CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

CEMB 113
Lecturer : Siti Hidayah Abu Talib

INTRODUCTION

Building materials for bridges are stones,

timber and steel, and more recently
reinforced and pre-stressed concrete.
For special elements aluminium and its
alloys and some types of plastics are
used.
These materials have different qualities
of strength, workability, durability and
resistance against corrosion.

EXAMPLES ON BUILDING
MATERIAL

cement

Bituminous
material

aggregates

Steel

concrete

Timber

CEMENT
Introduction
Types of Cement
Portland Cement
Production
Composition
Characteristic
Test on cement properties

INTRODUCTION
Material which acts as a binding
substance
Materials that have characteristic
and property of setting and hardening
when mixed to a paste with water
Controlled chemical combination of
calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and
small amounts of other ingredients to
which gypsum is added in the final
grinding process to regulate the
setting time of the concrete

TYPES OF CEMENT
HYDRAULIC

NON-HYDRAULIC

Set and hardened under water

Most construction cement is

hydraulic cement

Could not set under water and

require air to harden

Must be kept dry in order to

retain their strength

non-hydraulic cement is rarely

utilized in modern times, due
to the difficulties associated
with waiting long periods for
setting and drying.

Example : lime and gypsum

plaster

Hardened hydraulic cement

will retain its strength and
hardness even if immersed in
water.

Ideal for brick buildings in wet

climates, harbor structures
that are in contact with sea
water, and many other
applications.
Example : Portland cement

PORTLAND CEMENT
Name of Portland Cement was proposed and patented by
Joseph Aspdin in 1824
Commonly used cement for construction
Gray color used in concrete, mortar, plaster and grout
Mixed with lime : a paste called mortar, used in bricklaying or
construction of rubble masonry wall
Plaster : used to cover a brick wall or any masonry structure

Grout : mixed with water as a viscous mix and used to fill-up

fractures in rock masses and crack in structure

USES OF CEMENT

mortar

plaster

concrete

grout

MANUFACTURING OF
CEMENT

PRODUCTION OF PORTLAND
CEMENT
Dry Process
Wet Process

Schematic diagram of rotary kiln

MANUFACTURING OF
CEMENT

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENT OF
CEMENT
Chemical

Percentage

Average

Lime, CaO

60 - 65

63

Silica, SiO2

17 - 25

20

Alumina, Al2O3

38

6.3

Iron Oxide, Fe2O3

0.5 6

3.6

Magnesia, MgO

0.5 4

2.4

Sulphur trioxide,
SO3

12

1.5

Alkalis, Na2O + K2O

0.5 1.3

1.0

Main Compounds of Portland

Cement
Tricalcium Silicate
Dicalcium Silicate
Tricalcium Aluminate
Tetracalcium
aluminoferrite
Gypsum

Fineness

Hydration of
Cement

Setting
Time
PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
OF CEMENT

Compressive
Strength

Soundness

GLOSSARY
Setting time : Describe the stiffening of the
paste and involve 2 stages, i.e. Initial Set and
Final Set
False setting : abnormal premature stiffening of
cement
Flash set : Condition where no appreciable
heat is evolved and the remixing of cement
paste without addition of water restores
plasticity of the paste until it sets in the normal
manner and without loss of strength
Hardening : Strength of cement paste

TYPES OF CEMENT
Slight changes of chemical composition in cement production will change the
cement properties. Different type of cements are manufactured to meet
RAPID HARDENING PORTLAND CEMENT

Fine grading & increased tri-calcium silicate content

Similar to OPC
develops higher rate of development of strength
Rapid hardening cement develops at the age of three days, the
same strength as that is expected of ordinary Portland cement at
seven days
Used for pre-casting work, repair work and cold weather work

Quick Setting
The early setting property is brought out by reducing the gypsum
content at the time of clinker grinding.
Required to be mixed, placed and compacted very early.
It is used mostly in under water construction where pumping is
involved.
Use of quick setting cement in such conditions reduces the
pumping time and makes it economical. Quick setting cement
may also find its use in some typical grouting operations.

EXTRA RAPID HARDENING CEMENT

Obtained by intergrinding calcium chloride with rapid
hardening Portland cement, whereby it accelerates setting
and hardening process
It is necessary that the concrete made by using extra rapid
hardening cement should be transported, placed and
compacted and finished within about 20 minutes and it is
also necessary that this cement should not be stored for
more than a month.
The strength of extra rapid hardening cement is about 25
per cent higher than that of rapid hardening cement at one
or two days and 1020 per cent higher at 7 days.
The gain of strength will disappear with age 90 days
same strength with OPC
Usage in prestress concrete construction is prohibited.

BLAST FURNACE SLAG CEMENT

Inter-ground of Portland Cement clinker and furnace slag
(a mixture of lime, silica and alumina) and mixed to a
proportion of 1:2
Slower hardening rate lesser heat of hydration
Resistant to sulphate action aqnd is used for mass
concrete and in sea water construction.

LOW HEAT PORTLAND CEMENT

It is well known that hydration of cement is large quantity of
heat during hydration which will form cracking in concrete.
produces less heat or the same amount of heat, at a low
rate during the hydration process.
Use in mass concrete construction, such as dams, where
temperature rise by the heat of hydration can become
excessively large.
The specific surface of low heat cement as found out by airpermeability method is not less than 3200 sq. cm/gm. The
7 days strength of low heat cement is not less than 16 MPa
in contrast to 22 MPa in the case of ordinary Portland
cement. Other properties, such as setting time and
soundness are same as that of ordinary Portland cement.

SULPHATE RESISTANT CEMENT

2% of sulphate in soil or 0.5% in groundwater reacts with
cement will form calcium sulphoaluminate
expansion within the frame work of hardened cement paste
results in cracks and subsequent disruption.
Usage:
marine condition;
foundation and basement, where soil is infested with
sulphates;
fabrication of pipes which are likely to be buried in marshy
region or sulphate bearing soils;
construction of sewage treatment works.

Natural Cements
Naturally occuring cement rocks may be burnt and used as
natural cement
Various properties and quite different from OPC

Super Sulphate Cement

Made from well granulated slag (80% 85%), calcium
sulphate (10%-15%) and OPC (1% - 2%).
Sets quickly, low heat of hydration, highly resistant to
chemical attack

Masonry Cement
Composed of PC clinker, limestone, gypsum and an air
entraining agent
Advantages : fattiness, high workability and retention of the
mixed water from the sucking action of bricks
Usage : masonry works

Expansive Cement
Cement of this type has been developed by using an
expanding agent and a stabilizer very carefully. Proper
material and controlled proportioning are necessary in order
to obtain the desired expansion.
Usage : prestressing and for setting right the damage due to
settlement

Special Cement / Oil Well Cement

Used for lining of oil wells, where cement is to harden quickly
Produced by using very little amount of tri-calcium silcate and many types of
retareders
Hydrophobic cement : does not lump during storage
Waterproof cement : adding calcium stearate or aluminium setaeate to POC

High Alumina Cements

Obtained by fusing or sintering a mixture, in suitable proportions, of alumina and
calcareous materials and grinding the resultant product to a fine powder.
Raw : limestone and bauxite.
These raw materials with the required proportion of coke were charged into the
furnace. The furnace is fired with pulverised coal or oil with a hot air blast. The
fusion takes place at a temperature of about 1550-1600C. The cement is
maintained in a liquid state in the furnace. Afterwards the molten cement is run into
moulds and cooled. These castings are known as pigs. After cooling the cement
mass resembles a dark, fine gey compact rock resembling the structure and
hardeness of basalt rock.
The pigs of fused cement, after cooling are crushed and then ground in tube mills to
a finess of about 3000 sq. cm/gm.

CLASSIFICATION OF
PORTLAND CEMENT
Cement type
I1

Use
General purpose cement, when there are no
extenuating conditions (OPC)

II2

Aids in providing moderate resistance to sulfate

attack
When high-early strength is required (RHC)

III
IV3
V4
IA4
IIA4
IIIA4

When a low heat of hydration is desired (in

massive structures) (LHC)
When high sulfate resistance is required (SRC)
A type I cement containing an integral airentraining agent
A type II cement containing an integral airentraining agent
A type III cement containing an integral airentraining agent

1 Cements that simultaneously meet requirements of Type I and Type II are also widely available.
2 Type II low alkali (total alkali as Na2O < 0.6%) is often specified in regions where aggregates susceptible to alkali-silica reactivity are
employed.
3 Type IV cements are only available on special request.
4 These cements are in limited production and not widely available.

TESTS ON CEMENT
Field Testing
Laboratory Testing
Field Testing : Sufficient to conduct when used for
minor works.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Make sure no visible lumps

Greenish gray in colour
Thrust your hand into the cement bag. It must give you a
cool feeling. There should not be any lump inside.
Take a pinch of cement and feel between fingers. It should
give a smooth and not gritty feeling
Handful of cement should float for some time before they
sink
Take about 100 grams of cement and a small quantity of
water and make a stiff paste. From the stiff paste, pat a
cake with sharp edges. Put it on a glass plate and slowly
take it under water in a bucket. See that the shape of the
cake is not disturbed while taking it down to the bottom of
the bucket. After 24 hours the cake should retain its original

Laboratory Test
Performed when cements will be used in important and
major works to confirm the requirements of Indian
Standard specifications with respect to its physical and
chemical properties.
Fineness test

Setting time test

Strength test

Soundness test

Heat of hydration test

Chemical composition test

FINENESS TEST
The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of
hydration and hence on the rate of gain of strength and also on the
rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement offers a greater surface area
for hydration and hence faster the development of strength.
Finer cement offers a greater surface area

Fineness of cement is tested in two ways :

(a) By sieving passing 0.045mm sieve (ASTM C430)
(b) By determination of specific surface (total surface area of all the
particles in one gram of cement) by air-permeability apparatus.
Expressed as cm2/gm or m2/kg. Generally Blaine Air permeability
apparatus is used.

sieving
Blaine Air permeability apparatus

RELATIONSHIP OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH WITH

SPECIFIC SURFACE

Standard Consistency Test

To test cement consistency which will

permit a Vicat plunger having 10mm
diameter and 50mm length to
penetrate to a depth of 33-35 from top
of the mould using the Vicat Apparatus

SETTING TIME TEST

Initial Setting Time : The time when the cement water paste
attains a certain degree of hardness is known as initial setting
time of cement. Initial setting time of ordinary portland
cement should be maximum 45 minutes according to the
British Standard

Final Setting Time : It is that stage at which cement water

paste had attained sufficient strength and hardness. Final
setting time of cement should not be more than 10 hours.

Using VICAT Apparatus

Time when penetration of 25mm occurs initial setting time

Time when needle does not penetrate visibly into paste final
setting time

VICAT APPARATUS

SOUNDNESS TEST

Soundness : ability of cement paste to retain its volume after setting

To confirm cement has no subsequent expansion

Soundness of cement is determined by Le-Chatelier method as per

IS: 4031 (Part 3) 1988.
Apparatus The apparatus for conducting the Le-Chatelier test
should conform to IS: 5514 1969 Balance, whose permissible
variation at a load of 1000g should be +1.0g and Water bath.

Le-Chatelier Apparatus