Cement’s Story
The first time that we see a reference to the world cement is in 126AD when Roman Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon. The main reason that this building in particular is so important is because it lays down tributes to gods. This is where we first see cement being used and nearly 2000 years later it is still one of the most reinforced buildings in the world. Since this time period we have of course started to use it for other reasons, it has come in useful.
The cement that we recognise today came in around the industrial revolution and it had three major uses.
- Finishing off brick buildings in wet climates
- Mortars for masonry construction in places that have contact with sea water
- Any development that needed a form of very strong concrete
The rapid growth in Britain meant that cement was really sought after during this time period which of course in turn meant rising prices and nobody out there likes to see a rise in prices.
There are two major different types of cement that we use today.
Portland Cement
This type of cement is actually made available via inter-ground mixtures from the major manufacturers and they are mixed from a lot of ground components within the mixing plants.
Non-Portland
This is of course the stuff that can still be found in many of the Roman buildings that are still standing. The cement that this uses does take a lot longer to dry than the other one but it would seem that they last a lot longer than the other ones, which one is better, it is up to you to decide really.
The main problem that comes with the cement making process is all of the pollution that the cement silo causes. These are always being worked on though by using things like foundation fieldbus and level sensors.
