Cement, as a binding material

Size of bag - 25 Kg: 330 x 475 x 130 mm 50 Kg: 450 x 625 x 145 mm
Gypsum- 2-4%

Ingredient Percentage in
cement
Lime 60-65
Silica 17-25
Alumina 3-8
Magnesia 1-3
Iron oxide 0.5-6
Calcium Sulfate 0.1-0.5
Sulfur Trioxide 1-3
Alkaline 0-1
Lime, Silica, Alumina, Magnesia, Iron oxide,
Calcium Sulphate, Sulphur Trioxide, Alkaline.
Lime- It is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is
required to form aluminates or sulphates of calcium.
Deficiency of calcium can lead to reduction in
strength and also reduces the setting time. If it in
excess it will cause to expand and disintegrate. It
makes cement unsound. (60-65)
Silica- It is known as silicon dioxide (SiO2). Used to
form dicalcium and tricalcium silicate. It imparts
strength to cement. (17-25)
Alumina- It is aluminium oxide (Al2O3). It imparts
quick setting property to cement. If it used in excess
it can weakens the cement. (3-8)
Magnesia- Magnesium oxide (MgO). Not more than
2% and in excess can lead to reduction in strength.
(1-3)
Iron Oxide- ( Fe2O3). It imparts colour to cement. At
high tempreture it reacts with calcium and
aluminium to form tricalcium alumina-ferrite. It
imparts strength and hardness to cement. (0.5-6%)
Calcium Sulphate- CaSO4. It is present in form of
gypsum and it slows down the setting time of
cement.
Alkaline- Not more than 1% and in excess causes
efflorescence.
The raw cement ingredient are limestone, sand and
clay (silica, magnesia, and iron), fly ash and
bauxite.
Preparation
Raw material extraction from quarry. The rocks are
hammered and get pieces into 3 inches and then go
for further processing
Then the raw material are processed in kiln.
Generally 80% of limestone and remaining 20% is
clay. In plant cement the raw mix is dried up to
having moisture content of less than 1%.
The raw materials are to be passed through pre-
heating chambers to get turned into oxides.
Kiln phase is the principal phase of cement
production. Clinker is produced from the raw mix.
(Calcination form Ca2O3 to CaO) . Then reaction of
CaO with silica to form disulphate oxide. Reaction of
 excess CaO with dicalcium siliacate to form
tricalcium silicate. Clinker is formed at a tempreture
of upto 1500*C.
After heating upto 2000*C it gets back to 100*C and
at this stage different additives are combined with
the clinker. Gypsum provides the compressive
strength to the cement. Clinker are being cooled
and formed into the fine powder.
13 Types of Cement and their Uses
1. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)

2. Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

3. Rapid Hardening Cement

4. Quick setting cement

5. Low Heat Cement

6. Sulphates resisting cement

7. Blast Furnace Slag Cement

8. High Alumina Cement

9. White Cement

10. Coloured cement

11. Air Entraining Cement

12. Expansive cement

13. Hydrographic cement

Ordinary Portland Cement- It is suitable for most of
the construction purposes.
Portland Pozzolana Cement- It is also produced by
adding pozzolana with addition of gypsum. It has
high resistance to various chemical attacks on
concrete as compared to OPC. Used in marine
structures, sewage works.
Rapid Hardening Cement- It attains high strength in
early days and used where formworks are to be
removed at early stage. Strength is attained in 3
days instead of 7 days. Used in prefabricated
structure.
Quick Setting Time- It can be used even in running
water.
Low Heat Cement- It is prepared by maintaining the
percentage of tricalcium aluminate below 6%.
Sulphates Resisting Cement- It is used to reduce
the sulphate attack on concrete.
White Cement- It is free from iron oxide and it is
expensive in nature and used for architectural
purposes.

Properties of Cement
Physical
 Soundness- It is the ability of cement to not shrink upon hardening.
 Le chatelier test- Submerged in water for 24 hours and at temp.20+1*C. In good
quality cement, it doesn’t exceeds 10mm.

 Fineness of cement- The size of the particles of the cement is its fineness. The
required fineness of good cement is achieved through grinding the clinker in the last
step of cement production process.

 Consistency- The ability of cement to flow (Vicat test)

 Strength- ASTM

 Setting time-

 Heat of hydration-

 Loss of ignition-

 Bulk density-

 Specific gravity or Relative density-

Chemical

Field tests

 Date of manufacturing

 Cement Colour – grey colour with little greenish shade

 Lumps – Cement needs to be lump free

 Temperature – Once hand is put in cement bag it must be cool.

 Smoothness Test – When cement is rubbed into hand, it must feel smooth.

 Water Sinking Test – if small quantity of cement is thrown in the water then it must
float before sinking.

 Glass Plate Test – A thick paste of cement is mixed with water on piece of a glass
plate and is kept for 24 hours and it should not crack.
Fineness test – it is the mean size of the cement
grains. It is done to measure the size of the grain.
The finer the cement the larger will be the surface
area for hydration. Tests for checking the fineness
are
Sieve analysis
Sedimentation method
2. setting time test
Cement has two types of setting time, one is initial and other is
final setting time. Two test are performed for checking the
setting time- Vicat needle method and gillmore needle method
3. Soundness test
Soundness of cement means that cement does not undergo
large volume change after setting. Large volume change may
lead to cracks and ultimate failure.
Two method are applied –
Le-chatelier method
Autoclave method

4. Strength test
Cube test for compressive strength
Split tensile test for tensile strength
5. Calorimeter method is used to test the heat of hydration.
6. Specific gravity of cement is a comparison between weight of
cement volume to that of weight of water volume.
 Bricks
There are six major components in brick. They are-
1. Silica- 55%
2. Alumina-30%
3. Iron Oxide – 8%
4. Magnesia – 5%
5. Organic matter-1%
Silica and alumina are the two major components.
When both are mixed with water it gains plasticity.
Alumina is the main constituent in brick and acts as a
cementing material in raw brick. Brick clay is plastic due
to the presence of alumina.
Silica contributes up to 60 % of the total composition. If
it is free sand one have to mechanically mix it with clay.
Silica prevents raw bricks from cracking and shrinking.
Little amount of lime of up to 1% is added to act as a
catalyst @1100*C to elevate the furnace temperature to
1650*C at which silica fuses. Excess lime may lead to
disintegration of brick.
If pebbles, stones and gravels are present, it may affect
the binding of bricks

Standard size of brick – (190*90*90)mm

With mortar – (200*100*100) mm

Based on quality there are three types of bricks

1. First Class Brick- Standard size with uniform shape
being yellow and red in colour. Absorption capacity
is less than 10% and crushing strength is from 240
to 290kg/cm2. It emits a metallic sound when struck
by other brick.
2. Second Class- Absorption capacity is more than
10% but less than 15% and crushing strength is
150-180 kg/cm2.
3. Third Class- Shape and size are not regular.
Absorption capacity of more than 15% but less than
20% with crushing strength of 110-150 kg/cm2

Based on Building Process

Unburnt brick – They are half burnt brick usually
yellowish in colour and low in strength. They are used
under RCC footing or basement.
Burnt brick – They are burnt in the kiln ideally.
Over burnt brick- It is generally burnt at high
temperature for longer period of time. It had high
strength but the shape is distorted. Absorption capacity
is high.
On basis of Manufacturing-

Based on Raw Materials-

1. Burnt clay brick – IS 3594
2. Fly Ash brick- IS: 12894-2002 for ash bricks.

Facing brick being used for façade work while backing

brick is placed behind facing brick.
Fire or refractory brick

Compressive strength of brick must be between 15-35

MPa.
Brick must not absorb more than 20% of its own weight
Depth of frog is 10-20mm.
Frog is provided to help in bonding and acting as a
shear key against horizontal loads
It must be upward
It reduces drying time of brick

Aggregates
Thumb Rules
The Concrete Volume of 0.038m3 of concrete is used for each Square Feet of Plan area

To calculate the Steel quantity required for Slab, Beams,

Footings and Columns:
For Residential buildings 4.5Kgs-4.75Kgs /SFT

For Commercial buildings 5.0Kgs-5.50Kgs/SFT

Structural Member Percentage of Steel

Slab 1% of total volume of concrete

Beam 2% of total volume of concrete

Column 2.5% of total volume of concrete

Footings 0.8% of total volume of concrete

Thumb rule to calculate the Shuttering area:

Shuttering costs 15-18% of the total construction of the building. Shuttering is
framed to bring the concrete in Shape. Thumb rule to calculate the shuttering
required is 6 times the quantity of concrete or 2.4 times of Plinth area.

Suppose, the concrete quantity is 0.5m3 then the shuttering area required is 0.5 x 6 =
3m2

Thumb rule for Cement, Sand, Coarse Aggregate Quantity in

Different grades of Concrete :

Concrete Cement Coarse Aggregate Fine Aggregate

Mix Quantity Quantity Quantity

M5 (1:5:10) 2.82 Bags 0.98m3 0.49m3

M7.5(1:4:8) 3.48 Bags 0.97m3 0.48m3

 Concrete Cement Coarse Aggregate Fine Aggregate
Mix Quantity Quantity Quantity

M10(1:3:6) 4.50 Bags 0.90m3 0.45m3

M15(1:2:4) 6.60 Bags 0.88m3 0.44m3

M20(1:1.5:3) 8.40 Bags 0.84m3 0.42m3

Note: 1 bag of cement = 50Kgs

Thumb rule for Cement quantity in Brickwork,

Cement Masonry & Plastering work in
construction:
Brickwork Thumb rule:

Cement Qty Cement Qty

Brickwork for 1m3
in m3 in Bags

230 mm Brickwork 0.876m3 25.4 Bags

115 mm Brickwork 0.218m3 6.32 Bags

Cement Masonry Quantity Thumb Rule:

Cement Qty in Cement Qty in

Cement Masonry Type & Mix
Bags Kgs

200mm in Cement Masonry work of ratio 1:6 0.124Bags/m2 6.2Kgs/m2

150mm in Cement Masonry work of ratio 1:6 0.093Bags/m2 4.65Kgs/m2

200mm in Cement Masonry work of ratio 1:4 0.206Bags/m2 10.3Kgs/m2

150mm in Cement Masonry work of ratio 1:4 0.144Bags/m2 7.2Kgs/m2

100mm in Cement Masonry work of ratio 1:4 0.103Bags/m2 5.15Kgs/m2

Plastering Quantity Thumb Rule:

Type of Plastering Cement Qty in Bags Cement Qty in Kgs

Rough Plastering 0.09Bags/m2 4.5Kgs/m2

Internal Wall Plastering 0.09Bags/m2 4.5Kgs/m2

Duct Plastering 0.09Bags/m2 4.5Kgs/m2

External Wall plastering 0.175Bags/m2 8.75Kgs/m2

Stucco Plastering 0.175Bags/m2 8.75Kgs/m2

Lathen Plastering 0.55Bags/m2 27.5Kgs/m2