Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) is the apex body of major cement plants in India. We are the Indian Cement Industry’s consolidated voice on issues such as environment, waste recycling, taxation, logistics and fuel supply among others. Each year we organise 10-15 meetings, which are dedicated to functional heads in the Cement Industry and enable discussion on specific critical factors impacting businesses such as environmental issues, logistics, mines and minerals, fuel and energy.
When you are putting your money and resources into a particular construction project like your home, garage, basement, etc. then it’s better to make sure that the material used for the same is of good quality. Out of all construction elements, one key material is cement.
Now imagine, you are planning to extend the balcony of your house. So you get some local workers to do the job, buy construction material and in case of cement, you look for various Cement manufacturing companies to select the best of the best.
Because in huge projects like residential apartments, bridges, roads etc. there are numerous engineers present onsite, who do the quality analysis. But here you have to do the job by yourself. The overall strength of your structure depends on a variety of factors, and the quality of the cement you are using is one of them. Excellent quality cement should always be used to achieve the desired strength of concrete and to make sure the structure stands tall for a long time.
The Indian Cement Industry has an installed capacity of approximately 500 million tonnes comprising about 250 large cement plants.
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The most important step to maintain the strength of a concrete structure is to ensure that it does not develop cracks. One of the major problems that occur due to the hardening of concrete is shrinkage cracks. It weakens the structure with time. So to ensure that it does not happen, concrete curing is performed.
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Ponding (Used for flat members/slabs): This process of curing is viable for flat surfaces like rooftops or slabs. Here the surface is impounded by about 50mm of water and is surrounded by bunds of mortar or mud to retain the water pond. After frequent intervals, this pond is refilled.
Wet Coverings(Used for columns, sloped surfaces, beams, concrete walls/retaining walls): Here the concrete structures are covered with wet jute bags, straws etc. then water is sprinkled on these coverings continuously, for consistent wetness. The surfaces here should not be allowed to remain dry even for a short period of time.
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A compound called C-S-H gel is produced when a chemical reaction between cement & water occurs. It bonds the ingredients of concrete, namely coarse & fine aggregates, mineral admixture, etc. and converts these fragments into a solid mass.
This is possible when curing is uniformly done for at least 14 days. So the blended cement is required to go through curing in order to convert calcium hydroxide into C-S-H gel.
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To have a dense micro structure and impermeability, prolonged curing is a must which leads to enhanced durability. Well-designed concrete may give poor durability if not properly cured and on the other hand, a moderately designed concrete if well cured can give better durability.
It influences the property of concrete in the following ways:
Gives concrete a better surface hardness and makes it strong enough to withstand surface wear and abrasion.
Makes it impermeable i.e. no moisture or waterborne chemicals could seep through its surface.
Improves its long term appearance and makes it shrinkage proof.
Prevents grazing, dusting , surface disintegration and scaling.
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