Portland Cement

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Portland Cement
A hydraulic cement capable of setting, hardening and
remaining stable under water. It consists essentially of
hydraulic calcium silicates, usually containing calcium
sulfate.

Manufacture
Raw Materials:
2/3 calcareous materials (lime bearing) - limestone
1/3 argillaceous materials (silica, alumina, iron)- clay

Raw Material

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Crushing

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Blending

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Old Method

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Kiln
This image cannot currently be display ed.

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Grinding

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Production Process
Problem

Production of cement
Is responsible for 7%
CO2 production in the
world

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Cement grains

Courtesy from Prof. Karen Scrivener, EPFL

Mehta and Monteiro: Concrete

Based on the following notation:

C

CaO

SiO2

Al2O3

Fe2O3

H2O

Important

Cement Minerals
C3S : 3CaOSiO2
C2S : 2CaOSiO2
C3A : 3CaOAl2O3
C4AF : 4CaOAl2O3Fe2O3

Hydration
cement

dissolution

precipitation

water
CE 60
Courtesy: Prof. Karen Scivener, EPFL
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Extremelly important!!!

2C3S + 6H --> C3S2H3 + 3CH + 120 cal / g

2C2S + 4H --> C3S2H3 + CH + 62 cal / g
C3A +CSH 2--> Ettringite + 300 cal / g

Hydrated Paste

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Early Hydration

10 hours

3 hours
CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Courtesy: Prof. Karen Scrivener

Hydration Products

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

SOLIDS IN CEMENT PASTE

-Calcium Silicate Hydrate
Notation: C-S-H
High Surface (100 to 700 m2/ g) ----> High Van
der Walls Force -----> Strength.
Volume % : 50 a 60

C-S-H

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

SOLIDS IN CEMENT PASTE

-Calcium Hydroxide ( portlandite)

Ca(OH)2
Volume % : 20 to 25
low Van der Walls force
problems with durability and strength

Calcium Hydroxide

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

SOLIDS IN CEMENT PASTE

-Calcium Sulfoaluminate Hydrates

Volume % : 15 to 20
first : ettringite
after : monosulfate hydrated.

Ettringite

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Review Identify the crystal

Mehta and Monteiro: Concrete

Review 2 -- Identify the crystal

Mehta and Monteiro: Concrete

Review 3 -- Identify the crystal

Mehta and Monteiro: Concrete

Concrete has a complex microstructure

pores
Sand Particle

C-S-H
Cement grain
Calcium hydroxide
CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Courtesy Prof. K. Scrivener

Hydration process Initial Condition

Lets study a cement paste with w/c= 0.63

Start with 100 cm3 of cement.
Compute the mass of cement: Mc = 3.14* 100 = 314 g
Compute the mass of water: Mw = 0.63 * 314 = 200 g
Vw= 200 cm3
Vc= 100 cm3
CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Hydration Process
Miracle of hydration: Vp = 2 Vc

Vw= 200 cm3

50%

Vw= 150 cm3

Vp = 100 cm3
Vc=50 cm3

Vc= 100 cm3

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Once More
Vw= 200 cm3

75%

Vw= 125 cm3

Vp = 150 cm3
Vc=25 cm3

Vc= 100 cm3

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Finally
Vw= 200 cm3

100%

Vw= 100 cm3

Vp = 200 cm3

Vc= 100 cm3

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Exam question
Calculate the water/cement ratio needed to
obtain zero porosity in a fully hydrated
cement paste.
W/c = 100/100*3.14
100 cm3

100%

W/c= 0.32
200 cm3

100 cm3
CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

ASTM Portland Cements

Type I-

General Purpose

Type II- moderate heat of hydration and sulfate resistance

(C3A < 8%) : general construction, sea water, mass concrete
Type III- high early strength (C3A < 15%) :
emergency repairs, precast, winter construction.
Type IV- low heat ( C3S < 35%, C3A < 7%, C2S > 40%) :
mass concrete
Type V- sulfate resistant ( C3A < 5%) : sulfate in soil,
sewers.

Voids in the Hydrated Cement Paste (HCP)

-Interlayer space in CSH
* size = 5 to 25
* no adverse effect on strength and permeability
* some effect on drying shrinkage and creep
-Capillary Voids
> 50 nm : detrimental to strength and impermeability
< 50 nm: important to drying shrinkage and creep.
-Air Voids
* entrapped air: ~ 3 mm
* entrained air: 50 to 200 mm

Water inside the pores

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Orders of magnitude

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro

Orders of Magnitude

CE 60
Instructor: Paulo Monteiro