Ordinary Portland Cement
Case Study: Ordinary Portland Cement INTRODUCTION
• Cement
– Is a material with adhesive and cohesive properties which is capable of bonding mineral fragments into a compact-solid whole
• Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
– Is a hydraulic cement. It is used in the making of concrete with property of setting and hardening, of which when the chemical properties reacts with water. OPC Does not disintegrate in water as it sets and hardens in water
• Reason of widely usage in Malaysia
– Is because raw material used in the making of Portland cement can be easily found and is available all over the world. Apart from that OPC is the cheapest among all other cementitious material available. Malaysia does not have much problem of existing sulfates in soil or groundwater, therefore usage of OPC is optimum to eliminate unnecessary cost spending
ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT PROPERTIES The properties of concrete depend on the quantities and qualities of its components. Cement is the most active component of concrete and usually has the greatest unit cost; therefore, its selection and proper use are important in obtaining most economically the balance of properties desired for any particular concrete mixture.
Table 1: Properties of cement according to their types
Cement type Use
I1 General purpose cement, when there are no extenuating conditions
II2 Aids in providing moderate resistance to sulfate attack
III When high-early strength is required
IV3 When a low heat of hydration is desired (in massive structures)
V4 When high sulfate resistance is required
IA4 A type I cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
IIA4 A type II cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
IIIA4 A type III cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
(Source: Cement-Part 1: Compositions, Specifications and Conformity Criteria for Common Cements; Malaysian Standard, MS 522: Part 1:2007)
Table 2: Effects of cements on concrete properties
Cement Property Cement Effects
• Cement
– Is a material with adhesive and cohesive properties which is capable of bonding mineral fragments into a compact-solid whole
• Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
– Is a hydraulic cement. It is used in the making of concrete with property of setting and hardening, of which when the chemical properties reacts with water. OPC Does not disintegrate in water as it sets and hardens in water
• Reason of widely usage in Malaysia
– Is because raw material used in the making of Portland cement can be easily found and is available all over the world. Apart from that OPC is the cheapest among all other cementitious material available. Malaysia does not have much problem of existing sulfates in soil or groundwater, therefore usage of OPC is optimum to eliminate unnecessary cost spending
ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT PROPERTIES The properties of concrete depend on the quantities and qualities of its components. Cement is the most active component of concrete and usually has the greatest unit cost; therefore, its selection and proper use are important in obtaining most economically the balance of properties desired for any particular concrete mixture.
Table 1: Properties of cement according to their types
Cement type Use
I1 General purpose cement, when there are no extenuating conditions
II2 Aids in providing moderate resistance to sulfate attack
III When high-early strength is required
IV3 When a low heat of hydration is desired (in massive structures)
V4 When high sulfate resistance is required
IA4 A type I cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
IIA4 A type II cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
IIIA4 A type III cement containing an integral air-entraining agent
(Source: Cement-Part 1: Compositions, Specifications and Conformity Criteria for Common Cements; Malaysian Standard, MS 522: Part 1:2007)
Table 2: Effects of cements on concrete properties
Cement Property Cement Effects