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History of Cement
History of Cement
Concrete, or artificial stone, is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As
of 2006, about 7.5 billion cubic metres of concrete are made each year, more than one cubic
metre for every person on Earth1. The development of modern infrastructure of housing,
buildings, roads and airports is reliant on the use of concrete. Cement is the most important
component in concrete. Cement powder is mixed with fine and coarse aggregates and water
to produce concrete. The cement reacts with the water gradually stiffening the mixture until
the concrete sets. Strength then increases until the hardened concrete becomes artificial
stone.
In the 1790s it was discovered that calcining argillaceous limestone lead to quick-setting
cement and this product grew in popularity until the 1850s when it was superceded by
Portland cement. L.J. Vicat continued investigations with hydraulic lime and calcined an
intimate mixture of chalk and clay ground together in a wet mill. This is regarded as the
forerunner of Portland cement and the first such factory was constructed at Swanscombe
beside the Thames in England by James Frost in 1811.
1
Wikipedia
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World Cement Industry 1. History of Cement
From those early beginnings cement manufacture has spread to virtually all countries of the
world. World consumption of cement in 2010 reached 3.294 billion tonnes. In the years since
1990 consumption of cement has tripled with a compound annual increase in consumption of
5.67% over these 20 years. Production is 1.5% higher than consumption as small
inventories of cement are held on cement factories and at depots and concrete plants
around the world. In the years since 2000 the rate of cement consumption has accelerated
with a compound annual increase in world consumption of 7.25%.
The largest cement market in the world is China with consumption in 2010 of 1.851 billion
tonnes, or 56% of total world consumption of cement. Cement consumption in China has
increased by nine times over the years 1990 to 2010, representing a compound annual
increase in consumption of 11.67%. In the years since 2000 the rate of cement consumption
in China has accelerated with a compound annual increase consumption of 12.21%.
That China is the largest cement market in the world is no surprise. China is also the most
populous country with a population of 1.33 billion people in 2009 which is increasing at
0.52% per year. It is people who consume cement, or more correctly it is the buildings, cities
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World Cement Industry 1. History of Cement
In 1990 the gross domestic product, GDP, of China was 357 billion US$ compared with 4.99
trillion US$ in 2009, an increase of 14 times. The increase is cement consumption in China
over 20 years has therefore been similar to the increase in the GDP. GDP per capita in 2009
was US$3,744.
The above illustrate the key drivers of cement consumption and cement consumption
growth:
Cement demand in different countries of the world is explained in these terms with reference
to a chart of annual per capita cement consumption against GDP per capita.
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World Cement Industry 1. History of Cement
The average cement content of concrete is ~400 kg/m3 therefore the 3.294 billion tonnes of
cement consumed in 2010 translates into 8.235 billion cubic metres of concrete. The world
record for the largest concrete pour in a single project is the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei
Province, China by the Three Gorges Corporation2. The amount of concrete used in the
construction of the dam is estimated at 16 million cubic metres over 17 years. The previous
record was 3.2 million cubic metres held by Itaipu hydropower station in Brazil.
2
Wikipedia