Guide on How to Check the Quality of Cement

Cement is used in construction—from the floor you step on, to the ceiling over your head. Cement is considered to be the most important construction material. Demand for it is so high that according to Global Cement Magazine, it is the world’s second most consumed commodity, next to water. And just like water, the quality of cement to be used in construction should be top-notch to ensure the safety of the people. Thus, it is crucial for engineers or professionals in the laboratory, especially for cement companies in the Philippines, to check the quality of cement. This is to ensure that the infrastructures will be able to withstand the country’s extreme weather. Meanwhile, if you are a consumer or a contractor, you can also do tests onsite to guarantee the cement’s quality. Read on to know more.

How Laboratories Check Cement Quality

In the laboratory, eight tests are conducted to ensure that you will get the most quality for each cement bag price on your budget. Here are those tests:

1. A fineness test is done to check the hydration rate, evolution rate, and gain of strength rate of cement. The finer the cement, the better quality. There are two tests to check fineness. The air permeability test checks the specific surface or the total surface area of the cement per kilogram of the cement. A high specific surface means excellent quality cement. The higher, the better. Another way to check fineness is through the Sieve Test, where cement is sieved for around 15 minutes, and whatever residue is left is weighed. Cement should not have more than 10% residue to be considered excellent quality.
2. A consistency test checks how much water is required to turn cement into a paste. This test is important, as it determines the workability of cement. The test is often done with a Vicat apparatus, which consists of a plunger with a needle. This apparatus measures the amount of water needed for the plunger to reach a certain depth within a certain time of mixing.
3. The Vicat apparatus is also used for another cement test—setting time. This test identifies two things. First is the initial setting time, or when the cement starts losing its plasticity. The other one is the final setting time or when the cement would finally set. These are crucial as they play a role in determining the time needed to complete certain concreting processes, like when it is safe to remove scaffolding of concrete.
4. Another important cement test is the compressive strength of cement test. This test identifies how much load the cement can hold once it hardens when mixed with standard sand and water. The result of this test would determine the type of construction the cement is suitable for.
5. A soundness test of cement is done to know how the cement expands when it starts setting. Soundness is an indicator of the stability of cement as its volume changes during the setting process. If the cement is unstable during the setting process, the concrete may crack, which can be dangerous.
6. A heat hydration test can also be done on cement. When water contacts cement, heat is generated. The heat of hydration tests determines the amount of heat released in the process. If the amount of heat is too high, it may lead to thermal cracks on concrete, affecting its quality.
7. A tensile strength of Cement determines the ability of the cement to resist applied tension. This test can be done in three methods: Uniaxial Tensile Test, Split Cylinder Test, and Flexure Test.
8. Chemical Composition Test is conducted to determine the various compositions of cement and their amount. This test usually checks for lime saturation, iron oxide, silica, sulfate, and magnesia.

These tests are crucial as they will guarantee the integrity of structures built using cement, which greatly impacts the lives and safety of people who will utilize these structures.

How to Check Cement Quality on Site

You can also perform your own test to check the quality of cement you will use on your projects. Here are the things you can do:

1. Check the manufacturing date. You want cement that is recently manufactured, as the quality of cement also decreases over time.
2. Check the color. The color of cement should be consistent. Otherwise, it may not have been processed with high standards.
3. Rub a punch of cement between your fingers to see how fine it is. It should be soft like flour. If it feels rough or grainy, there may be sand added to it.
4. Place your hand inside the bag of cement to check if it feels cool. If so, it means that there is no hydration reaction, which is a good thing.
5. Do a float test by placing a small quantity of cement on water. If it sinks, then the quality is good. It should not float.
6. Smell it and look out for an earthy smell. The earthy smell is not a good sign, as it means that the cement is adulterated with too much clay and silt.
7. Inspect for lumps. If you see lumps, it means some setting has taken place.
8. Do a shape test by taking a stiff paste cake with sharp edges from 100g of cement. Place this cake on a plate and submerge this in water. It should be able to maintain its shape.

If the cement fails some of these steps, contact your vendor immediately and ask for replacements. It’s better if the replacements are from a reliable cement supplier or manufacturer.

Quality Cement Supplier in the Philippines: Union Cement

Have peace of mind when buying cement with Union Cement, a top cement brand in the Philippines. Being in the industry for years and with some of the most experienced professionals in the cement industry behind its operations, rest assured that they only produce high-quality cement products for residential and industrial construction needs.

Union Cement utilizes the most modern equipment used by the world’s leading cement manufacturers to produce cement products with high workability, early compressive strength, and consistency that exceed both Philippine and international standards. So, if you’re looking for a trusted cement company in the Philippines, then look no further than Union Cement. Contact us by calling (02) 8870 0100 or 0917 189 9791, or visit Contact Us page to send us a message. You may also follow us on Union Cement Facebook page for more updates.