INTRODUCTION

Since its discovery, cement has remained the most commonly used construction material in
the world. This invention enabled us to build soaring buildings that touch the skies, build massive
dams that tame water reservoirs, construct an expanse of long highways for transportation, create
serviceable channels for sea fares, and build comfortable and pleasing houses. To this day, it is still
used extensively in all matters regarding construction may it be a small scaled construction or even
huge construction projects.

In general, cement is a cohesive and adhesive substance that may join small pieces of solid
matter together to form a solid mass. It is used as a binder in construction and is used together with
water to bind fine and coarse aggregates into a rigid mass when it hardens. Cement mixed with
water produces an ash-colored slurry most commonly termed as cement paste and is one of the key
components in concrete and concrete mixture. Though cement have its classification; either
hydraulic or non-hydraulic, the construction industry commonly uses Portland cement as it
provides a stable product when set and harden with water (Martin, J.L.,1991). Portland cement is
the product obtained by pulverizing clinker, consisting of hydraulic calcium silicates to which
some calcium sulfate has usually been provided as an inter-ground addition.

When water is mixed in cement, such as Portland cement, it forms a particularly viscous
mixture that sets and hardens over a period of time. This process of setting and hardening has an
underlying molecular activity that happens throughout the entire process. And when the time has
reached for the completion of the process, the slurry fluid will then solidify. With this, the
determination of various aspects of the mechanical properties of the hardened cement paste is then
carried out for construction compliance purposes. These properties are obtained through different
tests that are usually governed by international organizations that spend time to fully understand
the whereabouts of concrete. Generally, the mechanical property of cement paste is directly related
to its water-to-cement ratio. Studying the structure and properties of hardened cement pastes have
begun way back in 1936 in Portland Cement Association laboratories. A network of cement
particles in water makes up fresh cement paste which is plastic at this moment. The plastic mass
settles after a certain amount of time, and its volume doesn't change. The primary solid
components of hardened cement paste are cement gel, calcium hydroxide, and unhydrated cement
particles, which are produced as a result of chemical reactions between water and cement
components (Bache, H. et al., 1965).

In this activity, the compressive strength of cement paste is being determined using 1P
Portland cement with different amount of water in the mixture. This activity follows the standards
set upon ASTM C39M.
MATERIALS AND METHODS

Apparatus:

Compression Machine Concrete Paste Mold (10 cm diameter x 12 cm)

Engine Oil Mixing Board

Measuring Tape Gloves

Graduated Cylinder Weighing Scale

The rest of the materials include Portland cement (Type 1P), rubber mallet, shovel,
tamping rod, tie wire, trowel, and water.

In order to complete this exercise, the students were required to prepare three
distinct cement paste mixes in Central Mindanao University's IEL (Integrated
Engineering Laboratory), under the supervision of the lab technician. This lab experiment
aims to learn more about the effects of the cement-to-water ratio in cement paste. The
following ratios were used: 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5. Before conducting the experiment, acquire
the borrower’s slip from the laboratory technician and make sure all materials are clean
and ready for use. The following procedure is followed:

1) The cylindrical mold (10 cm diameter x 12 cm) is taken from the lab, washed to
get rid of any clay, and then left to dry. Apply engine oil to the inner surface (in
contact with the cement) for quicker extraction of hardened samples. A sturdy,
flat, non-absorbent surface should be chosen to place the moistened mold on.
The proponents must hold onto the two-foot pieces firmly while standing on
them during filling.

2) Prepare 4 kilograms of Portland Cement using the weighing scale.

3) For the 0.3 ratio, prepare 1.2 liters of water using the plastic cylinder. Mix the
water with the cement in the mixing board, make sure that the mixture is evenly
distributed.

4) Fill the mold in three layers, make sure that each layer should be approximately
one-third of the mold's total volume. With a tamping rod, strike each layer 25
times. Distribute the stroke evenly over the cross-section of each layer by using
approximately half the stroke towards the perimeter (outside edger) and
progress spirally towards the center.

5) Strike the rod through the bottom layer to its depth. Rod the second layer
separately from the other layers minding each depth of other layers, allowing
the strokes to barely touch the layer beneath. Pile the concrete over the mold to
fill it before starting to build the top layer. Always add more concrete to keep
the extra in place if the rodding process causes the concrete to drop over the top
edge of the mold. After the top layer has been rodded, screed and roll the
tamping rod across the concrete's surface to remove any loose materials. Tamp
the side of the cylinder again for the vibration using rubber mallet.

6) The cylinder's exterior should be cleaned before molding. For the 0.4 ratio with
1.6 liters of water and the 0.5 ratio with 2 liters of water, repeat steps 1-6. Label
the samples and place them in the cylinder on a steady surface free from
tremors and other disturbances for 24 hours to mold. Avoid being striking,
tilting, leaving scars on the specimen's surface, or being careless when
transporting it to the storage place.
 7) 7. After taking out the mortar from the mold, place it in an improvised curing
tank and let it cure with recommended time of 24 hours since this activity does
not require full 28 days of curing.

8) Samples must undergo compression tests as soon as possible after being

removed from the curing tank. For this activity, the samples underwent the
compression test after 24 hours of removal from the curing tank (due to time
restriction).

9) Record the results from the compression machine and clean the debris
afterwards. Make sure all borrowed materials are returned.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results will be discussed herein:

Cement Paste Cylinder

Diameter 100mm

Height 120mm

Area 7853.982mm2

Correction Factor 1.00

Load Applied

Rate 0.300 MPa/s

Start Load 1.00 kN

Stop Load 10%

Table 1. Preliminary data input before starting the Compressive Strength Test
Table 1A (Cement Paste Cylinder), Table 1B (Load Applied)

The data that was saved prior to crushing is displayed in Table 1. The cylindrical
concrete's dimension is measured to be 100 mm diameter and 120 mm height for every
cement paste molded. Each cylinder has a surface area of either circular end of the
cylinder as 7853.982mm2. The area is computed by π/4(diameter) 2. Upon crushing, a
beginning load of 1kN applied to each cylinder at a rate of 0.300 MPa/sec was followed
by a 10% stop load after the cement paste yields and breaks.
 Sample Test Age Water Maximum Maximum
(Days) Content Load (kN) Strength
(MPa)

1 5 0.3 272.5 34.696

2 5 0.4 189.0 24.064

3 5 0.5 176.4 22.460

Table 2. Compressive Strength Result

Our result greatly deviated from the rest of the group who conducted the same
activity for a specific factor. Due to the unavailability of the test machine during the
scheduled test of compression test of the cement paste sample, there was an addition of
the test age in terms of days which is supposedly set at 2 days. With these higher results
were recorded due to the excess days of the cement paste cylinders.

The ratio of water to cement is the chief factor for determining concrete strength.
The lower the water-cement ratio, the higher the compressive strength (Moon and
Chowdhury, 2021). For any cement, the compressive strength of the specimen stored at
constant temperature and humidity increases with age and decreasing water/cement ratio.
Strength continues to increase at a water/cement ratio below 0.38

Based on table 2, the three (3) samples were cured for two (2) days and then left to
dry for another 3 days. The test samples are composed of cement paste cylinders with a
water content of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5, respectively. The maximum load of samples 1, 2, and 3
are 272.5, 189.0, and 176.4, in kN respectively. The failure load divided by the cross-
sectional area that is resisting the load yields the compressive strength by the formula on
equation 1 which is measured in megapascals (MPa) or pounds-per-square-inch (psi) in
SI units (Nevada Ready Mix. n.d.). The maximum strength of samples 1, 2, and 3 are
34.696, 24.064, and 22.460, in MPa respectively.

Force Applied N
Compressive Strength= = =MPa
Cross Sectional Area mm2
Equation 1. Compressive Strength Formula

As it as observed among three (3) samples, lower water-to-cement ratios yields

higher compressive strength values within a certain limit (Maté, 2014). In other words,
the strength of cement paste increases with cement content and decreases with water and
air content. (Engineering Notes India, 2017).
CONCLUSION

From the results stated above, the following can be concluded. First is that the
maximum loads and maximum strengths of cement pastes and water content rises is
inversely proportional to each other. This means that the water content of the cement
paste results in a higher compressive load and strength, as observed from table 2 which
co-relates with the study of (Simnani, 2017) which states that any addition of water to the
mixture results in a decreased compressive strength. This finding is also supported by
another study by (Salem, 2015).

Although the amount of water added in the cement paste could directly affect its
compressive strength properties, it was observed that any addition of water increases the
workability of the cement paste mix. The amount of water in fresh concrete controls
many crucial properties in concrete, such as workability, compressive strength,
permeability, water tightness, durability, and many more (StackPath, n.d.). Only a small
amount of water is required for the cement to go through hydration, which binds all the
ingredients together, because fine and coarse particles are not added to the cement paste
mixture, as stated by (Rübner &.Müller, 2010) which also states that a water-cement ratio
of around the range of 0.23 to 0.28 is enough to bind all the cement together. Increasing
the workability will result to the decrease of compressive strength therefore the amount of
water to be added to the concrete mix should be strategically calculated in order to satisfy
the said factors among other else.
REFERENCES

Martin, J. L. (1991). Cement paste, mortar and concrete under monotonic, sustained and cyclic ...
Retrieved from https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/20428/darwin_cement.pdf?
sequence=1

Bache, H. H., Idorn, G. M., Nepper-christensen, P., & Neilsen, J. (1965). Morphology of calcium hydroxide
in cement paste. Highway Research Board Special Report

Moon, S., and Chowdhury, A. M., (Frebruary 2021). Utilization of Prior Information in Neural Network
Training for Improving 28-Day Concrete Strength Prediction. Journal of Construction Engineering
and Management 147(5):04021028 DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002047. Retrieved
September 14, 2022, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346968579_Utilization_of_Prior_Information_in_Neural
_Network_Training_for_Improving_28-Day_Concrete_Strength_Prediction

Nevada Ready Mix. (n.d.). Testing the Compressive Strength of Concrete — What, why, & how? – Nevada
Ready Mix. Nevada Ready Mix. Retrieved September 14, 2022, from
https://www.nevadareadymix.com/concrete-tips/testing-the-compressive-strength-of-concrete/

Simnani, S. I. (2017, October 1). Effect of Water-Cement Ratio on Compressive Strength of Concrete.
Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.jetir.org/view?paper=JETIR1710081

StackPath. (n.d.-b). Retrieved September 14, 2022, from

https://www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete/equipment-products/article/11359846/
kbengineering-llc-water-in-concrete
DOCUMENTATION