Different Types of Heavy Construction Equipment

1) Excavators

2) Dragline Excavator

3) Backhoe Loader

4) Trenchers

5) Bulldozer

6) Loaders

7) Rollers

8)Tower Cranes

9) Telehandlers

10) Graders

11) Asphalt Paver

12) Dump Trucks

13) Pile Boring Machine

14) Pile Driving Machine

15) Transit Mixer

16) Concrete Pump

17) Concrete Vibrator

1) Excavators

As the name suggests excavators are used for excavations. This is widely used construction equipment that makes the excavation process easy and fast.

This types of heavy construction equipment is consist of a long excavating arm, bucket, and cab. The bucket which is used for digging is attached at the end of the boom and this construction machine is operated from the cab. This cab is mounted on a rotating platform above the undercarriage. So, this machine can rotate 360 degrees.

Excavators are also used for demolition and lifting large objects.

2) Dragline Excavator

A dragline excavator is heavy construction equipment that is used for excavation operations up to large depths.

This construction equipment consists of long size boom and a bucket is suspended at the top end of the boom. The operation of the bucket is controlled with the help of chains and ropes.

Some dragline excavators are so large in size that they are assembled on-site.

3) Backhoe Loader

This is another types of heavy construction equipment that is used for excavation.

This construction equipment is equipped with a hoe on the back side and a bucket on the front side of the machine.

Backhoe is also used for the loading, unloading, and lifting of materials.

4) Trenchers

Trenchers are used for digging narrow and deep trenches for cable lying, pipelines lying, and for drainage systems.

This type of construction equipment is generally used where excavation of trenches is not possible with excavators due to hard surfaces.

There are two types of trenchers –

1. Chain Trenchers –
2. Wheeled Trenchers –

a) Chain Trenchers –

In this type of trencher, the digging chain is equipped and driven around a long-length boom.

b) Wheeled Trenchers –

In this type of trencher, digging teeth are mounted on the big metal wheel. Wheeled trenchers are also called rock wheel trenchers. 

Wheeled trenchers can excavate more hard soil than chain trenchers.

5) Bulldozer

A bulldozer is a heavy construction equipment that is used for earth-moving operations.

Bulldozers are used for pushing large quantities of soil, sand rubble, and other materials at the construction or demolition site.

This heavy construction equipment is equipped with a wide and flat blade on the front side. This blade is attached to the two hydraulic pistons to move the blade.

6) Loaders

Loaders are used for the purpose of loading materials onto trucks and other things on construction sites.

This construction equipment is equipped with a bucket attached to a short boom on the front side.

The loaders are either wheel-mounted or crawler mounted. Wheel mounted loaders are suitable for the construction site situated on flat ground while the crawler mounted loaders are suitable for the construction sites located on hilly areas.

7) Rollers

These types of heavy construction equipment are used for compaction processes on construction sites. They are used to compact soil, asphalt, and loose materials.

There are different types of rollers are available such as

• Smooth wheel rollers
• Pneumatic roller
• Vibratory roller
• Sheepfoot Roller
• Tamping Roller

8)Tower Cranes

Tower cranes are another important types of heavy construction equipment. Tower cranes are used in construction to move and lift heavy materials to particular hight. Tower cranes are generally used in high-rise building construction and large-scale construction projects.

9) Telehandlers

Telehandlers are used for the purpose of lifting heavy materials on construction sites to the desired height. It is also used to provide a platform for workers to do construction on height.

This type of construction equipment consists of a long telescopic boom. This boom can be equipped with buckets, forklifts, lifting jibs, etc. as per requirement on the construction site.

10) Graders

Graders are mainly used for leveling of soil surface on construction sites. It is also called a road grader or motor grader.

Graders are mainly used for leveling and grading in road construction to create a flat surface for spreading asphalt.

This type of construction equipment consists of a flat wide blade attached in-between the front wheel and rear wheels.

11) Asphalt Paver

An asphalt paver is used for pavement laying in the construction of roads.

This construction equipment consists of a hopper for the storage of asphalt in which asphalt is loaded continuously with the help of a dump truck. Then with the help of a screed asphalt is spread evenly on the surface with little compaction.

12) Dump Trucks

A dump truck is used for the purpose of transportation of materials from one point to another point. It can carry a large quantity of material. A dump truck is also called a dumper.

There are many types of dump trucks. Along them off road dump truck can carry a massive amount of load because of their powerful engine and big size tires. It can be able to work at the construction site situated in hilly and undeveloped regions where other types of dump trucks are not able to do work.

13) Pile Boring Machine

PIle boring machine is a types of heavy construction equipment that is used to drill a narrow and deep hole for the installation or construction of a pile foundation.

14) Pile Driving Machine

Pile driving machine is heavy construction equipment used to install piles into the ground.

Pile boring machines are pile-driving machines commonly used in large-scale construction projects such as high-rise buildings, bridge construction, etc.

15) Transit Mixer

Transit mixer is another essential types of heavy construction equipment. Transit mixers are used for the purpose of transportation of the ready mix concrete from batching plant to the construction site.

The transit mixer consists of a mixer drum, water tank, and control panel. The mixer drum is mounted on the truck chassis which rotates continuously during transportation to keep concrete away from hardening.

Transit mixers are ideal and commonly used for large scaled construction projects.

16) Concrete Pump

Concrete pumps are used to pump concrete from the concrete mixer to the point of construction where it is to be placed. Concrete pumps are commonly used in large-scale projects where large volumes of concrete need to be poured quickly and efficiently.

17) Concrete Vibrator

Concrete vibrators are used for the compaction process of freshly poured concrete.

Concrete vibrator creates high-frequency vibrations, which causes concrete particles to move closer and eliminate any void or air bubbles.

FAQs on Types of Heavy Construction Equipment

What falls under heavy equipment?

The equipment that can do heavy-duty work falls under the types of heavy equipment for construction

Also, Read – 15 Different Types of Cement in India and Their Uses

As we know cement is the main constituent of concrete which act as a binder. Cement is made from lime, silica, alumina, magnesia, iron oxide, calcium sulphate, alkaline, etc.

By changing the percentages of this constituent of cement the properties of cement like setting time, strength gaining process, colour, resistance against chemical attack, etc. also changes and different types of cement are formed. So it is important to learn the different types of cement in India and choose the right cement for construction.

15 Different Types of Cement In India

1) Ordinary Portland cement (OPC)

2) Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

3) Rapid Hardening Cement –

4) Extra Rapid Hardening Cement-

5) Low Heat Portland Cement-

6) Quick Setting Cement-

7) Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement-

8) High Alumina Cement-

9) Blast Furnace Slag Cement-

10) White Cement-

11) Coloured Cement-

12) Hydrophobic Cement-

13) Air Entraining Cement-

14) Expansive Cement –

15) Waterproofing Portland cement

1) Ordinary Portland Cement

Ordinary portland cement (OPC) is the most commonly used cement worldwide. It is also known as basic Portland cement. It has good strength against cracking and dry shrinkage.

Ordinary Portland cement is available in three grades-

33 grade

43 grade

53 grade

Where the number denotes the strength of the cement after 28 days.

For example, 33 grade OPC has a strength of 33 MPa at 28 days.

Ordinary portland cement (OPC) is used for all types of construction except where a chemical attack is possible.

2) Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

Portland Pozzolana Cement is manufactured by grinding 10-25% of pozzolanic material with ordinary portland cement clinkers. Pozzolanic materials include fly ash and Calcinated clay.

PPC is found to have-

• High tensile strength
• High water tightness
• Higher resistance against the attack of chlorides and sulphates.
• It is low-heat cement.

It takes more time for strength gain as compared to ordinary portland cement (OPC). Hence, it can be used where ordinary portland cement is used Except where early strength is required.

3) Rapid Hardening Cement

As the name suggests rapid hardening cement is gaining strength quickly as compared to OPC.

Rapid hardening cement is manufactured by increasing the C₃S (Tri-calcium silicate) percentage and lowering the C₂S (Di-calcium silicate) percentage in the content of cement.

The strength of Rapid hardening cement at 3 days is same of 7 days strength of ordinary Portland cement (OPC).

Rapid hardening cement is used where high early strength is required like high-traffic road construction.

4) Extra Rapid Hardening Cement

Extra rapid hardening cement is a modified version of rapid hardening cement. This is manufactured by adding 2% of calcium chloride with rapid hardening cement.

When Extra rapid hardening cement is mixed with water it releases a huge amount of heat for a short period of time. Hence, extra rapid hardening cement is preferred to be used in cold-weather constructions.

One or two day’s strength of extra rapid hardening cement is 25% more than rapid hardening cement.

It is used for high-traffic road construction. It is also used where the formwork needs to remove early.

5) Low Heat Portland Cement

Low heat portland cement has less lime content than OPC. This type of cement is manufactured by lowering the C₃S content and increasing the C₂S content.

This type of cement produced less heat of hydration and is used in mass concreting work like gravity dams, large raft slabs, etc.

Low-heat portland cement offers 20% lesser heat of hydration than OPC

6) Quick Setting Cement

As the name suggests quick setting cement is set faster than ordinary portland cement (OPC).

This type of cement is manufactured by adding aluminium sulphate and reducing the gypsum amount in cement content.

Quick-setting cement is used for construction where quick setting in a short time period is required like underwater constructions.

7) Sulphate Resisting Portland cement

This type of cement has good resistance against sulphate attack on concrete. This type of cement is manufactured by lowering tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) below 5% in cement content.

This type of cement is used where concrete is subjected to sulphate attack such as the construction of a foundation where soil or groundwater has 0.2% to 0.3% g/l sulphate salts respectively.

8) High Alumina Cement

This type of cement is manufactured by adding high alumina to the cement content. Alumina content should be a minimum 32% and the ratio of alumina to lime should be between 0.85 to 1.30.

This type of cement has high ultimate strength and high resistance against acid and high temperature.

It is used for marine construction, chemical plants, sewer construction and structure which are subjected to high temperatures like workshops, and furnaces.

9) Blast Furnace Slag Cement

Blast furnace slag cement is manufactured by replacing a portion of Portland cement clinkers with blast furnace slag. Hence, it is cheaper than Ordinary portland cement (OPC).

What is blast furnace slag?

Blast furnace slag is the by-product in iron production in blast furnace.

Blast furnace slag cement possesses lower permeability and high durability.

This type of cement is used for construction which requires low heat of hydration. It is also used for mass concreting works like the construction of dams.

10) White Cement

White cement is manufactured by lowering the content of iron oxide in ordinary portland cement.

This type of cement has the same properties as ordinary portland cement. This type of cement is costly and is used for architectural purposes like terrazzo surfaces and decorative work.

11) Coloured Cement

Coloured cement is manufactured by adding 5-10% of pigments to ordinary portland cement content.

It is also called as colcrete.

This type of cement is used for decorative works.

12) Hydrophobic Cement

Hydrophobic cement is manufactured by adding water-repellent film substances such as oleic acid and stearic acid with ordinary portland cement clinkers.

These acids form a layer around cement particles to protect them from the hydration process during transportation or the long storage of cement. This layer breaks when cement is mixed with aggregates.

This type of cement is used in construction under wet climate conditions.

Hydrophobic cement is more expensive than OPC.

13) Air Entraining Cement

This type of cement is produced by adding air-entraining agents such as resins, glues, and sodium salts to ordinary portland cement clinkers.

This type of cement is used for sulphate resistance, deicer-scaling resistance, resistance to alkali-silica reactivity and to improved workability.

14) Expansive Cement

OPC shrinks during the setting of concrete and also after the setting process concrete made up of OPC shrinks for a long period of time. But expansive cement shows the property of increasing in volume after the setting of cement which reduces the shrinkage losses.

Expansive cement is further classified as –

• K Type Expansive Cement
• M Type Expansive Cement
• S Type Expansive Cement

15) Waterproofing Portland cement

This type of cement is manufactured by grinding water-repellent materials with Portland cement clinkers

Waterproof Portland cement is used for the construction of foundations, basements, water tanks, swimming pools, etc.

Watch the video for a better understanding of the different types of cement in India.

FAQs on Different Types of cement in India –

What is I.R.S T-40 Cement?

As we learn different types of cement in India which are commonly used in construction. But I.R.S T-40 cement is a special type of cement which is used by the Indian railway for manufacturing concrete sleepers.

This type of cement is produced by fine grinding the cement clinkers and increasing the proportion of C₃S in order to attain early strength.

What is the difference between 33 grade, 43 grade and 53 grade?

Actually these are the types of OPC according to compressive strength of cement at the age of 28 days. 33, 43 and 53 are the numbers that show the compressive strength of OPC at 28 days.

Which cement is best for concrete?

As we discussed above, different types of cement in India are available which are used according to requirements on construction sites. For regular building construction works OPC 43 grade is suitable for plain concrete and OPC 53 grade is good for reinforced cement concrete.

What is MPa in cement grade?

MPa means mega-pascals which is used to measure compressive strength.

MPa = N/mm2

Which cement is used for house construction in India?

Ordinary portland cement(OPC) and Pozzolana portland cement(PPC) are the most commonly used for construction in India.

Also, read-

• Field tests of cement
• Storage of cement bags on the construction site

Setting time of cement is an important property to knowing the time limit for handling, transportation and placing of concrete. Setting time of cement is divided into two types-

1. Initial Setting Time of Cement.
2. Final Setting Time of Cement.

But before discussing these types let’s understand what is a setting of cement is?

What is the setting of cement?-

When water is added to cement it reacts with water and forms a paste. This cement paste is in a plastic state and can be moulded to any shape. After some time this cement paste starts losing its plasticity and starts to set. This entire process is called the setting of cement.

What is Initial Setting Time of Cement?

Initial setting time is a time from the moment water is added to the cement, to the time that the paste starts losing its plasticity.

Initial setting time of ordinary portland cement (OPC) is 30 minutes.

What is Final Setting Time of Cement?

The time from when water is mixed with cement to the time when cement paste loses completely its plasticity and became hard is called the final setting time of cement.

Final setting time of ordinary portland cement (OPC) is 600 minutes.

Significance of Initial and Final Setting Time of Cement –

• Initial setting time of cement gives us an idea about the time limit for handling, transportation and placing of cement on site.
• After placing cement on site it should not be disturbed up to the period of final setting time of cement.
• The final setting time of cement plays an important role in the formwork removal period of any structural member.

How to Calculate Initial Setting Time and Final Setting Time of Cement-

We are going to do a setting time test on cement using VICAT Apparatus as per IS 4031(Part 5):1988

APPARATUS-

VICAT Apparatus conforming to IS : 5513-1976.

VICAT mould

Measuring Cylinder of 200ml

Weighing balance with 1g accuracy

Stopwatch

Trowel

Procedure to Find Initial Setting Time of Cement –

1) Take 500g of cement in-tray.

2) Add the amount of water (which is calculated using the formula given below) to cement to make cement paste and start the stopwatch. ( Stopwatch should be started from the moment water is added to the cement).

Amount of water to add = 0.85P % of the weight of cement.

Where P = Percentage of water required to make a cement paste of standard consistency.

3) Pour this cement paste into the Vicat mould using a trowel within 2-3 minutes from water added to cement and level the top surface properly.

4) Then place this mould on the Vicat apparatus under the square needle.

5) Move the needle slowly downwards until the needle touches the top surface of the mould.

6) Then released the square needle and allow it to penetrate into the mould.

7) Now note down the reading on the Vicat scale, initially, it shows zero reading because the needle completely penetrates into the mould.

8) Repeat this procedure at 2 minutes intervals until the Vicat scale shows a reading of 5mm (which means the plunger should stop penetrating 5mm from the bottom of the mould).

9) Now note down the time shown on the stopwatch. This time from the moment water was added to cement to the time needle penetrated the cement mould 5mm from the bottom is the initial setting time of cement.

Procedure to Find Final Setting Time of Cement –

1) Replace the needle of Vicat apparatus by needle with angular attachment.

2) Move the needle slowly downwards until it touches the top surface of the mould gently.

3) Then released the needle and allowed angular attachment of the needle to make an impression on the top surface of the mould.

4) Now repeat the same procedure at some time intervals until the angular attachment of the needle is failed to make an impression on top of the mould.

5) Note down the time shown on a stopwatch. This time from the moment water is added to the cement to the time at which the circular attachment of the needle failed to make an impression on the surface of the mould is called the final setting time of cement.

Calculations –

Weight of cement sample = …….. gms.

Water required to make cement paste of standard consistency = P = …….. %.

Quantity of water added = 085P = ……. ml.

The initial setting time of the cement sample is ………..

The final setting time of the cement sample is ………….

Precautions –

• Lumps should be removed from the cement sample.
• Test should be performed away from any vibrations and disturbance.
• The room temperature should be maintained at 27 ± 2°C at the time of conducting the initial and final setting time of the cement test.
• The relative humidity of the laboratory should be 65 ± 5%.
• The needle should be released gently.

What is specific gravity of cement?

The specific gravity of cement is defined as the ratio of the weight of a given volume of cement to the weight of water of the same volume.

The specific gravity of any material gives us an idea about the behavior of that material in water. It is a number that denotes how many times a substance is heavier than water.

The materials which have a specific gravity less than the specific gravity of water is float on water and the material which have a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of water is sinks in water.

As we know Specific gravity of water is 1. So, the materials with a specific gravity less than 1 are float on water while the materials with a specific gravity greater than 1 are sink in water.

The specific gravity of different construction materials are given below in table-

Specific gravity of cement range-

The specific gravity of cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16.

This means the specific gravity of cement range is more than 1 thus cement sinks in water.

Importance Of Specific Gravity Test Of Cement-

Generally, cement used in construction has a specific gravity of 3.15. With the increase in moisture content in cement specific gravity of cement is also changed.

If the specific gravity of cement is more than 3.19 then it shows the cement is not perfectly minced into powder during its production or it has more moisture content. Which will affect the mix design and consequently the quality of construction.

A good quality cement has specific gravity ranges from 3.1 – 3.16. So it is important to test the specific gravity of cement before its use in construction to check its value is within the limit or not.

Specific Gravity Test of Cement-

We are going to do a specific gravity test of cement using le chatelier’s principle as per (IS 4031 (Part 11) 1988)

Apparatus-

Le Chatelier’s Flask

Kerosene

Cement

Weighing Balance with 0.1g accuracy

Why We use Kerosene instead of water in Specific Gravity Test Of Cement-

Generally, we use water as reference material in a specific gravity test of any material but in a specific gravity test of cement, we use kerosene as reference material because when we add water to cement, cement reacts with water and starts the hydration process.

When we add kerosene to cement it does not show any reaction with it. That’s why we use kerosene instead of water in a specific gravity test of cement.

The Specific Gravity of kerosene is 0.79

Procedure For Specific Gravity Test Of Cement-

1) Clean le chatlier’s flask properly it should be free from moisture.

2) Take a weight of empty le chatlier’s flask and note it down as W1 (For better understanding refer to the image given below).

3) Now take 50g of cement and pour it in le chatlier’s flask and fixed the stopper on flask And take a weight of it and note down as W2

4) Now open the stopper of the flask and fill the flask up to its neck with kerosene.

5) Now fix the stopper again and shake the flask and see no air bubble left in the flask. Note down this weight as W3.

6) Now empty le-chatelier’s flask completely and fill the kerosene in the flask up to the neck. Note down this weight as W4.

7) Repeat the above procedure at least three times to eliminate the errors.

Observation Table-

Now put these values in the specific gravity of cement formula given below-

Specific Gravity Of Cement Formula-

Specific gravity of cement = Weight of given volume of cement sample / Weight of kerosene of the same volume

Where,

W1 = Weight of empty le-chatelier’s flask

W2 = Weight of ( le-chatelier’s flask + Cement )

W3 = Weight of ( le-chatelier’s flask + Cement + Kerosene )

W4 = Weight of (le-chatelier’s flask + Kerosene )

0.79 = Specific gravity of kerosene.

Repeat this process again three times and take an average of them for accuracy purposes.

Result –

The specific gravity of cement is = ……..

Precautions –

Kerosene used for specific gravity test of cement should be free from water.

Air bubbles should be removed while filling the apparatus.

Weighing should be done accurately and quickly after filling the apparatus and should be accurate to 0.1 mg.

At the time of weighing temperature of the apparatus should not be allowed to exceed the specified temperature.

FAQs On Specific Gravity Test of Cement –

What is the standard specific gravity of cement?

The standard specific gravity of cement is 3.15.

Specific Gravity Of OPC Cement?

The specific gravity of  OPC cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16.

Specific Gravity of PPC cement?

The specific gravity of PPC cement ranges from 3.06 to 3.08.

Specific gravity of cement IS Code?

IS 4031 (Part 11) 1988 is IS code for specific gravity of cement.

What is specific gravity of kerosene?

The specific gravity of cement is 0.79.

Also Read: Fineness Test of Cement

Fineness test of cement is a laboratory test done to determine the proportion of the size of particles of cement greater than 90 microns.

Fineness test of cement done in two ways –

(a) By Sieving

(b) Air permeability method ( Generally Blaine air permeability apparatus is used)

In this article, we are going to learn the sieve method to determine the fineness of cement. In this method cement sample is sieving through a standard IS sieve of 90 microns.

The percentage of cement particles of size more than 90 microns that are retained on the sieve is called fineness of cement.

Importance of Fineness Test Of Cement-

• With increase in fineness of cement rate of hydration increases.
• Finer cement act quickly with water and gain early strength.
• Fineness also affects workability, with in increase in fineness workability is also increases.
• With increase in fineness of cement surface area of cement particles increases which absorbs more water and if it cement particle grind beyond limit it will cause shrinkage in concrete.
• Setting time of cement decreases with increase in fineness. Hence cement ground in different grades as per requirement of setting time.
• With increase in fineness of cement amount of bleeding in concrete is decreases.

From the above points, it is clear that fineness is one of most the important properties of cement. So it is required to test the fineness of cement is to be within limits before its use in construction.

Fineness test of cement by dry sieving –

The fineness of cement is determined by Dry sieving method as follow-

Apparatus-

Standard IS 90 micron Sieve with lid

Weighing Balance – Which is capable of weighing 10g to the nearest 10mg.

Sieve shaker machine

Nylon bristol brush – For cleaning of the sieve.

Procedure-

1) Take some amount of cement and rub the cement with fingers to remove the lumps.

2) Now take 100g of cement from that sample and note down it as W1.

3) Pour this cement sample in IS 90 micron sieve and close this sieve with a lid

4) Now place this sieve in the sieve shaking machine and shake for 2 minutes or you can shake the sieve with your hand for 15 minutes.

5) After this, weigh the cement that is retained on a sieve and note it as W2.

6) Now calculate the fineness percentage as per the following formula –

Fineness of cement sample = (W2/W1) * 100

7) Repeat the above process with three different samples of cement and calculate the average of them for accuracy.

Calculations-

Let’s take an example for a better understanding.

W1 = Weight of cement sample

Here we take 100g of cement sample for test. Therefore, W1 = 100g.

Now, Let assume 5g of cement sample is retained on 90 micron IS sieve after the sieving process.

Therefore, W2 = Weight of cement which is retained on sieve = 5g.

Fineness % of cement = (W2/W1)*100 = (5/100)*100 = 5%

To eliminate the errors, repeat the process 3 times and take an average of these 3 values.

Average Fineness % of cement = 5%

Fineness limit of various types of cement-

As per IS: 4031 (Part 1) – 1996 percentage of cement retained on sieve should not more than following percentages-

1) Ordinary portland cement = 10%

2) Rapid hardening cement = 5%

3) Low heat cement = 5%

Precautions –

Cement Samples taken for the test should be dry and free from lumps.

Rub the cement sample gently to remove the lumps if any.

Weighing should be done very accurately.

Sieving should be done by wrist action to prevent losses.

Read More: How to check quality of cement on site

FAQs on fineness test of cement-

How does the fineness of cement affects the stregth of cement?

With the increase in fineness of cement rate of hydration of cement increases. Which increases the rate of strength gaining process of cement.

What is the size of the sieve used in the fineness test of cement?

Standard IS sieve of size 90 microns is used in the fineness test of cement.

How does too much fineness is affect the cement?

Too much finer particles in cement set the cement very quickly results in no time for handling and placing of cement.

What is standard value of fineness of cement?

The standard value of fineness of cement should be less than 10% as per IS : 4031 (PART 1) 1996

Also, read – How to store cement on site

Storage of cement bags on site should be done in a proper way. Because cement is climate-sensitive material and it reacts with moisture from the atmosphere and starts the hydration process which makes cement hard.

So there are some precaution should be taken for bulk storage of cement as per IS code 4082: 1996 as follows –

1) Sheds for storage of cement –

2) Arrangement of Cement Bags –

3) Storage Duration –

4) Protection in Rainy Season –

5) Handling of Cement Bags –

6) Use of Cement Bags –

1) Sheds for storage of cement –

On construction site storage of cement should be done in a proper way so they are not exposed to the atmosphere and can be stored for a long time before being used in construction.

Bulk Storage of cement bags on site should be done in buildings or closed sheds whose floor, roof, and walls should be dry, leakproof, and moisture-proof.

The building or shed should have a minimum number of windows and doors. The windows of these sheds are must be small in size and the door should be airtight and kept these doors closed as far as possible.

Proper drainage should be provided for the drainage of water in any case.

2) Arrangement of Cement Bags –

Before the storage of cement bags on site ensure that the shed is completely dry from inside.

Dampness is also responsible for the moisture in cement. So, the cement bags should be stored on wooden pallets in such a way that as to keep about 150mm to 200mm above the ground level.

Cement bags should be arranged one above the other in a cross arrangement in length-wise and cross-wise fashion to minimize the danger of toppling over.

The arrangement of cement bags should be closed to each other to avoid air circulations.

Stacked bags should be at least 600mm away from the external walls.

These stacked cement bags should not be more than 10 bags in height to prevent the possibility of lumping up under pressure and the width of the stack should not be more than 4 bags or 3 meters.

Different types of cement should be stored separately.

Different types of packaging bags should be stored separately such as paper bags, gunny bags, and polyethylene bags, etc.

A passage width of 600mm should be provided for easy access.

3) Storage Duration –

Time is also an important factor in the storage of cement. Because the strength of cement is decreased with time.

The table below shows the percentage of decrease in strength of cement with time –

So, Cement should be used before 3 months from the date of manufacturing.

If cement is stored for more than 3 months duration then it is recommended to cement should be tested before using it on site.

4) Protection in Rainy Season –

During monsoon season extra moisture is present in the atmosphere which required extra precautions for the storage of cement.

In the rainy season, cover the stack cement bags with plastic sheets or tarpaulins to protect them from moisture and an accidental sprinkle of water.

5) Handling of Cement Bags –

Do not use hooks while handling cement bags in loading and unloading.

Do not drop cement bags from height as this can damage the packing of cement.

Handle cement bags with care to avoid split of bags and damage of packing.

6) Use of Cement Bags –

Cement bags should be used on a first in first out basis. This means cement bags that are stored first in sheds should be used first for the construction.

A label of the date of receipt of cement should be put on each stack to know the age of cement.

FAQ on storage of cement bags on site –

How long cement can be stored?

It is recommended that cement should not be store for more than 3 months.

How much area required for storage of cement?

Approximately, in 1 cubic meter, 20 cement bags of 50kg each can be stored.

Also, Read – How to Check Quality of Cement on Site

Field Tests of Cement –

1) Date of packing.

2) Colour Test.

3) Rubbing Test or Adulteration Test.

4) Temperature Test.

5) Presence of lumps.

6) Floating Test.

7) Smell Test.

8) Cement Setting Test.

9) Cement Strength Test.

Importance of Field Test of Cement –

The quality of construction depends on the quality of materials used in construction. And as we know cement is the main material in the construction industry. When cement is stored on-site it may be affected by atmospheric conditions and other factors.

Cement used for construction should be of good quality and to ensure the quality of cement it is necessary to conduct field tests of cement.

9 Field Tests of Cement to Check Quality of Cement on Site –

1) Date of packing –

The first thing to do in the field test of cement is to check the date of packing of cement bags.

A study on cement shows that the quality of cement is decreased by 20-50% with time.

So as per the above study to get a good quality of cement, it should be used before 90 days from the date of packing of cement bags.

2) Colour Test –

Take some amount of cement from the cement bag and check the colour of the cement. The colour of cement should be uniform and it should be grey in colour with a light greenish shade.

3) Rubbing Test or Adulteration Test –

Take a small amount of cement in hand from the cement bag and rub it with your fingers. If it feels smooth then it indicates the good quality of cement and if it fell rough it indicates the adulteration in cement.

4) Temperature Test –

In this test, insert the fingers in a cement bag and check their temperature. Cement should feel cool and if it feels warm it indicates the hydration of cement is starting in the cement bag.

5) Presence of lumps –

Moisture is not good for cement. When cement is reacted which moisture it undergoes a chemical reaction and forms lumps in cement. So it is required to check cement for the presence of lumps before its use in construction.

Cement should be free from lumps and if lumps are present in cement it indicates the presence of moisture and such cement should not be used for construction.

6) Floating Test –

Take water in a bucket and throw a small amount of cement on the water. The cement should be float for a while before sinking into the water.

7) Smell Test –

Take a small amount of cement sample and smell it. If it gives an earthy smell then it indicates the adulteration in a high quantity of pounded silt and clay in cement.

8) Cement Setting Test –

Take a small sample of cement from a cement bag and mixed it with water to form a paste. Put this paste on a glass plate and submerged this glass plate in water for 24 hours.

Check the cement paste after 24 hours, it should be set, not crack.

9) Cement Strength Test –

• Take some amount of cement and add some amount of water in it to make a paste.
• Now fill this paste in mould to make a block of cement of size 25mm breadth, 25mm height and 200mm long.
• Now submerged this cement block in water for 7 days.
• After 7 days take out cement block from water and place it on supports with span of 150mm.
• Now, load the cement sample with a weight of 34kg.
• After loading if cement block does not shows any failure means quality of cement is good.

FAQ on Field Test of Cement –

1) How to avoid lumps in cement?

To avoid lumps in cement bags we can do –

• Store cement in waterproof shades and this shades should be above ground level to avoid moisture effect from ground.
• Cover cement bags with waterproof covers to protect it from atmospheric moisture and accidental sprinkle of water.

2) How many months old cement can be used?

Cement should be used before 3 months from its manufacturing date.