Types of cement portland

Actually , there are five types of cement CEM I, CEM II, CEM III, CEM IV and CEM V but I am going to explain you first three one because only these we use in building construction.

CEM I(Portland cement)

This type we can't use it in summer because it has too much hydration heat, therefore we only have to use it in winter. Additionally , We shouldn't use it where we have high risk of sulfate.

Uses

• Suitable for highly resistant concrete.
• For fabrication of concrete elements.
• for special public works in pre-stressed concrete.

Not recomendable to use for:

• Water and Grounds works and agressive enviroment.

Denomination 

• It has three classes of resistance(32,5-42,5-52,5).
• On the packet of cement you could also see alphabet "N" and "L"

               N:- Means that the initial resistance is normal.
               R:- Means that it has high initial resistance, thus the hydration heat is high.
Example

                                                                CEM I 32.5 N
CEM I :- Portland cement
32.5 :-  Resistance
N :- Normal hydration heat

Portland cement of resistant class 32.5 and normal initial strength

CEM II(Potland cement with additions)

This type is little bit difficult to explain because it classifies with different additions, those have different characteristics.

It is classified with six types of additions.

This type definies with "A" and "B".

A means that it has more clinker than B as a result of having more hydration heat.

1-Blast Furnace Slag(S)

Not used for:

• Pre-stressed concrete.
• Concreting in frost time

Examples:

CEM II/A-S 32.5 N

CEM II/B-S 42.5 R

The first one has more hydration than second one.

2-Silica fume(D)

It gives resistance to the concrete.

In spain this type doesn't comercialize because they doesn't make it.

It only classifies with "A".

Example:

CEM II/A-D 32.5 R

3-Pozzolana(P/Q)

"P" is natural pozzolana and "C" is calcined pozzolana.

It develops resistance in short and long period. It is not used for concrete for stripping and demolding.Continually, I will show some examples to understand it better.

CEM II/A-P 42.5 R

CEM II/B-Q 52.5 N

4-Fly ash(V/W)

"V" is  called siliceous fly ash and "W" limestone.So we don't operate it when we use for concrete that's gonna use to make pre-stressed prefabricated pieces and for stripping and demolding concrete.

There are various varieties of cement but what we should consider is we have to know why we use them and which are the affects that can be appeared.For that, we don't have to learn each word about cement.

Fly ash benefits us with several things, as it profits us by reducing expansive capacity of aggregate-alkalis, incresing strenght against sulfates and providing long-term capacity by reducting the initial potencial.

CEM II/A-V 32.5 R

CEM II/B-W 42.5 N

5-Calcined Shale(T)

This category we can't find it in Spain becuse it is not comercialized and fabricate. 

CEM II/B-T 52.5 R

6-Limestone(L/LL)

It is practised for having workability and improving compacity that benefits the resistance and the durability of a conglomerate. It's shouldn't be used for prestressed concrete and prefabricated prestressed structural elements .

CEM II/A-L 52.5 N

Every cement can be used masonry mortar but with low resistance clase llike 32.5. Normally on the site it used CEM II/A "o" B-L 32.5 N because it provides workability and durability with crumb sand that's gives plasticity provided that it has clay with more than of quantity.

CEM III

It classifies with three different percentage of clinker A, B and C. It also has resistance class "L" that means low initial strength, only in this category we are going to find it. We can't use it for prestressed concrete and prefabricated elements of concrete.

Cement of high hidration as a result of having C3S and C3A.

 CEM III/C 52.5 L

So this is what every Building Engineer should know, these are main three categories. If you know enough you won't get problems in the future.