Running head: CEMENT AND CONCRETE 1

Impact and Causes of Cement and Concrete

N. Thomas

University of Technology
THE IMPACT OF CEMENT AND CONCRETE 2

Abstract

This research is about cement and concrete how it is made and the effect it causes to the

environment it also explained the meaning of stability, durability and Strength of a building it is

a very interesting research it open more detail and knowledge about the difference of concrete

and cement.
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Contents

Abstract............................................................................................................................................2

Contents...........................................................................................................................................3

What is Cement?..............................................................................................................................4

What is Concrete?............................................................................................................................4

How The Component of Concrete is attained?................................................................................5

How The Component of Cement is attained?..................................................................................5

How Does The Production of Concrete Impacts The Environment?..............................................6

What is Difference between Strength, Stability and Durability in The Concept to

Structures/Buildings?.......................................................................................................................8

Reference.........................................................................................................................................9
THE IMPACT OF CEMENT AND CONCRETE 4

What is Cement?

Cement (Portland cement) are binding materials in the form of a powder which is usually

grey that is manufacture by burning and grinding of mixture of limestone and clay or limestone

and shale. When mixed with water the anhydrous calcium silicates and other constituents in the

Portland cement react chemically with the water, then combined together to make a paste by

hydration (Hydration is the providing of an adequate amount of water. The chemical reaction by

which a substance as cement combines with water it gives off heat to form a crystalline in its

setting and hardening), decomposing it by hydrolysis. (Hydrolysis is the chemical breakdown of

compound due to the reaction with water) and then it began hardening to gain strength.

(Britannica, what is Portland cement, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-

Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419 )

What is Concrete?

Concrete is a mixture of paste and aggregates. The paste, is made of Portland cement and

water. The paste then coats the surface of the fine and coarse aggregates. Through a chemical

reaction called hydration, the paste then hardens and gains strength to form the rock like mass

known as concrete. (Portland Cement Association (PCA), How Concrete is Made, 2019,

Www.cement.org )
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How The Component of Concrete is attained?

Concrete is made up of two components, aggregates and paste. Aggregates are generally

classified into two groups, fine and coarse (sand and Gravel), and occupy about 60 to 80 percent

of the volume of concrete. The paste is composed of cement, water, and entrained air and

ordinarily constitutes 20 to 40 percent of the total volume the cement act as a binding agent when

mixed with water and aggregates. (2016, Component of Concrete pg.1 Www.Virginiadot.org)

How The Component of Cement is attained?

Cement is attained through a chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron,

limestone, shells, chalk or marl combined with shale, clay, slate, blast furnace slag, silica sand,

and iron ore or fly ash.

First they quarried these raw materials, mainly clay, limestone shells and chalk or marl

and other materials. This involves several stages in the crushing of the materials. first to reduce

the sizes of materials to about 6 inches max and then through a secondary crusher to reduce it

smaller to about 3 inches or less, then got combined with the other ingredients such as iron ore or

fly ash and then ground where it been mixed and fed to the cement rotary kiln where it is being

heated with a high temperature of about 2700 degrees Fahrenheit. As the material moves through

the kiln, certain elements are driven off in the form of gases. The remaining elements form a new

substance called clinker. Clinker comes out of the kiln as grey balls, about the size of marbles

when cooled down its grinded into a very fine powder called cement.

(https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/how-cement-is-made)
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How Does The Production of Concrete Impacts The Environment?

After researching on how cement is made and how concrete is made. In my opinion I

think it’s safe to say that concrete is not completely safe because of some of the resources use to

form concrete like cement. The damage cement can cause while mixing, in a content I read it’s

depends on the level of exposure to the chemical that cause damage to the skin, eyes and

inhalation (breath in).

Hazardous materials in wet concrete and mortar include:

 Alkaline compounds such as lime (calcium oxide) that are corrosive to human tissue

 Trace amounts of crystalline silica which is abrasive to the skin and can damage lungs

 Trace amounts of chromium that can cause allergic reactions.(Elcosh, Cement Hazards

and Controls Health Risks and Precautions in Using Portland Cement, 2020,

http://elcosh.org/document/1563/d000513/cement-hazards-and-controls-health-risks-and-

precautions-in-using-portland-cement.html - :~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20level

%20of,to%20chemical%20burns%20and%20blindness.&text=Inhaling%20high

%20levels%20of%20dust,causes%20choking%20and%20difficult%20breathing.)

For the environment it is not safe also because of the chemical that are found in the

cement and in the production of the cement. In the research that was conducted it is shown that

in the making of cement there is a results in high levels of CO2 output in the atmosphere.

Cement production is the third ranking producer of anthropogenic (man-made) CO2 in the world

after transport and energy generation. 4-5% of the worldwide total of CO2 emissions is caused

by cement production.

The study shows that there are CO2 is produced at two points during cement production
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 The first is as a byproduct of burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal, to generate the heat

necessary to drive the cement-making process

 The second from the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate in the process of

producing cement clinker. (Greenspec, 2020, environmental-impacts-of-concrete/)

In order to produce natural aggregates, the Quarries had to extract these materials by mining and

these are usually dug or dredged from a pit, river, lake or seabed and in order to be manufactured

and by that it can causes the area to diminish.

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What is Difference between Strength, Stability and Durability in The Concept to

Structures/Buildings?

Stability: Stability within buildings/structures that are built by these elements, cement,

fine and coarse aggregates and steel without them working together the building wouldn’t be

stable and able to provide shelter. The reason I say this is without any one of these element the

building wouldn’t be ready. Cement by itself can stand and provide shelter but not for long with

climate changes the cement wouldn’t keep up because cement expand when exposed to water

and shrink during heat so that would make building unstable and would crumble. As for fine and

for coarse aggregates it wouldn’t stand without a bonding agent. So therefore they need each

other to work cement when mixed with fine and coarse aggregates it act as bonding agents and

create a coat around them keeping everything in place. So therefore Stability within

building/structures is able to keep stable no matter the weather it should crumble.

Durability: Durability within buildings/structures is reliable and can with stand any

weather, resist deterioration and last for many numbers of years.

Strength: Strength within building/structures is the physical, density, durability, fire

resistance and water resistance of the building it can face a flood’ hurricane and storms and keep

its shape or form.

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Reference

 (Britannica, what is Portland cement, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-

Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419 )

 (Portland Cement Association (PCA), How Concrete is Made, 2019, Www.cement.org )

 (https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/how-cement-is-made)

 (Elcosh, Cement Hazards and Controls Health Risks and Precautions in Using Portland

Cement, 2020, http://elcosh.org/document/1563/d000513/cement-hazards-and-controls-

health-risks-and-precautions-in-using-portland-cement.html - :~:text=Depending%20on

%20the%20level%20of,to%20chemical%20burns%20and%20blindness.&text=Inhaling

%20high%20levels%20of%20dust,causes%20choking%20and%20difficult

%20breathing.)

 (Greenspec, 2020, environmental-impacts-of-concrete/)