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CEMENT PASTE:
The cement clinker is manufactured by firing mixtures of limestone and clay, which contain aluminate and ferrite impurities.When the cement is mixed with water, hydration reactions occur which ultimately convert the water-cement suspension into a rigid porous material, which serves as the matrix phase for mortar and concrete.
Soundness: Soundness in cement means excessive expansion during hydration of pastes, mortar and concrete. Such expansion cause cracks and consequently reduces strength and durability. The chemical reactions involved with expansion in cement pastes are: - The formation of ettringite from C3A and SO3 - The hydration of hard-burned free CaO
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH: For any particular cement, the compressive strength of specimen stored at constant temperature and humidity increases with age and decreasing water /cement ratio. Water-cement ratio: Strength continues to increase at water/cement ratio below 0.38. DRYING SHRINKAGE: .3. By research concerning mechanism and some causes of the drying shrinkage of hardened cement paste, the following relations are obtained. a) Drying shrinkage is proportional to the strength of capillary tension. b) Drying shrinkage is proportional to the amount of evaporable water held at equilibrium in unit volume of hardened cement paste. c) Drying shrinkage is inversely proportional to the dynamic Young's modulus. 4. The shrinkage of hardened cement paste due to the escape of interlayer water in its gelatinous material is probably caused by very low relative humidity. QUANTITY OF AGGREGATE: The fracture process of cement paste and mortar becomes stabilized as the air or aggregate content increases The aggregate plays the following two conflicting roles for the strength of mortar, i. e., the role as a defect which deteriorates the strength and the role as a crackarrestor which improves the strength The scale effect of the strength of mortar is more significant as the aggregate content becomes lower. Prepared by: Sana Adnan CE-107
SIZE OF SPECIMEN: The larger the size of specimen is, cement paste and mortar show the more stable or ductile fracture process in the range of small size, but their fracture process transforms from ductile mode to brittle mode as the size of specimen becomes larger than a specific size. AIR CONTENT: (4) The mean strength decreases with the increase of air content, and the rate of decrease of compressive strength is more significant than that of flexural strength. PLASTICIZER: Plasticizers, also called workability aids increases the fluidity or workability of the cement paste or concrete due to their plasticizer action.. the addition of rubber particles improves the toughness and reduces the porosity of the specimens ACCELERATOR: An accelerator is used to inceases the rate of hardening of the cement paste, thus enhancing the early strength. CaCl 2 has historically been very famous as it is readily effective. WATER: Higher water contents dilute the cement paste (the glue of concrete). Here are some advantages of reducing water content:
Increased compressive and flexural strength Lower permeability, thus increased watertightness and lower absorption Increased resistance to weathering Better bond between concrete and reinforcement Less volume change from wetting and drying Reduced shrinkage and cracking