An assessment of some physical properties of different brands of cement in Nigeria

Abstract

The durability of infrastructures has become a significant issue starring the face of professionals in the building industry as most recently constructed structures are deficient in this regard. This study was carried out to assess the physical properties of five different brands of Portland cement commonly used in Nigeria. The specific surface method was adopted in obtaining the fineness, and the specific gravity bottle was used to determine the specific gravity of the different cement brands. The result shows that sample A had the highest fineness value of 360m2/kg and the only sample that met the ASTM standard value of 280 m2/kg. This implies that Sample A has a greater surface area for hydration which should lead to faster development of early strength and a higher rate of heat evolution. Sample E had the least fineness value of 168 m2/kg. This means that Sample E has the least surface area for hydration and should be slow in early strength gain. Sample B had the highest specific gravity value of 3.266 and the highest value of bulk density of 1462.085kg/m3. The implication is that Sample B has more moisture because it has the highest specific gravity value. The quantity of sample B that will be required in the concrete making will be less relative to other samples as it had the highest bulk density.