Cement is one of the most common and important building materials, without which modern construction can not do. As a component, it is used for the manufacture of various solutions and mixtures. All buildings erected over the past 200 years were created with his participation. What is made of cement, what types exist and where are they used? Let's try to answer all these questions.
Structure
The starting material is a dry powder substance of artificial origin. It is obtained by grinding and mixing clinker, gypsum, as well as various fillers and additives. However, it is clinker that is the basis of the mixture. It is obtained by grinding and calcining calcareous rocks, clay and various mineral components. Depending on the percentage of content in the composition of these elements, the properties and area of use of cement will differ.
What is made of cement during construction is based on a chemical reaction in which the powder, when interacting with water, turns into a pasty mixture. Subsequently, with certain physicochemical processes, the liquid mixture is converted to solid. As a result, the cement mixture acquires a stone-like structure.
Speaking of what is made of cement, it is possible first of all to highlight ready-mixed concrete, reinforced concrete products created at the factory or directly at the construction site. It also produces asbestos-cement materials, plaster, masonry and other building mixtures and mortars.
At the moment, about 40 types of cement are known, each of which finds its application to create one or another design. Consider some varieties.
Portland cement
This is the most common type used for the manufacture of precast concrete products. High-quality ready-mixed concrete is made from it, which in construction is used to create load-bearing elements of buildings and structures. If you believe the statistics, then it accounts for about 60% of the total volume of types of cement produced per year. In addition, it is Portland cement clinker that is the basis for the manufacture of other types of cement. Bearing columns, walls, and also cement slabs can be made of this building material.
White and color Portland cement
Obviously, ordinary Portland cement is gray, since it contains a large amount of iron and manganese. But if the content of these oxides in the clinker is insignificant, and white clay was used in its production, the Portland cement mixture acquires a light white hue. It is not used to create strong supporting structures. Most often it is used for decorative finishing works.
A feature of the production of the material is that the raw materials are fired on a special ash-free fuel.
As for non-ferrous materials, it is made on the basis of white Portland cement. A small amount of gypsum and a special colored filler are simply added to it. It is easy to guess that it is used for decorative purposes, in particular, to obtain colored surfaces, to perform texture elements and parts, and to manufacture facing materials.
Slag Portland Cement
This belongs to the group of hydraulic binders. It is made by grinding and subsequent grinding of Portland cement clinker, blast furnace slag and gypsum. It is known that different wall blocks, dry building mixes and stucco are made of this type of cement.
Expanding
This material also belongs to the group of hydraulic binders. It has one difference from other materials, which when used are reduced in volume and mass. Expanding cement does not shrink. Moreover, hydration and the process of curing are accompanied by expansion of the volume, especially in the first stage after setting.
This type of cement is used for the manufacture of injection and repair compositions, which are used in the overhaul of damaged reinforced concrete structures.
Conclusion
Given the properties of this material, anything can be made from it. Nothing prevents you from creating a wall panel or cement-sand tiles based on it. Almost any regular and even irregular forms of building elements can be created at enterprises and even at construction sites.
This versatile material is the foundation of any building structure. Buildings always begin to build from the foundation, which is necessarily based on high-strength concrete made from cement mix. Further, during the construction, reinforced concrete structural elements are used, and the construction is completed with a roof covering device, in the form of which cement-sand tiles can act. Recently, it has become very popular. Also, decorative finishing work is often applied using a cement mortar.
Therefore, in modern construction the importance of this material cannot be overestimated. This is the cheapest, convenient and durable element, the use of which is 100% justified.