What is the weight of a cement bag
A cement bag weighs 50 Kgs and is packed in synthetic jute or polypropylene bags.
What type of cement should I use in Reinforced concreting works?
53 Grade OPC cement is recommended to be used in Reinforced concreting works, where immediate gaining of high compression strength (higher strength to take weight of the building) is criteria. The advantage of 53 Grade OPC Cement is that it develops high early strength, so that form work of slabs and beams can be removed much earlier resulting in speedy construction and better savings. One can also use 43 Grade OPC cement for columns footings/foundations.
(Grade refers to the compressive strength of cement in Newton's for one mm² area. i.e. 53 grade means a compressive strength of 53 N per mm² attained after a curing period of 28 days.)
What type of cement should I use for building brick/block wall?
43 Grade OPC cement is recommended for the purpose of building brock or block walls, where gaining of immediate strength is not a criteria.
What type of cement should I use for plastering and flooring?
OPC cement of Grade 43 or 33 is recommended for plastering & flooring purposes. Other types of cement such as PPC & Slag can also be used as they minimize the incidence of cracks. PPC and Slag are commonly used where water is hard or saline.
What type of cement should I use in slabs/beams and foundation?
For laying the foundation of an individual house where faster removal of staging is not a requirement, 43 grade OPC cement can be used.
For an apartment construction, where faster speed of construction and early gaining of concrete strength is a criterion, it is recommended to use 53 Grade OPC Cement.
What type of cement should I use wherein available water is either hard or salty?
It is always advisable to test the water in a laboratory and necessary steps must be taken to treat the water as per the directions provided by the laboratory. Ground water generally has some quantity of salt. In case of small work or in a situation where good water is not available, salty water must be treated with HCL @ 10 ml for 100 liters of water.
Portland slag cement (PSC) and Portland Pozzolana cement (PPC) can be used wherein the available water is hard or salty for masonry, plastering, flooring and concreting works only on design consultant’s recommendation.
Are there any thumb rules for purchasing cement?
The following things must be taken into consideration while purchasing cement:
- • Weight: Cement of specified grade & brand are supplied in 50 Kg bags. A variation of +/- 2 Kgs in a 50 Kg Bag of cement is acceptable as per Bureau of Indian standard
- • Packaging: Cement is packed in synthetic jute or polypropylene bags and should not be hand stitched. It must have the following:
- o Manufacturer’s name or Trademark
- o The grade and type of cement
- o Date of manufacture and should not be more than 3 months older than the date of manufacturing
- • Bags which are partially set due to moisture or which have small lumps must not be purchased
What are the other materials that I should use with cement?
Based on the purpose, the following items are required to be used in combination with cement.
- • Building wall /Masonry: Solid /Hollow concrete blocks or Table mould bricks/ perforated bricks, Sand
- • Plastering: Sand, Lime paste, water proof admixture, plaster mesh
- • Flooring : Marble/Granite/Ceramic/Vitrified tile/other flooring materials, Sand, adhesives, tile grout, tile spacers, tile corner bead
- • Water proofing (Cement based) : Water proof compound, 6mm/12mm size jelly/coarse aggregate, brick bat, cinders
How should I store cement at construction site?
Precautions which must be taken while storing Cement at Site are mentioned below:
- • Must be stacked in sheds which are dry, and leak and moisture proof
- • Must be placed on dry brick floors, on wooden crates or on the planks and must not be stored on earth
- • A maximum of 10 bags must be stacked on top of the other to prevent formation of lumps under pressure
- • Cement bags should not be stacked against outer wall
- • Cement from different manufacturers must be stacked separately
- • A FIFO model (first in first out) must be followed in terms of its usage
- • During monsoon season, cement bags must be covered with polythene
- • All bags must be kept close together to reduce air circulation
How is cement transported?
Cement of a specific grade and brand will always be supplied in a 50 Kg bag. An order of around 200 bags will be transported in a LPT Truck (Long Platform Truck) with a capacity of 1109 kgs or any other vehicle with a similar capacity. An order of ~100 bags will be transported in a canter.