Chapter 6: Different types of cement used in concrete

Portland cement has been the most commonly used binder in concrete for a long period since its invention in the late nineteenth century, but due to the beneficial effects of mineral admixtures, such as pulverised fuel ash, ground granulated blastfurnace slag and microsilica, modern cements now contain one of these materials, in addition to small quantities of other types of fine powder used as filler material. Therefore, knowledge of the different types of cements available on the market and their chemical and mineralogical characteristics is important for selecting cements for different exposure conditions. In this chapter, different types of cement specified in the new European Standard on cementitious material are introduced and a discussion on various special types of cements is given.