BCE 223/L | Construction Materials and Testing What is Mortar?

- It is mostly used in rapid construction

similar to pavements and has high strength.
Reviewer || 2nd Exam • It is made of cement, water, and lime
aggregate. Quick Setting Cement
What is Cement?
Both Concrete and Mortar are used to bind rocks, - Cement that sets in a very short time.
• It is one of the most important building
stones bricks, and other building units, fill or seal - Initial of 5 and final of 30 minutes.
materials used as a binding agent that sets and
any gaps, and to make decorative patterns. - It is used in underwater construction and
hardens to adhere to building units such as
rainy cold weather conditions.
stones, bricks, tiles, etc. Types of Cement
- It is used at high temperatures where water
• It refers to a very to a very fine powdery
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) evaporates easily.
substance chiefly made up of limestone
(calcium), sand or clay (silicon), bauxite - Widely used with composing silicates of Low Heat Cement
(aluminum) and iron ore, and may include alumina and calcium carbonate
- Spatial type of cement producing low heat
shells, chalk, marl, shale, clay, blast furnace - Used for general construction purposes and
of hydration during setting. OPCs with
slag, slate. masonry works
reduced heat of hydration from
• Its raw materials are heated to form a rock-hard
Portland Pozzoland Cement (PPC) modifications.
substance which is then ground to fine powder
- Used for dam construction. Chemical
to be sold. - Pozzolans are natural or synthetic materials
plants, etc.
• Cement mixed with water causes a chemical that contain silica in reactive forms.
reaction and forms a paste that sets and - It is used in hydraulic and marine Sulphate Resisting Cement
hardens to bind individual structures of structures, constructions near the
- Used in construction situated with 0.2% or
building materials. seashore, or dam construction.
0.3% of sulphate salts.
• It is an integral part of the urban infrastructure - Pre-stressed and post-tensioned concrete
- Ideal for surfaces subjected to alternate
used to make concrete as well as mortar, members, gives better finish for decorative
wetting and drying such as bridge piers,
securing the infrastructure by binding the and art structures, and used in the
concrete surface in tidal zone, or buildings
building blocks. manufacture of precast sewage pipes.
near seacoast.
What is Concrete? Rapid Hardening Cement
Blast Furnace Cement
• It is made of cement, water, sand, and - An Ordinary Portland Cement introduced
- Derived from Portland cement clinker and
gravel mixed in definite proportions. with tri-calcium silicate.
granulate blast furnace slag.
- Has more strength and sets quicker
- Highly sulphate resistant and is frequently
compared to OPC, thus dubbed as Rapid
used in seawater construction.
Hardening Cement.
- Initial Set 30 and Final set 600 minutes.
High Alumina Cement Hydrophobic Cement Soundness Tests:

- Used where concrete is subjected to high - Usually used in construction of water Le Chatelier This method, done by using Le
temperatures like workshop, factory, structures and underground structures as Chatelier Apparatus, tests the expansion of cement
foundries. well. due to lime. Cement paste (normal consistency) is
- Used where concrete is subjected to frost taken between glass slides and submerged in water
8 Main Ingredients of Cement
and acidic action for 24 hours at 20+1°C. It is taken out to measure the
1. Lime – for silicate and aluminate formation. distance between the indicators and then returned
White Cement
Reduces strength of cement. Catalysts for under water, brought to boil in 25-30 mins and
- Similar to OPC but white in color. Low setting. Causes unsoundness, expansion to boiled for an hour. After cooling the device, the
amount of iron oxide and manganese oxide. disintegration when in excess. distance between indicator points is measured
Not economical for ordinary work. 2. Silica – Imparts strength to cement. again. In a good quality cement, the distance
- Decorative work and traffic barriers, etc. 3. Alumina – Imparts quick setting to cement. should not exceed 10 mm.
Weakens when in excess.
Colored Cement Autoclave Cement paste (of normal consistency) is
4. Magnesia – Excess will reduce strength of
placed in an autoclave (high-pressure steam
- Mainly used for decorative work derived cement
vessel) and slowly brought to 2.03 MPa, and then
from OPC. 5. Iron Oxide – Imparts color on cement, act as
kept there for 3 hours. The change in length of the
flux
Air Entraining Cement specimen (after gradually bringing the autoclave to
6. Calcium Sulfate – Decreases setting action
room temperature and pressure) is measured and
- Forming air bubbles within concrete to of cement.
expressed in percentage. The requirement for good
increase resistance to frost action, and 7. Sulfur Trioxide – unsoundness when in
quality cement is a maximum of 0.80% autoclave
other similar defects. excess
expansion.
- Helps in alleviating stress from frost but has 8. Alkaline – excess causes efflorescence.
generally low strength Consistency of Cement – Ability of cement paste
Physical Properties of Cement
to flow measured by Vicat Test
Expansive Cement
Talks about the different blends of cement used in
Strength of Cement – Compressive, Tensile,
- In hydration process, the expansive cement construction characterized by their physical
Flexural. Affected by water-cement ratio, cement-
expands its volume, overcoming shrinkage properties.
fine aggregate ratio. Curing conditions, etc.
loss.
Fineness of Cement – Hydration rate of cement is
- Has three subtypes, K, M, S type. - Mortar and Concrete strength are NOT
related to its particle size.
- It is sued in construction for pre-stressed related directly.
component Soundness of Cement – The ability of cement to - Cement gains strength over time.
not shrink upon hardening. It should retain its
volume after setting without delayed expansion.
Setting Time Pre-Heating Raw Material Raw material ingredients used for manufacturing
of Portland Cement are:
Cement sets and hardens when water is added. A pre-heating chamber consists of a series of
Setting time for Initial begins when noticeable cyclones that utilizes the hot gases produced from 1. Calcareous Materials: Calcareous
stiffening occurs. (30-45 mins). Final set is when it the kiln in order to reduce energy consumption and Materials are compounds of calcium and
hardens around n<10 hours. make the cement making process more magnesium. Limestones are a common
environment-friendly. The raw materials are passed calcareous material used in manufacturing
Heat of Hydration
through here and turned into oxides to be burned in cement.
Hydration is when water contacts cement. It the kiln. 2. Argillaceous Materials: Argillaceous
generates heat affecting cement quality. Materials are mainly silica, alumina, and
Kiln Phase
oxides of iron. Clay and shale are the
Loss of Ignition
The kiln phase is the principal stage of the cement common argillaceous material used as
Heating cement sample causes weight loss. This production process. Here, clinker is produced from cement ingredient in the process of
loss of weight is calculated as loss of ignition. the raw mix through a series of chemical reactions manufacturing cement.
between calcium and silicon dioxide compounds.
Bulk Density Properties of Good Cement
Cooling and Final Grinding
Water replaces where air might be in cement. It is always desirable to use the best cement in
After exiting the kiln, the clinker is rapidly cooled constructions. Therefore, the properties of a
Specific Gravity (Relative Density)
down from 2000°C to 100°C-200°C by passing air cement must be investigated. Although desirable
Used in mixture proportioning calculations. over it. At this stage, different additives are cement properties may vary depending on the type
combined with the clinker to be ground in order to of construction, generally a good cement
produce the final product, cement. possesses following properties (which depend
Cement Manufacturing Process upon its composition, thoroughness of burning and
Packing and Shipping
fineness of grinding).
Raw Material Extraction/Quarry
Cement is conveyed from grinding mills to silos
• Provides strength to masonry.
Cement production requires limestone, sand and (large storage tanks) where it is packed in 20-40 kg
• Stiffens or hardens early.
clay, shale, fly ash, mill scale and bauxite. Quarried bags. Most of the product is shipped in bulk
• Possesses good plasticity.
and crushed to smaller pieces, then pyro- quantities by trucks, trains or ships, and only a
• An excellent building material.
processed. small amount is packed for customers who need
• Easily workable.
small quantities.
Grinding, Proportioning, Blending • Good moisture-resistant.

Crush until homogeneous. 80% Limestone, 20%

clay
What is Concrete? Composition of Basic Concrete Mix • Dry Ready Mix: Pre-mixed dry concrete available
in bags for small projects.
An artificial stone-like mass, created by mixing There are four basic ingredients within the concrete • Ready Mix Concrete: Pre-mixed with water,
binding material along with aggregate, water, mix: delivered in mixing trucks for large projects.
admixtures, etc. in specific proportions. • Bulk Dry Materials: Large-scale dry material
• Binding materials like cement or lime
purchase for cost-effective custom mixing.
Its strength and quality are dependent on the mixing • Aggregates or Inert Materials • Transit Mix Concrete: Mixed in trucks for
proportions. o Fine aggregate (sand) continuous pours with fewer seams.
o Coarse aggregate (stone chips, • Regular Concrete: Standard concrete available for
Formula of Concrete:
brick chips) household and general use.
Concrete = Binding Material + Fine & Coarse • Water • High-Strength Concrete: Has compressive
Aggregates + Water + Admixture (optional) • Admixture (e.g. Pozzolana) strength >6000 psi, with reduced water content
and additives.
- Concrete is a very useful and necessary Binding materials. Main element of concrete mix • Stamped Concrete: Decorative concrete with
material for construction. It is the result of (usually cement). textures resembling stone, granite, or tiles.
the reaction of cement, aggregate, water, • High-Performance Concrete: Strong, durable, and
Aggregates. Sand is the fine mixture. Gravel or workability-enhanced concrete with superior
and etc. into a hardened mass.
crushed stone is the coarse mixture in moist mixes. properties.
Concrete is powerful, easy to create and could be • Self-Consolidating Concrete: High-flow concrete
Water. Required to react with cement (hydration) that compacts under its own weight, ideal for
formed into varied shapes and sizes. Besides that,
and to supply workability with the concrete. dense reinforcements.
it is reasonable, low cost and is instantly mixed. It is
• Vacuum Concrete: Excess water is removed via a
designed to allow reliable and high-quality fast- In general, there are four concrete sorts to settle on
vacuum, achieving strength in 10 days.
track construction. Structures designed with the from counting on the work being done. Such as- • Shotcrete: Concrete sprayed at high velocity onto
concrete unit of measurement plenty of durable surfaces for structural and non-structural
1. Dry Ready Mix
and should be designed to face up to earthquakes, applications.
2. Ready Mix
hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes. This is an • Roller-Compacted Concrete: Low-cement, high-
3. Bulk Dry Materials density concrete compacted with heavy rollers,
incredible advancement. With all the scientific
4. Transit Mix used in large fills.
advances there are in this world, there still has not
• Lime Concrete: Uses lime as a binder, mainly for • Glass Concrete: Uses recycled glass as
been the way of preventing nature's injury.
foundations and terrace roofing. aggregates for enhanced aesthetics and insulation.
• Cement Concrete: Common construction • Asphalt Concrete: Mix of asphalt and aggregates
material with cement, sand, and stone; cured for for roads, parking lots, and dams.
28 days. • Rapid Strength Concrete: Gains strength in hours,
• Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC): Concrete used for quick construction and road repairs.
with steel reinforcement for added tensile strength. • Polymer Concrete: Uses polymers instead of
• Prestressed Concrete: RCC with pre-applied cement to reduce voids and enhance durability.
compression to minimize tensile stresses. • Polymer Impregnated Concrete
• Polymer Cement Concrete
• Partially Impregnated Concrete
• Limecrete: Lime-based, eco-friendly concrete for
floors, domes, and vaults.
• Light-Transmitting Concrete: Allows light passage
for aesthetic and innovative applications.
• Lightweight Concrete: Low-density concrete
(≤1920 kg/m³) used in bridges, steel protection, and
building blocks.