Rapid Hardening Portland Cement (RHPC)

Rapid hardening cement is similar to Ordinary Portland cement but with higher tri-calcium silicate (C3S)
content and finer grinding. It gains strength more quickly than OPC, though the final strength is only slightly
higher. This type of cement is also called as High-Early Strength Portland Cement. The one-day strength of
this cement is equal to the three-day strength of OPC with the same water-cement ratio.

Following are the uses of the rapid hardening Portland cement:
(a) It is used where formwork has to be removed as early as possible in order to reuse it.
(b) It is used where high early strength is required.
(c) It is generally used for constructing road pavements, where it is important to open the road to traffic
quickly.
(d) It is used in industries which manufacture concrete products like slabs, posts, electric poles, block fence,
etc. because moulds can be released quickly.
(e) It is used for cold weather concreting because rapid evolution of heat during hydration protects the
concrete against freezing.

Advantages

As a viable alternative to Portland cement, rapid-hardening hydraulic cement offers several advantages
including durability, versatility, speed, and ease-of-use, as well as cost benefits and environmental
considerations.
Durability. The amount of mixing water in concrete is a major factor in its durability.
In rapid-hardening hydraulic cement, the water required to hydrate the CSA compound is several times
greater than that required to hydrate typical portland cement compounds. In a typical rapid-hardening
hydraulic concrete mix, nearly all of the water used in the mix is used up in the hydration process
resulting in a dense concrete with very low drying shrinkage.

Versatility. Rapid-hardening hydraulic cement can be formulated for a wide range of applications.
Various properties, such as setting time, fluidity, air content, and color are adjusted easily by using
commercially available additives. Rapid-hardening hydraulic cement is highly resistant to freezing and
thawing, and can, due to its rapid hydration, be used in cold weather conditions that are not possible with
portland cement.
Speed.
Ease-of-use The higher durability of rapid-hardening hydraulic cement offers a real solution for repair
work, not just a temporary, short-lived Band-Aid.
Cost benefits. Although portland cement is less expensive on a first-cost basis than rapid-hardening
hydraulic cement, its durability, rapid cure time, reduced shrinkage, and resistance to chemical attack
outweigh the cost differentials, especially when the cost of time is added to the equation.
Environmental responsibility. Rapid-hardening hydraulic cement has a much smaller carbon footprint
than portland cement. During the production process, rapid-hardening hydraulic cement reduces CO2
emissions by 32% to 36% over conventional portland cement manufacturing procedures. This is because
rapid-hardening hydraulic cement is produced at lower temperatures, so less fossil fuel is required. It also
requires less limestone per ton, further reducing CO2 emissions.






Ready-mix concrete

It is concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered
to a work site, by truck mounted intransit mixers. This results in a precise mixture, allowing
specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites.
Ready mix concrete is sometimes preferred over on-site concrete mixing because of the precision of the
mixture and reduced work site confusion. However, using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces
flexibility, both in the supply chain and in the actual components of the concrete.
Ready Mixed Concrete, or RMC as it is popularly called, refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured
for delivery to the customer's construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened state. Concrete
itself is a mixture of Portland cement, water and aggregates comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone. In
traditional work sites, each of these materials is procured separately and mixed in specified proportions at
site to make concrete. Ready Mixed Concrete is bought and sold by volume - usually expressed in cubic
meters.
Ready Mixed Concrete is manufactured under controlled operations and transported and placed at site using
sophisticated equipment and methods. RMC does not assures its customers numerous benefits.

Advantages
A centralized concrete batching plant can serve a wide area. Site-mix trucks can serve a larger area
including remote locations that standard trucks cannot.
The plants are located in areas zoned for industrial use, and yet the delivery trucks can service
residential districts or inner cities. Site-mix trucks have the same capabilities.
Better quality concrete is produced. Site mix can produce higher compression strength with less water
than standard batching methods.

Disadvantages
The materials are batched at a central plant, and the mixing begins at that plant, so the traveling time from
the plant to the site is critical over longer distances. Some sites are just too far away, though this is usually a
commercial rather than a technical issue.
Generation of additional road traffic. Furthermore, access roads and site access have to be able to carry
the greater weight of the ready-mix truck plus load. (Green concrete is approx. 2.5 tonne per m.) This
problem can be overcome by utilizing so-called 'minimix' companies which use smaller 4m capacity
mixers able to reach more-restricted sites.
Concrete's limited timespan between mixing and going-off means that ready-mix should be placed
within 90 minutes of batching at the plant. Modern admixtures can modify that timespan precisely,
however, so the amount and type of admixture added to the mix is very important.