People who are considering building a new home often inquire about which cement is best for house construction. Consider the following question: Which cement is the best for house construction? Finding the right cement for house building is extremely important and crucial to the success of your project. And in this blog, we’ll discuss which cement is best for your building during the construction process.
Since the cement is one of the most essential building materials to ensure the longevity of a structure, any misdirection or influence will cost a lot of money or affect the construction quality. Cement is categorized primarily based on its quality. After 28 days of setting, the concrete’s compressive strength (Mpa) is determined by the cement grade. For building purposes, there are about ten different forms of cement.
Cement comes in a variety of types and grades, each with its own set of characteristics. Some types of cement grades will be best suited to use in the construction of specific property parts. When comparing OPC cement with PPC, PPC may be used for the whole house building. Cement bags are needed for the preparation of concrete for RCC structures, motors between bricks, and wall plastering. It performs well with the proper amount of water, sand, and aggregates. For per square ft. of construction, 0.38 cement bags are used. For a 1000 sq ft house, approximately 400 bags of cement (each weighing 50kg) are needed.
Types of cement used for house construction & which cement is best
Cement comes in a variety of types and is used for a variety of purposes in construction. As a result, it is critical to comprehend the properties of each form of cement as well as its applications. Ordinary Portland Cement (43 Grade & 53 Grade), Portland Pozzolana Cement, and Portland Slag Cement are the three most common forms of cement used in general construction.
There are approximately ten different forms of cement used in buildings. The five most common forms of cement used in home construction are listed below.
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) 43 Grade Cement
It is primarily used for wall plastering, non-RCC structures, and pathways. After 28 days of setting, 43-grade cement has a compression strength of 43 Mpa (megapascals). Ensure that the IS 12269 standard code is followed by your 43-cement brand.
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), 53 Grade Cement
It’s also used in higher-grade RCC and prestressed concrete, as well as cement grouts and instant plugging mortars. For fast-paced construction where initial strength must be reached quickly, 53 Grade cement is used. In comparison to 43-grade cement, which achieves 23 Mpa in 7 days, 53-grade cement achieves 27 Mpa in 7 days. The IS 8112 standard code is followed by 53 Grade cement.
Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)
PPC Cement has a higher degree of fineness, as well as an impermeable and corrosion-resistant nature, resulting in denser concrete and longer-lasting structures. It’s used in both mass concrete and RCC projects. While PPC cement has a short initial setting period, it gains strength over time. The IS 1489 standard code is followed by PPC cement.
Portland Slag Cement (PSC)
In constructions where the structures are more susceptible to sulfate and chloride attack, PSC is preferred over OPC grade. It is widely used in coastal regions, sewage disposal, and water treatment plants due to its excellent corrosion resistance, especially to saltwater. The IS 455:1989 standard code is followed by PSC Grade cement.
White cement
This cement is used to cover holes in wall tiles and ceramic bathroom fixtures, as well as in architectural and decorative designs. As opposed to ordinary Portland cement, the manufacturing process for white cement is more complex.
Aside from the forms mentioned above, other types of cement are also used in buildings.
Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRC)
This cement is used in structures that are more susceptible to sulphate attacks from water or soil. C3A levels must be less than 5% and 2C3A + C4AF levels must be less than 25% in SRC. In sewage and water treatment plants, it can be used.
Rapid Hardening Cement
It’s used when a project has to be completed quickly due to a lack of time or other factors. It is primarily employed in the repair and restoration of buildings.
Hydrophobic Portland Cement
Hydrophobic cement is used to extend the shelf life of cement in areas with a lot of rain. During the manufacturing process, the cement is given a chemical coating that gives it a water-repellent property. As a result, the cement is not damaged by high humidity and can be stored for longer periods.
Low Heat Portland Cement
It is primarily used in mass concrete for dams and other water-retaining structures, such as bridge abutments, huge retaining walls, piers, slabs, and so on.
Which grade of cement is best for house construction?
For residential house building, we suggest using PPC Cement because it is more durable and chemical resistant. The use of OPC Cement is recommended for high-rise buildings. It is also important to choose the best cement firm, in addition to the form of cement.
Different forms of cement are available in various grades, each with its own set of characteristics. As a result, some of the cement would be better suited to use in the building of particular sections of the property. And, since there are different types of cement for different parts of your building, it’s a good idea to learn about them and buy the correct type and grade of cement during each process of construction.
In India, two forms of cement are commonly used in the construction of residential houses:
OPC Cement
It’s a fine powder formed by calcining limestone and clay minerals in a kiln, then grinding the clinker and adding 2 to 3% gypsum. OPC Cement is available in three grades:
- Grade 33 of the OPC
- Grade 43 of the OPC
- Grade 53 of the OPC
OPC Cement comes in a variety of grades, each with a different compressive power. The higher the grade, the more concrete strength it can provide.
PPC Cement
PPC is made by combining pozzolanic materials with grey cement to improve chemical resistance. After 30 days, PPC cement has a strength of about 43 N/sq.mm. PPC cement, on the other hand, maybe used for whole-house building. However, each component of the house is unique, as are the cement specifications. Let’s look at which type of cement is best for which part of a home’s construction.
The best foundation cement
Since the foundation bears the entire weight of the building, the cement used for it should have the following characteristics:
- The cement must be able to provide your foundation with the required strength and toughness.
- It must also be able to keep moisture out and protect the foundation from corrosion and underground chemicals.
- Besides, the base must withstand the movement of the earth around it, which is important for the building’s long existence.
As a result, we suggest using Portland pozzolana cement PPC, which is the best cement for laying your house’s foundation. Because of its slow hydration property and ability to provide excellent strength after curing, PPC Cement is highly recommended.
The best masonry work/Brickwork cement
Masonry is the portion of the structure made of bricks or concrete blocks that makes up the majority of the structure. As a result, when selecting cement for masonry work, keep the following points in mind:
- The cement used here must have a high initial strength so that it can bind the bricks or concrete blocks and provide the necessary degree of strength to the structure.
- Also, the cement must achieve its final strength level with the least amount of time and curing.
As a result, we suggest using Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) grade 43 or 53. We recommend it because it achieves a compression power of 27 MegaPascals in just seven days.
The best RCC Columns & Beams cement
The weight-bearing structures in your building are the concrete columns and beams that give it its form and structure. When selecting cement for the project, keep the following points in mind:
- Since the columns are made of reinforced concrete, the cement used here must have a higher binding strength to be able to support the weight of the structure, necessitating a cement with higher compression strength.
- We suggest Ordinary Portland Cement 53 grade for RCC columns because it has a higher compressive strength of 27 MegaPascals in 7 days, or Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) because it has a finer particle size, is more corrosion resistant, and cures to a thicker concrete with more strength.
The best concrete slab cement
Concrete slabs are used to construct the building’s roofing and other covering structures, and they must be sturdy and able to maintain their size and shape for an extended period. As a result, we suggest using Ordinary Portland Cement (53 grade) or Portland Pozzolana Cement, both of which are good for making strong concrete and are particularly good for Reinforced Concrete Structures.
The best plastering cement
Plastering the walls and other surfaces gives the structure a smooth appearance while also protecting the walls and surfaces from the damaging effects of natural elements. As a result, the plastering cement must be able to provide high initial strength with minimal setting time, as well as high corrosion resistance. As a result, we suggest using Ordinary Portland Cement (43 grade), which does not crack or shrink over time. If you’re constructing a high-rise structure, you can also use OPC grade 53.
The best tiling cement
Tile is an integral part of your home, and you use it to cover the floors and some of the walls. The tile-laying cement must be rendered into thin layers, have strong initial strength, and have a fast-setting period. As a result, we suggest using Ordinary Portland Cement 43 grade, which has the requisite fineness for making thin layers of tile-laying mortar with high adhesive strength for tiling surfaces.
The Best RCC stairs cement
For RCC Stairs, we suggest PPC Cement because it has a higher degree of fineness, is impermeable, and corrosion-resistant, resulting in denser concrete and longer-lasting structures. PPC is used in both mass concreting and RCC work. While PPC cement has a short initial setting period, it gains strength over time. PPC cement also complies with the IS 1489 standard code.
Amount of cement required for 1000 sq ft
How many cement bags are needed for a 1000 square foot house? We will discuss how many cement bags are required for a 1000 square foot house. The actual quantity of cement is calculated according to the plan, but if no design is given, the cement quantity is calculated using the Thumb Rule and how many cement bags were used in the construction of a 1000 square foot building.
- The number of cement bags required for a 1000 square foot house is determined by a variety of factors.
- Structure form (Load Bearing/Framed)
- The structure’s purpose (Load depends on the utility)
- The concrete grade that was used
- Dimensions of the column’s height and the length of the beam (in terms of height, as requirement varies according to construction i.e., whether horizontal or vertical.)
- The form of foundation is the most significant (depends on soil bearing conditions)
We must quantify cement bags for a general residential low-rise ground-floor home. In all types of RCC structures, including footings, columns, beams, and RCC slabs, as well as brickwork, flooring, and plastering, we use different types of Thumb Rules to measure cement quantity.
Using different thumb rules to calculate cement quantity for a 1000 square foot house
- The rule of thumb for RCC concrete is 0.301 cement bags per square foot of the built-up area of a low-rise ground-floor residential building.
- In a low-rise ground-floor residential building, the rule of thumb for surface ground flooring is 0.089 cement bags per square foot of built-up space.
- For external wall brickwork, the rule of thumb is 1.26 cement bags per m3 of 9-inch brickwork (cement-sand ratio 1:6)
- The rule of thumb for cement bags in internal wall brickwork is 1.28 cement bags per m3 of 4.5-inch brickwork (cement-sand ratio 1:4)
- For external plastering, the rule of thumb is 0.017017 cement bags per square foot of plastering.
- For internal plastering, the rule of thumb is 0.0086 cement bags per square foot of plastering.
- For ceiling plastering, the rule of thumb is 0.0051 cement bags per square foot of plastering.
All of these suggestions can be used as a guide to selecting the “Correct Cement” for different applications in house construction, allowing you to save money and get decent results on which cement is best for house construction while avoiding the premiums that big cement brands charge. Let’s build your dream home with Brick & Bolt.