Prediction of Portland Cement Strength Using Statistical Methods

Abstract

The Portland cement strength is the most important mechanical property that should be tested for quality control. Because 28 days represents a very long period for the cement industry, a faster determination of the cement strength represents a favorable research objective of the recent research in the cement industry. In the present work, a mathematical model for the prediction of cement strength is developed based on a standard specifications for Portland cement: chemical-mineralogical synthesis of the cement (%C3S, %C2S, %C3A, %C4AF), fineness by air permeability apparatus, lime saturation factor (LSF), particle size distribution, position parameter, and uniform factor. The strength values predicted were validated with consistently high accuracy, based on a linear regression of selected physical and chemical characteristics routinely obtained in the cement laboratory. The maximum errors were 4.54%, 2.66%, and 4.86% at 3, 7, and 28 days, respectively. The proposed model provides the opportunity to predict the compressive strength in a very short time and this will save cost and make a competitive advantage in the Portland Cement production market.