Portland cement is one of the most widely used building materials in the world. Versatile, strong, and sustainable, it’s a basic ingredient in concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. Its gray color resembles Portland stone, a common building limestone quarried from the Isle of Portland, off the coast of England.
The original mixture was created by heating lime, iron, silica, and alumina in a rotating kiln then grinding it into a fine powder. Though most Portland cement still adheres to the original recipe, manufacturers found that altering its composition improved its performance in certain environments and applications.
As a result, there are not one but many types of portland cement, each providing separate advantages for sidewalks, blocks, bricks, pavements, and reinforced concrete structures.
What are the Different Types of Cement?
Portland Cement Type I
Type I is the most popular type of Portland cement. An ASTM C-150 cement, it has basically been unaltered since 1824, it’s an all-purpose cement used in civil, commercial, and residential buildings throughout the country. Thanks to its short initial setting and treatment periods, it is the default cement for most construction projects.
Type II
Type II provides moderate protection against chlorides and sulfate salts, which can weaken concrete and reinforced steel.
Sulfate ions are found in certain types of soil, as well as most fresh water sources, including groundwater. It’s also common in a wide range of minerals, including sodium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, ammonium, and potassium.
Type III
Portland cement Type III was originally developed for cold climates, where ambient temperatures regularly dip below 40°F for three or more days.
Because concrete takes longer to harden at low temperatures, Type III (also known as rapid hardening cement or high early strength cement) was designed to hydrate at a faster rate.
Type V
Similar to Portland cement Type II, Portland cement Type V provides extreme protection against sulfates. It’s a common component of submerged and coastal structures, such as dams, piers, and underground tunnels.
Type IL
ASTM C-595 Blended Cement…for use in almost all applications where ordinary portland cement is used with up to 10% less CO2 emissions. Check out our ADVANCEMENT Line of blended cement products.
Delivering High-Quality Portland Cement
CalPortland produces and distributes high-quality cement to users throughout the Western United States. We not only offer a full range of ASTM C-150 and ASTM C-595 cement products, we ensure it’s produced with quality ingredients for use in projects with strict performance criteria.
Contact us today for more information about all our cement products.
