road repair work
 Should not used in large mass and lower sulphate
resistance.
 Sulphate Resisting Cement
(SRC)
 Slightly darker in colour than OPC (high C4AF) with higher
silicate content.
 For resistant against sulphate in soils with high sulphate
content.
 Sulphate attack is greatly accelerated if accompanied by
alternate wetting and drying which normally takes place in
marine structures in the zone of tidal variations.
 Good resistance to alkalis in groundwater or sea water,
e.g. hydraulic structures; and for sewage treatment works.
 Heat development is lower but the cost is higher due to
special composition of the raw materials.
 Low Heat Cement (LHC)

 Use for large gravity dams or large raft

foundation – has low heat of hydration
because of lower content of C3S and C3A
and increasing proportion of C2S
 Slower development of strength than OPC
but same ultimate strength.
 Hot weather concreting.
 High Alumina Cement
(HAC)
 It is comparatively slow-setting but very rapid-hardening,
thus produces very high early strength.
 For the same water cement ratio, the alumina cement is
more workable than Portland cement.
 The raw materials are limestone or chalk and bauxite
which are crushed into lumps not exceeding 100mm.
 The product of very dark grey powder is passed through
magnetic separators to remove metallic iron.
 The alumina cement is considerably more expensive.
 80% of strength will be developed in 24 hours. Initial
setting time is about 4 hours & final setting time is 5
hours.
 Suitable for under sea water applications due to high
resistance of sulphate attack and alkalis.
 Chemical Oxide Composition for High
Alumina Cement

Alumina (Al2O3) 39%

Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) 10%
Lime (CaO) 38%
Ferrous Oxide (FeO) 4%
Silica (SiO2) 6%
 Blast-Furnace Slag
Cement
 Made by grinding a mixture of OPC clinker with
granulated blast furnace slag
 Hydrates slower than OPC
 Evolves less heat; harden slowly
 Better workability and finishability, higher
compressive and flexural strengths, and improved
resistance to aggressive chemicals.
 Applied in all construction works such as harbour
quays & ports which are exposed to chemical
effects and has a massive concrete construction.
 Quick Setting Cement
 Sets very early (early setting) – by reducing
the gypsum content at the time of clinker
grinding.
 Required to be mixed, placed and compacted
very early.
 Used mostly in under water construction
where pumping is involved and typical
grouting operations.
 Portland Pozzolana
Cement (PPC)
 Manufactured by intergrinding of OPC clinker
with 15-35% of pozzolanic materials.
 Portland pozzolana cement produces less heat
of hydration and offers greater resistance to
the attack of aggressive water.
 It also reduces the leaching of calcium
hydroxide when used in hydraulic structures.
 Useful in marine, hydraulic, sewer and mass
concrete (dam, bridge) construction.
 Air-Entraining Cement
 Made by mixing air entraining agent with OPC
clinker.
 Highly resistant to severe frost action and
cycles of wetting and drying or freezing and
thawing.
 Has a high degree of workability and
durability.
 FACTORS AFFECTING THE
PROPERTIES OF CEMENT

1. Chemical composition
2. Fineness
3. Hydration
4. Setting time
5. Soundness
 Chemical Composition
 Raw material used in Portland Cement
consist mainly of lime, silica, alumina
and iron oxide.
 These compound interact with one
another to form complex product.
 Four compound are usually regarded
as major constituents of cement are
listed in the table below;
 Main Chemical Compound of
Portland Cement
Name of Compound Chemical Usual Reaction
Composition Abbreviation

Tricalcium silicate 3 CaO.SiO2 C3S Quick

reaction

Dicalcium silicate 2 CaO.SiO2 C2S Slow

reaction

Tricalcium aluminate 3 CaO.A2O3 C3A Very quick

reaction

Not very
Terracalcium 4 CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3 C4AF important
aluminoferrite
Tricalcium silicate (CaO)3 · SiO2 C3S

Dicalcium silicate (CaO)2 · SiO2 C2S

Tricalcium aluminate (CaO)3 · Al2O3 C3A

Tetracalcium aluminoferrite (CaO)4 · Al2O3 · Fe2O3

C4AF
 Chemical Composition Limit of
Portland Cement

Name of raw material Chemical Formula Percentage

limit

Lime CaO 60 – 67
Silica SiO2 17 – 25
Alumina Al2O3 3–8
Iron Oxide Fe2O3 0.5 – 6
Magnesium MgO 0.1 – 4
Alkalis (Soda and/or potash) Na2O, K2O 0.2 – 1.3
Sulphur trioxide SO3 1-3
 Contribution of Compound
Composition to Compressive
Strength Development
Strength

Early strength
development

Age
C3S and C3A C2 S
 Fineness
 Properties of cement not only depends on
compounds but also on the fineness of the cement
powder.
 Because hydration starts at the surface of cement
particles, it is the total surface area of cement that
represents the material available for hydration.
 The rate of hydration depend on the fineness of the
cement particles. For rapid development of
strength, high fineness is necessary.
High fineness (smaller particles) = Rapid development
 The bigger the surface area, the more surface to
react and the faster the rate.
 The finer the size of cement grain, the bigger the
specific surface area.
 Fineness of grading is some importance in relation
to the workability of the concrete mixes.
 Determination of fineness of cement can be carried
out by:
i) Sieve Analysis through a 90µ sieve.
ii) Special surface area :
- Air permeability method.
- Wagner's turbidimeter method
 Hydration of Cement
 Hydration - chemical combination of cement and water
 When water is added to cement, each of the
compound undergoes hydration and contributes to the
final concrete product.
 When water is added to cement, what happens?
• Dissolution of cement grains
• Growing ionic concentration in “water” (now a
solution)
• Formation of compounds in solution
• After reaching a saturation concentration,
compounds precipitate out as solids (“hydration
products”)
 Figure 3.4: Schematic representation of the formation and
hydration of Portland cement

COMPONENT ELEMENT O2 Si Ca Al Fe

COMPONENT OXIDES CaO SiO2 AlO3 FeO3

CEMENT COMPOUNDS C2S C3S C3A C4AF

PORTLAND CEMENT Various types of Portland cement

HYDRATION PRODUCTS Gel Ca(OH)2

 Schematic illustration of the pores in calcium silicate through
different stages of hydration.

(a)That hydration has not yet occurred and the pores (empty
spaces between grains) are filled with water.
(b)Represents the beginning of hydration
(c)The hydration continues. Although empty spaces still exist,
they are filled with water and calcium hydroxide.
(d)Shows nearly hardened cement paste.
 Cement Hydration Phases
 The majority of space is filled with calcium silicate
hydrate.
 That which is not filled with the hardened hydrate
is primarily calcium hydroxide solution.
 The hydration will continue as long as water is
present and there are still unhydrated compounds
in the cement paste.
 Setting Time
 The time from the addition of water to the
initial and final setting stage.
 Refers to changes of the cement paste from
fluid to rigid.
 The setting process is accompanied by the
temperature changes, hydration resolves in
the formation of the gel around each particles
of cement.
 It is also affected by cement fineness, water-
cement ratio, chemical content (especially
gypsum content) and admixtures.
a. Initial setting time
- Occurs when the paste begins to stiffen
considerably
- Correspond to the rapid rise in
temperature.
b. Final setting time
- Occurs when the cement has hardened to
the point at which it can sustain some load
- The stage at which this complete, the final
hardening process begin.
c. Hardening
- Referred to the gained of the strength of
the cement paste.
 Soundness
 Soundness refers to the ability of a hardened
cement paste to retain its volume after setting
without delayed destructive expansion.
 This destructive expansion (unsoundness) is
caused by excessive amounts of free lime (CaO)
or magnesia (MgO).
 The free lime hydrates very slowly because it is
covered by thin film of cement which prevents
direct contact between lime and water.
 Test – Le Chatelier