Building Materials& Construction Course Instructor : Meenu Priya

UNIT-II
BINDING MATERIALS
“ Gypsum Properties &Products-Uses”
INTRODUCTION
Gypsum is a rock like mineral commonly found in the earth’s crust, extracted, processed and
used by Man in construction or decoration in the form of plaster and alabaster. During the
time of the Pharaohs, Gypsum was used as mortar in the construction of the Cheops Pyramid
(3000 B.C.).
• Chemically it is CaSo4.2H2O i.e.
• Calcium Sulphate Dihydrate.
• Impurities: MgO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2, CaCO3, MgCO3.
• Colour- transparent to white and can be of grey, green ,pink, blue and red because of
impurities
OCCURRENCE OF GYPSUM
• A common mineral, with thick and extensive evaporite beds in association with
sedimentary rocks.
• Gypsum is deposited in lake and sea water.
• Hydrothermal anhydrite in veins is commonly hydrated to gypsum by groundwater
in near surface exposures.
• Often associated with the minerals halite and sulfur.
PRODUCTION STEPS
➢ Excavating

➢ Crushing (~25 mm diameter)

➢ Grinding

➢ Heating (calcining)

➢ Cooling and Pulverizing

➢ Marketing in Bags

CALCINATION
➢ Gypsum rock when heated to 100-190°C looses ¾ of its water.
CaSO4.2H2O → CaSO4.½H2O + 3/2 H2O
Plaster of Paris
This is low burning process and named as INCOMPLETE CALCINATION.
➢ When calcination is carried out at temperatures above 190°C all water is removed.
CaSO4.2H2O → CaSO4 + 2H2O
gypsum anhydrite
This is high-burning process & COMPLETE CALCINATION.
➢ Both of these products form gypsum rock by recombining with water.
CaSO4.½H2O + 3/2H2O → CaSO4.2H2O CaSO4 + 2H2O → CaSO4.2H2O
➢ Calcination process is carried out in two types of kilns. Kettle Kilns& Rotary Kilns

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GYPSUM PLASTERS
➢ Obtained by Incomplete Calcination (CaSO4.½H2O)
1. Plaster of Paris : is formed by incomplete calcination at 100- 190°C. No admixtures are
found.
2. Hard Wall Plaster
Plaster of Paris + Admixtures (Glue, Sand...)
➢ Obtained by Complete Calcination (CaSO4)
1. Flooring Plaster (CaSO4 with no impurities)
2. Hard Finish Plaster (CaSO4 + Al2(SO4)3) (CaSO4 + Na2B4O7)
Gypsum board, commonly known as drywall, is the technical product name used by
manufacturers for a specific board with a gypsum core and a paper facing. Gypsum board is
the premier building material for wall, ceiling, and partition systems in residential,
institutional, and commercial structures and is designed to provide a monolithic surface
when joints and fastener heads are covered with a joint treatment system.
Making Gypsum Board
• To produce gypsum board, calcined gypsum is mixed with water and additives to form
a slurry which is fed between continuous layers of paper on a board machine.
• As the board moves down a conveyer line, the calcium sulfate recrystallizes or
rehydrates, reverting to its original rock state.
• The paper becomes chemically and mechanically bonded to the core.
• The board is then cut to length and conveyed through dryers to remove any free
moisture.
• Gypsum manufacturers also rely increasingly on “synthetic” gypsum as an effective
alternative gypsum ore.
PROPERTIES AND USES OF GYPSUM PLASTERS
➢ Plaster of Paris
• Setting time ~5-20 min.
• Used for sculpturing, ornamental work, small repair works.
➢ Hard Wall Plaster
• Setting time ~1 hr
• Compressive strength ~7 MPa
• Admixtures result in increased plasticity & setting time & reduced shrinkage
• Can be used for plastering walls
• Production of prefabricated structural units
• Masonry bricks & blocks
➢ Flooring, Hard Finish Plaster
• Setting time ~1-16 hrs
• Compressive strength > 7 MPa

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• Can be used for producing prefabricated units, masonry bricks & blocks &
flooring & pavement bricks & tiles.
• Gypsum often serves as a fire proofing material even though its strength is
destroyed by long continuous heat. It forms a powder covering the surface
which acts as an effective insulator.
➢ Gypsum products tend to disintegrate when exposed to moisture. Therefore, they
should not be used for exterior work & for moist interiors.
(NON-HYDRAULIC)
Gypsum can indeed also:
• Be added to some bread and dough mixes as a Calcium source and baking aid.
• Be used as a filler and fire retardant in plastic products.
• Be used in Portland cement and special cement products for set and expansion control.
• Be a source of Calcium and Sulphate Sulphur for plant growth. Be used as a modelling
material for tooth restorations.
• Be an ingredient in many patching compounds.
• Be used with glass to fabricate large, lightweight architectural decorations.
• Be used as a mould material to fabricate custom body parts for trucks and automobiles.
• Be an aid in juice extraction of some fruits and vegetables
• The modern use of Gypsum as a building material was discovered in 1888 when the
American Augustine Sackett invented a machine for producing plasterboards (also
known as wallboards and dry walls) composed of several layers of paper with
• Gypsum in-between.
• In Eastern and Western Europe, there are currently
• more than 200 factories producing plasterboards.
Plasterboards
• Plasterboard is used for partitions and the lining of walls, ceilings, roofs and floors.
The properties of plasterboard can be modified to meet specific requirements, such as
fire resistance, humidity resistance, impact resistance, etc.
Decorative Plaster
• Plaster powder, mixed with water, manually or through the use of silo-supplied spray
systems, is used to create an effective and aesthetically-pleasing lining for brick and
block walls, and for ceilings.
• Gypsum’s adaptability in application lends itself to moulding and shaping. Since time
immemorial, Gypsum has been used by skilled craftsmen to create decorative plaster
mouldings.
Building plaster
• Gypsum plaster is used for walls and ceilings.
Plaster blocks
• Gypsum blocks are used for partitions and Gypsum tiles for ceilings.
Gypsum based self levelling screeds
• Anhydrite or Alpha- Hemihydrates are used in the production of self levelling floor
screeds.
Gypsum Fibreboards
• Gypsum fibreboard is used for partitions and lining of walls, ceilings, roofs and floors.
Gypsum Fibreboard offers good performance when it comes to impact resistance,
sound insulation and humidity resistance.

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Gypsum Products Unique Properties

1) FIRE PROPERTIES
• Due to the natural composition of Gypsum, gypsum plasterboards are inherently
fire resistant.
• The chemical formulation of Gypsum is CaSO4.2H2O - Calcium Sulphate Dihydrate.
• In nature, Gypsum occurs in the form of crystals.
• The presence of water in Gypsum (H2O), one square meter of plasterboard of 15 mm
thickness contains around 3 litres crystal water.
• Through the action of fire, the crystal water evaporates and a protective layer of
Gypsum is formed.
• Behind this layer, the material under fire attack, remains at constant temperature
around 100oC as long as water is released from the Gypsum.
• The inclusion of glass fibres in Gypsum boards enhances their fire protection
performance by maintaining the integrity of the board in a fire.
• Gypsum is a powerful fire retardant element in the construction sector due to its non-
combustibility and ability to delay for up to 4 hours - according to the number of
plasterboards in the corresponding system - the progression of fire.
2) ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES
• The Gypsum Industry has a beneficial impact on noise reduction as it produces special
acoustic grade plasterboard which offers greater sound extinction which can be
applied where a particularly high performance is required.
• Drywall systems provide effective sound insulation because they are designed to
provide a physical barrier to sound, incorporate a sound break and minimise
reverberation.
• Between the two sides of the partition there is an air cavity, which interrupts the
flow of sound.
• Because the two sides of the partition are separate it is harder for impact sound to pass
through.
• These characteristics mean that a typical drywall partition in a house can be only
75mm thick. A comparable masonry wall would need to be 110mm thick to achieve
the same sound performance.
3) THERMAL PROPERTIES
• Lightweight building techniques (plasterboard on framework) can supply excellent
thermal performance since the construction has a cavity that can be filled with the
required amount of insulation.
• The interior plasterboards protect the insulating material and contribute, together
with the vapour barrier, in preventing indoor humidity from getting in, or being
trapped in, the insulation material.
• Gypsum equilibrates humidity and heat peaks

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• Gypsum is capable of storing humidity when a room is humid and automatically

releasing this humidity if the indoor air becomes too dry.
• Plasterboards have also a “heat-storing” ability. Small temperature increases are
absorbed and radiated back later when the temperature in the room decreases.
4) AESTHETICS AND DESIGN
• A richness of forms can be created in plasterboard or stucco.
• For architects, building with gypsum products allows them to unleash their creativity
thus allowing them to answer, even more dramatically, to
the demands of their customer while remaining within an affordable
budget.
• In short, Gypsum allows the creation of stunning interiors in any and all styles, from
the Classical to the Modern.
5) EASE OF ISTALLATION
• One of the principal reasons for this rapidly growing popularity is ease of installation.
• To construct an internal wall, for example, a frame is erected, plasterboard is fitted to
it, joints are filled, and the wall is created.
• The operation is clean, dry and uncomplicated.
• A gypsum finish can also be applied to the surface of the plasterboard in order to
achieve a superior finished appearance.
“Lime Manufacturing &Types & Properties-Putty usage”
• Lime is an important cementing material used in engineering construction.
• A Cementing material may be defined as that material which has capacity of holding
structural unit to-geather with sufficient strength.
• Among this group are included lime, natural cements, gypsum, Portland cement as
well as various other synthetic products.
• Cementing material: The material which has the capacity of
holding structural units (like bricks, stones, aggregate)
• Examples: Lime, natural cements, gypsum, Portland cement
• Lime is an oxide of calcium, CaO
• Uses: .
• Ordinary buildings, massive monuments, palaces, forts
• As a Reliable and economical cementing material.
• Lime : As a Reliable and economical cementing material Lime is available in
the market in three main types which are Quick lime, Hydrated
lime, Hydraulic lime
• Classification: based on its composition
• Quicklime
• Hydrated lime
• Hydraulic lime

1. Quicklime: also called Fat lime, Rich lime, Pure lime.

• In it CaO is greater than (93%) by weight, remaining being MgO and very little clay.

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• Quick lime is Amorphous (shapeless) white material. It has

very high affinity for water and carbon dioxide.
• It Will Absorb the moisture quickly from atmosphere and converting itself to a
carbonate of calcium,
CaO + CO2 = CaCO3 CaO + H2O = Ca(OH)2
Ca(OH)2 + CO2 = CaCO3 + H2O
• The essential raw material for the manufacturing of quick lime is a rock called
LIMESTONE CaCO3.
• Limestone is a sedimentary rock which occurs in nature in
good abundance forming hill ranges, plateaus.

2. Hydrated Lime: It is that lime to which sufficient quantity of water has already been added
at the manufacturing stage to hydrate (slake) it completely.
• In composition, it is Ca(OH)2, In structure, it is in powder form, It comes in ready to
use form compared to fat lime that has to be hydrated or slaked before using.
• Lime can also be converted to hydrated form at the place of construction, the method
is called slaking of lime.

3. Hydraulic Lime: It is different in chemical composition form fat lime in that it contains a
definite amount of clay in addition to CaO, clay content in hydraulic lime may range from
10 to 30% by weight. This clay plus lime composition gives the hydraulic lime a property
of hydraulicity.

• Hydraulicity: The capacity to set and harden even under water and in the absence of
air as between very thick walls” . The hydraulic lime is further classified into three sub
types on the basis of hydraulicity of the lime.
• Subdivision based on hydraulicity:

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Manufacturing lime :
• Constitution of lime stone rock:
• Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) – 60 to 65%, The higher percentage of CaCO3, the better
suited for lime stone for manufacturing of fat lime.
• Magnesium Carbonate Mg(CO3)2 – 5 to 30%, It is almost a universal
component of many limestones for making fat lime, its content should not be greater
than 5%
• Clay - 10 to 30%, for fat lime its content should be less than 10%, Limestone with
higher clay content are more suited for hydraulics lime.
• Iron, alkalis and sulphates – are present in small proportions in many limestone, when
their total content is less than 5% and the CaCO3 is above 90 % the limestone is
suitable for flat lime manufacturing. But when present in excess amount, these salts
make the lime unsuitable as a raw material.
• Besides Limestone, sufficient quantity of fuel is also required to manufacturing lime.

• Calcinations (process of burning): Lime is manufactured by a process of burning or

calcinations of limestone in suitable types of kilns. The term calcinations signifies
• “Heating the material at red heat in the presence of air till it decomposes” Lime stone
dissociates when heated at 880⁰ C into its principal constituents; Calcium oxide and
carbon dioxide, as per above reaction which is reversible.
CaCO3 ( 880⁰ C) CaO + CO2
• It is essential that, all the carbon dioxide produced during the reaction I
removed quickly from the kiln:
• the dissociation temperature of reaction (880⁰ C ) is not allowed to come down during
the burning process.
• The Burning of Limestone is carried out either in clamps or in kilns.
• Clamps are temporary, make shift arrangements for burning in an ordinary manner
and at a much lower cost.
• Kilns are, however permanent structures build to carry out
the burning operations at a regular intervals or on continuous basis.
Manufacture Of Fat Lime – Clamp Burning
• It is a common method for obtaining small supplies of quick lime.

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• No permanent construction is needed. A Small part of ground is cleared and fuel

(wood) stacked in alternate layers with fuel as lower layer.
• If coal is used as fuel, it is mixed with the limestone instead of stacking in separate
layers. The whole heap is covered with mud plaster and small holes are left for escape
of carbon dioxide.

• Clamp is ignited from the base and allowed to keep on burning for 2-3 days.
– Burning is discontinued when blue flame disappears at the top and it is allowed to cool
for 2-3 days.
• It is then dismantled. Limestone gets disintegrated into small pieces of small lumps
of CaO or lime. Such lumps are separated from the ash by hand picking.
Manufacture Of Fat Lime – Kiln Burning
• In principle, however they are either Batch type (intermittent) kiln / Continuous kiln.
In the first type of kiln however kilns have to be cooled every time after burning a
batch of limestone. The continuous type however are kept in operation all the time
unless they are required to be stopped for repair. Further, a kiln may be of mixed type
or separate type design.
• Mixed feed (flame type) kiln – fuel and limestone are in a mixed together batch, burnt
lime is obtained mixed with ash and has to be separated from it.
• Separate feed (flare type) kiln – fuel and limestone are not in contact with each other,
fuel is burnt separately, hot gases are allowed to heat limestone and lime is free from
ash.
• The kiln is provided with Openings for
supply of air, permanent roof may or may
not be there in kiln.
• After loading, kiln is ignited at bottom, fire
travels upwards and takes 3-4 days for
limestone to burn. Thereafter the kiln is
allowed to cool by itself and then unloaded
and cleaned after which it is
loaded with fresh batch of limestone and fuel.
Slaking of Lime or Hydration: the process of chemical
combination of lime ( CaO) with a definite quantity of water so that the end product is
hydrated oxide.
• When lime cannot absorb any more water then the process is said to be
completed. The new product, Calcium Hydroxide is formed as per following reaction;
• CaO + H2O = Ca(OH)2
• Evolution: heat is generated of the order of 227 K-Cal/kg of lime

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• Expansion: volume extent up to 2-3 times

• Development: hissing and cracking sound due to conversion of water into heat
• Fat lime hydrates in 3-4 hours and hydraulic lime hydrates 1-3 days.
• All limes must be slaked before use in building construction.
Methods Of Slaking
• Tank Slaking (Making Lime Putty): Two brick tanks of suitable dimensions are
constructed adjoining to each other and with a difference in
level.
• The first tank is about 45 cm deep and made at a height, second tank is 60-75 cm deep
and made at a lower level.
• Water is filled in the upper tank to ¾th of its depth. Fat lime is gradually added to it in
small amounts, water is constantly stirred during the addition of lime.
• The slaking reaction takes place in this tank, which can be
observed by evolution of heat and hissing and cracking sound.
• 3-4 hours for complete hydration
• The lime on reaction with excess water forms milk of lime.
• Screening tap called strainer (with openings of 0.25mm) is opened and the hydrated
lime allowed to pass into the lower tank.
• It is allowed to stay in second day for 2-3 days where it matures itself to the desired
consistency. This is ready as Lime Putty and is taken out for use of making mortars
and plasters.

Uses of lime: Lime is very useful material that finds extensive applications in building
construction, industry and agriculture.
(a) As a construction material: Lime was used as main binding material in all types of
construction till 19th century. Even now lime can compete with Portland Cement in many
types of construction.
• as a mortar (lime-mortar) mixed with sand or surkhi.
• as a plaster
• as a whitewash which gives sparking white finish at a very low cost
• as a lime-concrete similar to cement concrete made by mixing lime, sand and coarse
aggregate in proper proportions
• as sand-lime bricks which are quite popular in many countries
(b) As an industrial material: In industries lime find use as
• A flux in the metallurgical industry
• as a refractory material for lining metallurgical furnaces
• as a raw material for the manufacture of glass
(c) An agricultural input:
• Lime is used to to improve productive qualities of soil and added to the
poor soils to enrich their lime content
• Lime has also been used for soil stabilization.

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Comparative Study Of Fat Lime And Hydraulic Lime

“Cement Raw Materials- Manufacturing &Types &Tests &Uses”

“A cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens and can bind other materials
together. It principal constituents for constructional purpose are compounds of
Ca(calcareous) and Al + Si (argillaceous)”

Chemical Composition of Cement- Raw material

ingredient range approximate

lime 60-65% 63
Silica 17-25% 21
Alumina 4-8% 6
Iron oxide 1-6% 3
Magnesia 1-3% 1.5
Calcium sulphate 3-5% 4
Sulphur 1-3% 1
Alkalies 0.2-1% 0.5

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Mixing and Crushing: b) Wet Process

o Limestone is crushed, powdered and stored in silos

o Clay is washed with water to remove organic matter and stored in basin
o Both these materials are mixed in grinding mill to form slurry
o Slurry contains 38-40% water stored in correcting basin

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Tests of Cement...
Field Tests
Field tests on cements are carried to know the quality of cement supplied at site. It gives some
idea about cement quality based on colour, touch and feel and other tests.

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 Open the bag and take a good look at the cement. There should not be any visible
lumps.
 The colour of the cement should normally in greenish grey.
 Thrust your hand into the cement bag. It must be giving you a cool feeling.
 It feels smooth when rubbed it in between fingers.
 Take another handful sample of cement and throw it in the bucket full of water.
Particles of cement should float a while before sinking down.
 A thick paste of cement with water is made on a piece of glass plate and it is kept under
water for 24 hours. It should set and not crack.
 A block of cement 25 mm ×25 mm and 200 mm long is prepared and it is immersed
for 7 days in water. It is then placed on supports 15cm apart and it is loaded with a
weight of about 34 kg. The block should not show signs of failure.
Laboratory Tests
Laboratory tests are required to confirm the Indian Standard Specifications. Tests are- Fineness
test, Setting time tests, Soundness tests, Heat of hydration tests and Chemical composition
tests.
1. Sieve Test for Fineness..
 Fineness of cement is measured by sieving it on standard sieve. The proportion of
cement of which the grain sizes are larger than the specified mesh size is thus
determined. Standard size of the sieve for the test is 90μm.

2. Soundness Test. Lechatlier Apparatus

In the soundness test a specimen of hardened cement paste is boiled for a fixed time so
that any tendency to expand is speeded up and can be detected. Soundness means the
ability to resist volume expansion.
CONSISTENCY:
• To find out the water content required to produce a cement paste of standard
consistency as specified by the IS: 4031 (Part 4) – 1988.
• The principle is that standard consistency of cement is that consistency at which the
Vicat plunger penetrates to a point 5-7mm from the bottom of Vicat mould.

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i) Weigh approximately 400g of cement and mix it with a weighed quantity of water.
The time of gauging should be between 3 to 5 minutes.
ii) Fill the Vicat mould with paste and level it with a trowel.
iii) Lower the plunger gently till it touches the cement surface.
iv) Release the plunger allowing it to sink into the paste.
v) Repeat the above procedure taking fresh samples of
cement and different quantities of water until the reading
on the gauge is 5 to 7mm.
INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME
We need to calculate the initial and final setting time as per IS: 4031 (Part 5) – 1988. To
do so we need Vicat apparatus.
i) Prepare a cement paste by gauging the cement with 0.85 times the water required to
give a paste of standard consistency.
ii) Start a stop-watch, the moment water is added to the cement.
iii) Fill the Vicat mould completely with the cement paste gauged as above, the mould
resting on a non-porous plate and smooth off the surface of the paste making it level
with the top of the mould. The cement block thus prepared in the mould is the test
block.
A) INITIAL SETTING TIME
• Place the test block under the rod bearing the needle.
• Lower the needle gently in order to make contact with the surface of the cement paste
and release quickly, allowing it to penetrate the test block.
• Repeat the procedure till the needle fails to pierce the test block to a point 5.0 ± 0.5mm
measured from the bottom of the mould.
• The time period elapsing between the time, water is added to the cement and the time,
the needle fails to pierce the test block by 5.0 ± 0.5mm measured from the bottom of
the mould, is the initial setting time.
B)FINAL SETTING TIME
• Replace the above needle by the one with an annular attachment.
• The cement should be considered as finally set when, upon applying the needle gently
to the surface of the test block.
• The needle makes an impression therein, while the attachment fails to do so.
• The period elapsing between the time, water is added to the cement and the time, the
needle makes an impression on the surface of the test block, while the attachment fails
to do so, is the final setting time.
• Initial setting time=t2-t1
• Final setting time=t3-t1, Where,
t1=Time at which water is first added to cement
t2=Time when needle fails to penetrate 5 mm to 7 mm from bottom of the mould
t3=Time when the needle makes an impression but the attachment
fails to do so.
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CEMENT:
• Is determined by compressive strength test on mortar
cubes compacted by means of a standard vibration machine. The specimen is in the
form of cubes 70.6mm*70.6mm*70.6mm.

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Take 200 g of cement and 600 g of standard sand and mix them dry thoroughly. The cement
required is 185 gm and 235 gm respectively. The mortar, after being placed in
the moulds, is compacted in vibrating machine for 2 minutes. The moulds are
placed in a damp cabin for 24 hours. The specimens are removed from the
moulds and they are submerged in clean water for curing. The cubes are then tested in
compression testing machine at the end of 3 days and 7 days. Thus three cubes are tested each
time to find out the compressive strength at the end of 3 days and 7 days. The average value
is then worked out. During the test, the load is to be applied uniformly at the rate of 350
kg/cm2 or 35 N/mm2. The compressive strength of cement at the end of 3 days should not be
less than 115 kg/cm2 or 11.50 N/mm2 and that at the end of 7 days should no be less than 175
kg/cm2 or 17.50 N/mm2.
Properties Obtained from Field Tests..
 Chemical Compounds
 Air content availability
 Moisture Absorption
 Fineness & Soundness of Cement
 Compressive Strength. Etc.
Advantages of Field Tests...
 Can be conducted by site engineers or labours in convenient locations.
 Significantly very lower costing in comparison to lab Tests.
 Performed under ‘real world’ conditions.
 Tests are time saving than lab tests.
Disadvantages of Field Tests..
 Limited parameters can be monitored.
 It may not be as reliable and accurate as lab tests.
 The percentage of error can’t be visible.
 The results can be different in different weather condition and person.
USES OF CEMENT
o It is used in mortar for plastering, masonry work, pointing, etc.
o It is used for making joints for drains and pipes.
o It is used for water tightness of structure.
o It is used in concrete for laying floors, roofs and constructing lintels, beams, stairs,
pillars etc.
o It is used where a hard surface is required for the protection of exposed surfaces of
structures against the destructive agents of the weather and certain organic or
inorganic chemicals.
o It is used for precast pipes manufacturing, piles, fencing posts etc.
o It is used in the construction of important engineering structures such as bridges,
culverts, dams, tunnels, lighthouses etc.
o It is used in the preparation of foundations, watertight floors, footpaths etc.
o It is employed for the construction of wells, water tanks, tennis courts, lamp posts,
telephone cabins, roads etc.

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