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Friday, August 30, 2019

A Quick Overview of Processes Used in Cement Testing Lab


In the construction process, cement is the major raw material to be used to make the foundation strong. But, to ensure the quality of cement, it needs to be tested at initial level. Basically, the testing process is makes sure whether cement is fit to be used as building material or not. Be it consistency, soundness, compressive strength or tensile strength, cement has to undergo various testing processes in analytical lab. At present, there are multiple aspects which need to be consecutively checked to offer a detailed report of cement. Hence, it is advisable for manufacturers to turn towards cement testing lab and discuss about the number of tests applicable for checking properties of cement.

The professional lab personnel who are equipped with advanced equipments and cutting-edge technology focus on overall composition of cement. For instance, slurry density is one of the common tests which laboratory professions perform. As a part of this test, mud balance is determined along with the density because imbalance in the mud can lead to improper reading. In addition to this, there are few tests which mark the utility of cement practically. Here are some of the important stages of tests followed in cement testing lab:



Compressive strength test: In this test, non-destructive method is preferred to assess compressive strength of cement. In order to attain the best outcome, proper apparatus is used in the laboratory. This machine which is called Ultra Cement Analyzer plays a crucial role in assessing waiting-on cement time determination. In simple words, this test is carried out to check if compressive strength standards of cement are met in accordance to international standards. There are number of cubic specimens which are considered for analyzing compressive strength while observing elapse period during the process.

Chemical Analysis: As a part of this test, chemicals required to be present in the composition of cement according to international standards are checked. In the chemical analysis test, general chemical composition is examined through various analytical stages, wherein, it is observed whether the cement being supplied meets the international standards or not.



Thickening time: Application of temperature, pressure and shearing to the slurry are major constituents of this test of cement. The cement testing lab performs this process till the time, “Bourdon Consistency Units” or Bc are developed. In fact, this test uses 70 and 100 Bc units to check the thickening level of cement. The procedure is intended at letting the suppliers or manufacturers know whether the cement is safe to be used without obstruction or not. In certain cases, there are risks of slurry getting stuck in pipe or any other strong surface. Therefore, the mechanical properties and overall thickness are mentioned in the analytical testing report offered to the clients by the lab personnel.

Tensile strength test: This test identifies defects in cement readily as compared to other analytical tests carried out in cement testing lab. Most of all, it is the most convenient test to determine the quality of cement. The material being tested for tensile strength offers proper and precise information. Even if the material to be tested is small, this test keeps a check on errors and offers detailed analysis to the lab personnel.



Apart from the above information, it can be stated that soundness of cement is also tested by the analytical laboratory. It further implicates that the ability of hardened cement paste to retain its volume after setting is evaluated through test of soundness. It can be concluded that manufacturers should invest on cement testing lab because the quality of material used for making foundation of building cannot be compromised with. 

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