Cement is a basic material which can’t be ignored at any situations.
Even if it is plumbing or electrical works some sort of cement action will be required there. In this post, we are going to explain you about some special types of cement available in the market.
Types of cement
Cement is a binding material used to bind different type of construction materials together. It is formed from argillaceous, siliceous, calcareous etc.
By twisting this internal mix ratio and by altering the chemical inputs, special types of cement can be produced according to the needs.
Apart from the general types that we are using in day to day activity, there are some special cement types available in the market. The below table will explain that in brief.
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| TYPES OF CEMENT | COMPOSITION | SITUATUIONS | PURPOSES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Hardening Portland Cement | RHPC manufactured by combining lime stone (finely grounded) and shale at high temperature | This type of cement is used where high strength is need to be achieved in initial stage quickly. | 1. Road Pavement Works 2. Precast concrete casting (Beams, Colums etc) |
| Sulphate Resisting Cement | SRC is manufactured with less than 5% calcium aluminate to withstand Sulphate attacks | This type of cement is used where the concrete is direct contact with soil (which has high sulphate content) | 1. Pile foundation 2. In Coastal area Works 3. Sewage and water treatment plants |
| Low Heat Cement | This type cement is produced by lowereing the amount of tri-calcium aluminate (C3A) & di-calcium silicate (C2S) | This type of cement is used in mass constructions (like dams) and in high wear resistance required area | 1. Mass Construction (Dams, Marine constructions) 2. Hydraulic Engineering Concrete 3. Retaining wall construction |
| Quick Setting Cement | This type of cement is manufactured by reducing the amount of gypsum and adding small amount of aluminium sulphate to accelerate setting time of cement | As the name suggests, it is used where the works needs to be done quickly | 1. In Underwater Constructions 2. In Cold and Rainy weather Conditions |
| Portland Pozzolana Cement | PPC is manufactured by adding pozzolanic materials such as fly ash, shales, clays etc | It gains high compressive strength with age unlike rapid hardening cement. It is cheap and affordable | 1. It is cheap and affordable 2. Mainly used in building construction where strength required with age 3. Water tightness |
| High Alumina Cement | HAC or CAC is produced from lime stone/Chalk and Bauxite | This cement is used in construction of refineries, factory or other workshop type structure because HAC is counter to high temperature | Used in Sewage structures and in acidic structures |
| Coloured Cement | Coloured cement is manufactured by mixing colour pigments (5-10 % ) with OPC | As the name suggests, It is used where coloured cements required for any aesthetic purpose | 1. Artificial Marble 2. Floor finishing |
| White Ordinary Portland Cement | WOPC is same as the Ordinary Portland Cement except the color | WOPC used in white washing purpose for aesthetic purpose | 1. Used as a base coat before painting 2. Used to cover the hairline cracks on concrete surface to give smooth finish |
| Air Entraining Cement | AEC produced by mixing small amount of air entraining agent | It is used to fillup the gap in concrete which are produced by excessive amount of water during casting (later evaporated and leave the gap) | Used in frost resistance concrete (like said, frost also makes gap in concrete like water) |
| Hydrophobic Cement | This type of cement is manufactured by mixing admixtures like petrolatum, napthalene soap which forms layer and act as water repellent | It is useful in wet climatic conditions | Useful when cement is stored for longer duration in wet climatic conditions |
| Ordinary Portland Cement | OPC is manufactured by mixing limestone/chalk with shale/clay to form clinker which is then finely crushed to form grey color cement | Commonly used for all type of construction works | Widely used in residential construction where special type of cement properties is not required |
| Expansive Cement | Expansive Cement is formed from the reaction of tri calcium aluminate (C3A) with Calcium Sulphate (C2SO4) | As the name suggests, it expands and increases in volume while settled. Used to avoid the shrinkage of concrete | 1. Used in repair works (to create a bond with old concrete surface) 2. Used in Hydraulic Structures |
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