Uses of Different Types Portland Cement

Fasi Ur Rahman

4 years ago

Reading time: 1 minute

Portland cement is an excellent building material generally used for its excellent binding properties giving strength to structural elements. Portland cement is most commonly used for the production of concrete. It is also used as a basic ingredient in the mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout.

Fig 1: Uses of Different Types Portland Cement

Uses of Different Types of Portland Cement

1. As per ASTM 150 (American standards)

A. Uses of Type I Portland Cement

It is used as general or normal purpose Portland cement in construction work.
It is commonly used for general construction, especially when making precast, and precast – prestressed concrete that is not to be in contact with soils or groundwater.
Type 1 cement is general use cement in every construction work unless another cement is specified for construction works.

B. Uses of Type II Portland Cement

It is used for constructing structures in which water or soil containing less amount of sulfate.
This type of cement is used where less heat is required during hydration.

C. Uses of Type III Portland Cement

This type of cement is used where high strength is required at a very early period of time.
This type of cement gives a good three-day compressive strength equal to the seven-day compressive strength of types I and II cement.
It is usually used for precast concrete manufacture, where high one-day strength allows a fast turnover of molds.
It can also be used in emergency construction and repairs, and construction of machine bases and gate installations.

D. Uses of Type IV Portland Cement

This type of cement is used where the amount and rate of heat generation must be kept to a minimum.
This type of cement is used where low heat of hydration is required.

E. Uses of Type V Portland Cement

This type is used in concrete to be exposed to alkali soil and groundwater sulfates
It is used as sulfate resistance Portland cement in construction works.

2. As per EN 197 norm (European norm)

A. Uses of CEM I Portland Cement

This type of cement is used as the top grade of cement, means that is beneficial for making top-quality concrete for construction work.
It is used to obtain blended cement by mixing CEM1 with other minerals admixtures or additives like fly ash, slag, silica fume, and limestone.
It is used to reduce the water demand such that the water-cement ratio can be reduced.

B. Uses of CEM II Portland Cement

It is used to reduce water demand and therefore the water-cement ratio can be reduced.
It is used to improve workability for the same water content.
This blended cement has a better particle size distribution (grading) as compared to CEM I, therefore the permeability of concrete is less which results in improved densities.
Fly Ash, Slag and Silica fume have hydraulic properties creating secondary crystal growth which makes for more dense concrete and better durability.

C. Uses of CEM III Portland Cement

This type of cement is suitable for marine, agricultural and a chemically aggressive environment as well as it is used for deep pour foundations such as wind farms.
The whiter color and smoother finish achieved with CEM III makes it the cement of choice for architectural concrete.
It is used for small precast concrete products as well as it is used for the construction of blocks and structures.

D. Uses of CEM IV Portland Cement

It is used for the production of low and medium-class concrete.
It is used for the production of construction mortars and different types of concrete products.
It develops a stable strength of the structure.
It has good physical and mechanical characteristics.

E. Uses of CEM V Portland Cement

This type of cement is common usage in the production of structural concrete and ready-mixed concrete.
The use of CEM V cements for structural concrete is strongly restricted by normative limitations in European countries.

3. As per CSA A3000-08 (Canadian Standards)

A. Uses of General Use Portland Cement (GU)

It is used as general or normal purpose Portland cement in construction work.
These types of cement are general use of cement in every construction work unless another cement is specified for construction works.

B. Uses Moderate Sulphate resistant Portland cement (MS)

It is used for construction where water or soil contains less amount of sulfate.
It is used as moderate sulfate resistant cement.

C. Uses of Moderate heat Portland Cement (MH)

This type of cement is used where low heat of hydration is required.

D. Uses High Early strength Portland cement (HE)

This type of cement is used where high strength is want to gain in a very short period of time.

E. Uses Low Heat Portland cement (LH)

This type of cement is used where low heat of hydration is required.
It is similar to that of HE, HEL type of cement.

F. Uses High sulfate resistant Portland Cement (HS)

This type of cement generally develops strength less rapidly than the other types of cement.
These types of cement are used as high sulfate resistant.

4. As per Indian Standards

A. Uses of 33 Grade Portland Cement

This type of cement is commonly used in mortar for plaster and masonry.
It is used for normal grade of concrete up to M-20, plastering, flooring, grouting of cable ducts in PSC works, etc.

B. Uses of 43 Grade Portland Cement

43 grade Portland cement is generally used in reinforced cement concrete construction which also called R.C.C.
The grade 43 is also used in R.M.C which is also called ready-mix concrete and also use in Pre-cast structure concrete for construction purposes.
They are used to making concrete having a grade between M20 and M30.

C. Uses of 53 Grade Portland Cement

For concrete grade higher than M-30, prestressed concrete works, bridge, roads, multi-storied buildings, etc.
For use in cold weather concreting.
Grade 53 cement is mainly used in R.C.C bridges, construction of precast building construction, construction of factories buildings construction, etc. (Strength needed buildings) and concrete sleeper construction (for railways).