What is cement?

A cement is a binder, a substance used in construction that sets, hardens and adheres to other materials, binding them together. Cement is seldom used solely, but is used to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement is used with fine aggregate to produce mortar for masonry, or with sand and gravel aggregates to produce concrete.

Calcium aluminate cements were patented in 1908 in France by Jules Bied for better resistance to sulfates.

Cement is the “Glue” that makes the Sands and Concrete Blends work as intended. The word “cement” traces to the Romans, who used the term “opus caementicium” to describe masonry which resembled concrete and was made from crushed rock with burnt lime as the binder. The most important use of cement is the production of mortar and concrete – the bonding of natural or artificial aggregates to form a strong and durable building material.

Setting and curing

Cement starts to set when mixed with water which causes a series of hydration chemical reactions. The constituents slowly hydrate and the mineral hydrates solidify; the interlocking of the hydrates gives cement its strength. Contrary to popular perceptions, hydraulic cements do not set by drying out; proper curing requires maintaining the appropriate moisture content during the curing process. If hydraulic cements dry out during curing, the resulting product can be significantly weakened.