WHICH CEMENT S BEST

[devsathish]

Nice work Pradeep. Thanks a lot for sharing your analysis result. Thats really useful.
Cements do have grades like 33/43/53, that decides how fast it reaches a given compression strength. Do you know which compression strength did this test refer?

I thought setting time and compression strength is what we should focus more. Is there any other factor that we should consider?

[pradeep1008]

devsathish,
I didn't understand this question.
Q: "Do you know which compression strength did this test refer?"
If you are asking which test /values in the sheet shared above refers to compression strength ?
compression strength by itself is a seperate test done in cement factory or normal civil laboratory done and the values are shared after 3,7 and 28 days of observation

Q: Is there any other factor that we should consider?
A: To achive a good compressive strength, the cement components and their proportions should be correct. For example excess of magnesium,chlorides reduces the strength of cement. At the same time, excessive lime causes cement to expand and disintegrate. Alumina imparts quick setting to cement. Now if increase alumina %, it will reduce the strength of cement.So on the whole all the 8 parameters are important. However, if you look at the excel sheet that i've shared, not all the cement manufacturers have shared the details components of the cement.Only ACC have shared it. I think atleast below 4 values should be considered.

1. Setting Time (mins):
2. compressive strength
3. Le-Chatelier Expn. (mm)
4. Autoclave Expn. (%)

As per my observation,the results of above 4 test, depends on each component % in the cement.So,if we check the above, it implicitly means that the component % are fine and if the component % are fine then only we get a good compressive strength (test 2) ,setting time (test 1) and cement should not expand and disintegrate (tests 3 and 4). This is my analysis, Anyone can comment/correct it .

[keerthi2006]

any idea how much ultra tech cement cost ?

[naveenchowdari]

Hi ... We are using Nagarjuna OPC 53 Grade and Meenakshi Steel.

[karthiknitw2004]

Although I greatly admire what Mr. Pradeep has shared here, I would like to give a generalized answer to this questions. Please note this blog is written by an engineer who worked in R&D departments in the most reputed brand of cement.

Read the below answer which gives a detail on which brand of cement is good for house construction.

http://www.xxxxxx.com/brand-cement-best ... struction/

[kumarraja]

Birla super 53 or Bharati 53 or Zuaru 53 for concreting

Acc 43, Zuari ppc for brick masonry / plastering

[senapathigopi]

Ausraja,

I've updated the document with lastest samples and their results. I thought it would be easy to differentiate between the good and the best but after comparing them, i'm even more confused and don't have an exact answer. I don't have test reports of all the cement manufacturer's either.A material engineer might have an answer for this. My observation is as follows

After going through a lot of websites,materials, test reports, i found that BIS has stringent specification that makes every cement manufacturer to produce a decent quality of cement else they would fail to qualify in one or the other parameters and these values or parameters such that you increase one to pass 1 test then it would fail in other test parameter. So, you are very limited scope to do fickle with components in cement and their proportions.

Let me give you an example, If i take lime % present in cement , the standard says it should be between 60 to 65. Now if you increase lime %, the cement will become unsound i,,e it may expand after it is applied. To test lime quantity, Le-Chatelier Expn. (mm) method. This value as per standard should not be more than 10mm. Now , suppose you increase the lime %, then this value may come close to 10mm value and the test will fail. so, you can't go beyond 65 % .

I feel that all cement manufacturers compare their results with others and try to achieve similar values as their competitors.This makes each of them to be in race. Every commerical building,high rise building,flyovers,metros etc where there is huge requirement for cement and critical component, the first thing they do is look at the test report and then decide the cement to be used. Now if a particular company's test report vary from their competetors drastically, they will be for sure out of race. That's why i see the values against each parameter failling with-in similar range for all the cements.

This is all my personal observation that i've shared. I may be wrong and comments/corrections are welcome. The whole point of me doing this exercise is psychologically, i should not feel that I'm using a sub standard cement whether i go for material contract or labor contract (well i've not decided yet but after going through all of the posts in this website, i'm gaining confidence that i can go for labour contract and manage it). Thanks to all the guys who have shared their experiences (both good and bad), contacts, pictures of their construction etc.

Regards
pradeep

Pradeep, Just seen this review and looks very knowledgeable can you re-upload the xls please?

[chinna01]

[quote="pradeep1008"]Hi All,

I'm a newbee in construction domain and planning to construct a house. So, i started my journey by studying the materials required for construction. The first thing that generally comes to one's mind is probably, the cement. I also wanted to know the best cement to be used.I've heard of many brands like ACC,ultratech,Bharti,Zuari etc.I thought that the one which is highly priced is the one which is best.like that ,when i searched some of the websites that sell cements online, I came across bharti,Birla super53,ACC are having higher price than others. But later i thought that there must be some parameters that will decide the quality of cement. started searching for details.

I thought of preparing an excel sheet that mentions physical and chemical properties of cement and the reference value of BIS standard (IS: 8112 : 2013).
1. http://www.materialtree.com/acc-53-grade-cement
2. http://www.materialtree.com/bharathi-53-grade-cement
3. http://nhai.org.in/spw/CorrespondenceIs ... 02918..pdf (ultratech). I was searching for test report and i got from this site.

Well, i took the comparison among ultractech,ACC and Bharti. All of them are meeting as per standards. Not only these, other brands also that are not compared. Ofcourse, if cement does not qualify as per standards then company would not be able to sell them,

My point is "There must be some quality in cement that makes the difference between the good,better and the best". I don't know what is that "wow" factor that clearly distinguishes between the good,better and the best of the available cement. i've prepared a sheet taking properties.could any one look at the properties and let me know that

Regards
pradeep[/quote
Hi,
We r not able to download excel sheet, can you please send to id chinna769@gmail.com. It will be very useful for me.