How To Check Quality Of Cement At Site

How To Check Quality Of Cement At Site

Cement is one of the most important building materials used in construction. The strength of a structure depends upon several factors, cement quality is one of them.

To achieve the desired strength of concrete and to increase the longevity of the structure good quality cement should always be used.

So it is important to check the quality of cement before using it. There are different cement tests performed to check its quality discussed below.

Different Cement Tests

1. Date Of Packing

This is the easiest cement test one should know. The strength of cement decreases with time. First of all, check the manufacturing date in the bag before using it.

Generally, cement should be used 90 days from the manufacturing date. If the manufacturing date exceeds 12 months, It should not be used. please check the percentage of strength loss of cement given in the below table.

2. Cement Color

The cement should be uniform in color. Good quality cement should have gray color with a greenish shade.

3. Check For Lumps

No lumps should be present in the cement. Lumps are formed due to the absorption of moisture from the climate.

4. Rubbing Test

The cement should feel smooth while rubbing in between fingers. If it gives a rough feeling that means cement is mixed with sand.

5 Temperature Test

Simply insert your hand into the cement bag, it should give a cool feeling if its quality is good. Otherwise, you may feel warm because of the hydration reaction.

6. Float Test

Take some amount of cement and throw it in water. The cement should float for sometimes before it sinks in the water.

7. Setting Test

Make a thick cement paste with water and immerse it in water for 24 hours. It should be set and should not develop cracks.

8. Strength Test

Prepare a cement block of 25 mm x 25 mm and 200 mm in length. Now submerge it in water for 7 days. Now place it on supports 15 cm apart and load it with 34 kg weight. Block made from good cement will not show any signs of failure.

So, these were some useful tests to check the quality of cement. I hope you now have enough knowledge about it. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

Also Read

How To Check Quality Of Sand For Construction

How To Check Quality Of Bricks For Construction

Difference Between 43 Grade & 53 Grade Cement

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