Topic: Cement;
Cement is a water-based binder used to bind other building materials together. It is used in the production of mortar and concrete during the construction process. Concrete on the other hand, is a material used in construction, made by mixing aggregate (i.e. different types of sand and gravel), cement, small stones and water.
The reason cement is one of the most common construction ingredients among other is its ability to hold the structure together. To get concrete, one mixes water, sand and gravel. When cement is mixed with water and sand, the outcome is cement plaster, yet when cement is mixed with water, lime and sand,
The word cement has become such a natural part of construction vocabulary that even individuals who very remotely relate to modern construction processes make glib references to the substance.
Origin:
According to inventors.about.com, a story titled The History of concrete and cement, states that, Mr John Smeaton, a British engineer made the first modern concrete (hydraulic cement) in 1756, by adding pebbles as a coarse aggregate, and mixing powdered brick into the cement. Later though, in 1824, Mr Joseph Aspdin, the English inventor, created the first true artificial cement by burning ground limestone and clay together; a process that changed the chemical properties of the materials, creating stronger cement than what plain crushed limestone would produce. He also invented Portland cement, which to date dominates concrete production.
Why it is popular
Most buildings (individual and commercial) use concrete because it is a strong element. Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical process
known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a stone-like material.
According to www.wikipedia.com concrete is used to make pavements, pipe, architectural structures, foundations, motorways/roads, bridges/overpasses, parking structures, brick/block walls and footings for gates, fences and poles.
Also, concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, about 7.5 cubic kilometres of concrete are made each year, more than one cubic metre for every person on earth.
Cement types
The European norm standards which have been adopted by East Africa stipulate that there is a maximum of 27 different types of cement divided into five main types of CEM I, CEM II, CEM
III, CEM IV and CEM V, each with a different strength class to serve different purposes in the construction process.
In Uganda, the Lafarge variety represented by Hima/Bamburi Cement has four types of cement on the market. Their brand names are Hima Multipurpose (CEM II 32,5N), Bamburi Supaset (CEM IV 32,5N), Bamburi Power Plus (CEM I 42,5N) and Bamburi PowerMax (CEM II 42,5N).
Cement applications
The differences are their strength properties, the components and their applications as outlined below.
Why it is popular
Most buildings (individual and commercial) use concrete because it is a strong element. Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical
process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a stone-like material.
According to www.wikipedia.com concrete is used to make pavements, pipe, architectural structures, foundations, motorways/roads, bridges/overpasses, parking structures, brick/block walls and footings for gates, fences and poles.
Also, concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, about 7.5 cubic kilometres of concrete are made each year, more than one cubic metre for every person on earth.
Cement types
The European norm standards which have been adopted by East Africa stipulate that there is a maximum of 27 different types of cement divided into five main types of CEM I, CEM II,
CEM III, CEM IV and CEM V, each with a different strength class to serve different purposes in the construction process.
In Uganda, the Lafarge variety represented by Hima/Bamburi Cement has four types of cement on the market. Their brand names are Hima Multipurpose (CEM II 32,5N), Bamburi Supaset (CEM IV 32,5N), Bamburi Power Plus (CEM I 42,5N) and Bamburi PowerMax (CEM II 42,5N).
Cement applications
The differences are their strength properties, the components and their applications as outlined below.
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