THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CEMENT AND CONCRETE

What is the difference between cement and concrete, and how is cement used in Ultra High Performance Concrete?

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?

Cement and concrete are often used interchangeably. Although the two materials are very different, they are still closely connected. On this page, you can learn exactly what cement and concrete are. You will also discover how cement is used to create different types of concrete, including our Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC).

WHAT CHARACTERIZES CEMENT AND CONCRETE?

Cement is a fine powder made primarily from limestone, clay, and other minerals. When mixed with water, it begins to harden and gain strength. This process is what makes cement such an effective binding agent. Although cement can be used on its own for certain purposes, it is most often mixed with other materials to make concrete.

Concrete, on the other hand, is a finished building material that forms when cement is mixed with water, sand, and stone. This combination creates a strong, moldable, and durable material that can be cast into almost any shape. Today, concrete is used everywhere, from foundations and walls to stairs, balconies, and bridges, making it one of the most widely used building materials in the world.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CEMENT AND CONCRETE

Although cement and concrete are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, they do not refer to the same thing. Cement is actually just one of the ingredients in concrete, and without cement, concrete simply wouldn’t hold together. Cement acts as a binder that causes the mixture to harden and become strong when combined with water. It’s only when these ingredients are mixed together that we get the finished building material known as concrete. So, while cement and concrete are two very different materials, they are still closely linked.

The confusion between the two materials is quite common because cement plays such an important role in the structure of concrete. Many people therefore automatically associate cement with concrete. However, it’s important to understand that while concrete generally cannot exist without cement, cement alone is not concrete. Some types of concrete have been developed that use other binders instead of cement, but they make up only a very small part compared to cement-based concrete.

HOW CEMENT IS USED IN CONCRETE

The ratio between cement, water, and stone is very important, as the cement helps determine how strong and durable the finished concrete will be. Cement acts as the binding agent that holds sand and stone together, and the hardening process works best when the right amount of water is present. If there’s too much water in the mix, the concrete becomes weaker because the water dilutes the cement and prevents it from hardening properly. Conversely, if there’s too little water, the concrete can become too dry and difficult to work with.

That’s why it’s crucial to find the right balance between water, cement, and stone to achieve concrete that is both easy to work with and strong and durable at the same time.

FROM REGULAR CONCRETE TO ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

Regular concrete is strong and durable, but Ultra High Performance Concrete is even stronger and more resilient. UHPC is a special type of concrete that surpasses regular strength concrete in several ways. It performs especially well when it comes to durability, stiffness, and resistance to cracking.

Because there’s a difference between regular strength concrete and UHPC, there is also a difference in how cement is used in UHPC. To achieve the enhanced properties, such as increased strength and exceptional durability, UHPC contains additional components like microsilica, metakaolin, or others, combined with superplasticizers that allow for very low water-to-powder ratios.

In other words, Ultra High Performance Concrete is designed to be stronger and more durable than regular strength concrete, and the role of cement in the mix is crucial to achieving the extraordinary qualities that define the material.

Learn much more about UHPC here