Which cement is a quality manufacturer? Which cement is better? Comparison of old and new markings

Cement is a binder construction material, which plays a key role in the formation of concrete mass indicators. Perhaps cement is one of the few building materials that increase their strength characteristics in a humid environment. At the same time, cement is actively used in the construction of foundations. Mixed in the right proportions with water and fillers (crushed stone, sand, etc.), it allows you to obtain a durable stone monolith that can withstand enormous compressive loads. However, cement is different from cement: this material differs not only in price, but also in brand, as well as in its characteristics. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right brand of cement for the foundation, as well as pay attention to the date of manufacture and take care proper storage of this building material. If you have decided to make the foundation with your own hands and are at the stage of choosing cement for forming concrete, then this article will help you solve a number of issues that any individual developer periodically faces.

Which cement to choose for preparing concrete for the foundation

Depending on the composition and properties, several types of cement are distinguished. But the most popular was and remains Portland cement, which differs not only in its brand (class), but also in the presence of special additives that change the properties of the building material in one direction or another (with their help, the setting of concrete can be slowed down or accelerated, heat dissipation can change, resistance to exposure to an aggressive environment, etc.). What do the letter and numeric indices indicated on bags of cement mean?

Cement brand

If on concrete preparation you can use M100 cement, then when building a foundation, where the minimum acceptable brand concrete is M200, it is better to use cement grades from M300 and higher. Perfect option– brand of cement for foundation M500, the price of which differs slightly from the price of M400.

Cement quality check

Considering that cement is a very (if not the most) popular building material, the number of companies involved in its production is quite large. You need to understand that many irresponsible manufacturers (they are the ones who often offer cementitious building materials in bags on which no information is indicated) add ballast substances to cement, which only worsen its quality. These additives can be ground compacted cement, mineral powder - anything! How to prepare concrete for a foundation from such cement is a question that no specialist can solve. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to buy high-quality factory material, so below we will give an example of cement analysis “on the knees” - methods that, after all, allow us to determine the quality of cement. Naturally, only laboratory tests will allow an accurate assessment, but this is already unnecessary for an individual developer.

• assessment of the “freshness” of cement. If there is no manufacturing date on the packaging (it is better not to buy such cement at all), then first of all you need to check the degree of fossilization of the building material. This can be done by hitting the bag - the sensations should not resemble those of hitting a stone. It is also necessary to check the corners of the bag by touch, because... they turn to stone the fastest. We open the bag, inside you should find a homogeneous substance of gray color, which may differ in shades (from dark to light gray, maybe even greenish). Freshly prepared cement is fluid: it easily spills between your fingers. If you can make a snowball out of cement, which then easily crumbles, then this is a normal material. Did you find individual lumps in the bag? If they easily disintegrate under compression, then this only indicates that the cement has already had time to “sit down.” There is nothing wrong with this, but if the lumps crumble only when there is a significant impact on them, and they crumble into individual solid grains of sand, then it is better not to use such building material - it has already deteriorated;
• assessment of cement composition. For analysis, we need sodium bicarbonate (for example, Borjomi) or sodium chloride bicarbonate (Essentuki No. 4 or No. 17) mineral water. We open the bottle, let the water “exhale” - we rid it of carbon dioxide. Next, we put on rubber gloves and use mineral water to mix cement paste from the test sample of cement. From the resulting dough you need to make a “cake” with a diameter of about 15 cm, with a thickened central part(about 5 cm) and thin edges (up to 1 cm). The setting of truly high-quality cement is observed no later than 10 minutes, and the thickened part of the “cake” will heat up noticeably. It is also possible to change the shade of the cement paste - it acquires a blue-green tint. All this indicates that the cement does not contain additives - d0. On the contrary, if setting is not observed for half an hour or more, then you should worry. As a rule, this indicates the low quality of the binder and the presence of foreign impurities: the “cake” becomes covered with cracks when setting, hardens in fragments, and does not heat up. Just in case, we place the test sample in plastic bag and put it in a warm place for a day. If after 24 hours the sample has lost its shape and has significant cracks, then the cement did not live up to our expectations - it is better to get rid of it immediately...or use it at your own peril and risk. It is quite possible that the use of low-quality cement will subsequently result in the need to strengthen foundations with cementation and other expensive work.

A few words about storage and purchase

We have already said more than once that cement is a building material that is very sensitive to storage conditions. Far from ideal conditions(and this happens more often than we would like), the brand of cement, respectively, and its properties deteriorate over time. After a month of storage, it may turn out that the M500 brand is no longer actually such - it has become an M450. Over six months of storage, cement can lose a quarter of its original properties. And relying on a substance that has been stored for a year or more is very presumptuous! If you treat cement as a food product that has an extremely limited shelf life, then you will hardly have to doubt whether the brand of concrete obtained from it corresponds to the calculated values! We recommend buying only factory-made cement, which clearly indicates the manufacturer and marking, packaged in 4-layer (40 kg of cement) or 5-layer (50 kg) bags. First, decide how much cement you need for the foundation, because it is better to buy building materials from one batch, which guarantees the same properties for different batches. Think about your purchase a maximum of 2 weeks before you start preparing concrete.

As a rule, the cost of industrial cement is slightly higher than that of building materials of dubious quality. However, by purchasing factory-made building materials, you are protected from.

The basis of any construction is the foundation, and the basis of the foundation is cement, so everyone who starts construction faces the question: which cement is better for the foundation? The choice of components for the foundation of a building, especially cement, is a very important point.

Diagram of fillers included in cement mortar.

What is the foundation made of?

Materials and tools for making the foundation:

• cement;
• sand;
• crushed stone;
• water;
• concrete mixer;
• shovel;
• construction mixer.

They say that the only thing better than cement is cement - a building material that plays a key role in the performance of the concrete mass, increasing its characteristics in interaction with water.

Return to contents

Important material characteristics

When choosing cement for foundation construction, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

• water resistance;
• frost resistance;
• sulfate resistance;
• corrosion resistance
• air resistance;
• swelling and shrinkage of cement;
• grinding fineness.

Water resistance is the ability of cement to successfully withstand the effects of water, and this impact does not lead to destruction of concrete structures. Water resistance concrete mortar for the foundation it is best to check in the following way. Two identical concrete cubes are made. One of them, in dry form, is crushed in a press and its strength is determined. The second cube is pre-soaked in water and then destroyed in the same way. Saturation with water leads to a weakening of interparticle bonds, and the strength of the sample decreases. The ratio between the strength of saturated and unsaturated samples is called the material softening coefficient. The softening coefficient of concrete is 0.8, which confirms its water resistance.

Frost resistance - this characteristic means that repeated freezing and thawing do not affect the quality of cement, but this property appears only if special modified additives are used to improve frost resistance. The packaging contains markings indicating the frost-resistant properties of the building material.

Water to cement ratio graph for cements different brands. Cement grades are indicated above the curves.

Sulfate resistance – important characteristic cement, its ability to withstand long time exposure to liquid sulfate medium. The sulfate environment, acting on the cement stone, forms ettringite, a sparingly soluble compound, the appearance of which leads to the formation of microcracks. These microcracks, merging with each other, destroy the concrete. Additives that improve the frost resistance of cement have an ambiguous effect on sulfate resistance. Therefore, before choosing a material for the base, you should carefully study its composition.

Corrosion resistance determines the service life of concrete structures and is characterized by the ability to successfully withstand the effects of aggressive environment. The corrosion resistance of cement depends on the presence of cracks, micropores and capillaries in the concrete, through which water containing solutions of alkalis and acids enters the stone structure.

Air resistance characterizes the ability of cement to maintain outdoors all yours useful characteristics. Air resistance depends on the storage and transportation conditions of the cement powder. Deterioration of characteristics during storage should be taken into account when mixing the solution. Recommendations for use should provide information about necessary conditions powder storage.

Swelling and shrinkage are determined by the ability of cement stone to change its volume. When swelling, the mass of concrete increases due to the absorption of moisture from the environment. This process does not reduce the strength of concrete. Shrinkage occurs when cement stone hardens in a dry air environment.

The fineness of grinding affects the speed of setting and strength gain of concrete. The better the powder is crushed, the higher these properties are.

Return to contents

Marking of cements

Construction powder for foundations is divided into groups:

• without additives;
• with additives.

To construct the foundations of structures, you need pure Portland cement or pozzolanic and slag Portland cement with additives that improve its properties. To better understand the characteristics of the material and determine which type is the best, you need to know the markings and be able to decipher the information on the packaging.

There are 2 types of markings, which were adopted in 1985 and 2003. In the first marking, the letters indicate the type of cement:

• M – grade, PTs – Portland cement, addition of the letter Ш – slag Portland cement (SPC), material for waterproofing NTs – prestressing cement;
• numbers from 100 to 700 indicate the maximum load that the foundation can withstand;
• the number of additives in the material is indicated by the letter D with a number, D0 informs about the complete purity of the material;
• the following letters indicate the class of cement: N - normalized, B - quick-hardening, PL - plasticized; SS – sulfate resistant.

The 2003 marking reads as follows:

• name – CEM;
• the presence of additives is indicated in Roman numerals: I – without additives and II – with additives;
• CEM II has subtypes A and B, which indicate the amount of additives in the cement;
• the letter Ш indicates that the cement is slag granulated, and the letter P means pozzolan;
• numbers from 22.5 to 52.5 indicate the class of minimum compressive strength, which is achieved 28 days after pouring the base;
• the letters N and B mean the ability to harden: N - normally hardening, B - quickly hardening.

If you answer the question of which cement to choose, then experts recommend mixed brands of Portland cement: slag and pozzolan. These brands differ in the content of active additives consisting of slag or volcanic rocks.

If you use mixed grades to build a foundation, then construction works should be started in the spring so that the concrete gains strength before frost, since mixed cements do not have sufficient frost resistance. But these species are ideal for wet and sulfate soils due to their high resistance to aggressive environments.

Any construction with work related to pouring concrete foundation, which primarily requires cement. This material, however, is necessary during all work, including finishing, despite the appearance in construction industry new technologies and materials. Since no turnkey building construction is complete without cement, it is important to be able to choose the right cement, understand the labeling and look for reliable suppliers. To do this, you need to find out what kind of cement there is and where it is used.

Cement marking concept

An important characteristic of the strength of cement is its grade, which is the basis for the selection of this building material. The classification was based on a laboratory test in which a cement product was subjected to increasing loads. For all types of material, except for quick-hardening, aluminous and Portland slag cement, the grade will correspond to the tensile strength when bending samples that have dimensions of 40 by 40 by 160 millimeters and compressing their halves from a plastic mass in a proportion of 1: 3 at the age of 28 days.

Rapid-hardening Portland cement and Portland slag cement are checked after 3 and 28 days. Marking for aluminous cement is established based on test results after 3 days. As a result, the following scale was adopted, which gave the marking different varieties cement: M 100 - 700. The letter “M” (or maybe the designation “PC”) next to the number indicates the maximum strength qualities of the material.

For example, M300 cement, according to this marking, can withstand loads of 300 kilograms per cubic centimeter, grade 500 cement - 500 kilograms, etc. The higher the grade, the greater the efficiency of using cement in concrete. The most popular are cements marked 350 - 500 inclusive. The most durable cement is the M400 and M500 grades, which are usually used for foundation construction. For finishing work, grades M200 and M300 are used.

What brands of cement are there besides those listed above? In addition to its ability to withstand certain loads, cement is also marked according to another parameter - the percentage of various additives contained in the building material to the total volume of cement. Additives can be slag from metallurgical plant waste or gypsum. This parameter is designated by the letter “D”.

For example, cement labeled “D20” contains 20% additives. This characteristic is important because the level of additive content can affect its strength and ductility. There are currently 4 types of cement that are most popular in the construction market: M400 D0, M400 D20, M500 D0 and M500 D20. The price of cement with additives is slightly lower because clinker costs much more than any additive.

What other brands of cement are there? In addition, there are additional designations on the packaging - “B”, “PL”, “SS”, “GF”, “N”. This is evidence of the specific purpose of this building material. The letter “B” means “fast-hardening”, that is, cement that is capable of rapidly hardening in the initial period.

The designation “SS” is inherent in sulfate-resistant cement, “GF” is for hydrophobic cement, “PS” is plasticized cement, which contains a plasticizer that increases the plasticity of the structure and the ability to change its shape. The “H” marking is applied to cement, which is produced on the basis of clinker, which has a standardized composition, and is used for the production of road and airfield surfaces.

Popular types of cement

Depending on the composition and ratio of additives, today there are the following types of cement: Portland cement, white, slag, pozzolanic, fast-hardening, expanding, aluminous, waterproof expanding, cementing, sulfate-resistant, tensile, magnesian, hydrophobic. To better understand which cement is better, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the description of the main types of cement.

Portland cement is widely used in modern construction. The material is made from finely graded Portland cement clinker, additives and gypsum. Clinker for this cement is obtained through the procedure of burning raw materials before sintering, after which the content of calcium silicates is increased to the optimum. Gypsum dihydrate (15-35%) is often added to the clinker to regulate the setting speed of Portland cement. Today, additive-free and mineral and slag Portland cement are also produced.

Slag or slag-alkali cement combines all types of binders produced by the method of fine grinding of blast furnace slag in granules, which contains activating additives - anhydrite, lime and building gypsum. Today we can name such types of slag cement as sulfate-slag (15-20% anhydrite or gypsum, 5% Portland cement and 2% lime) and slag-lime (10-30% lime, 5% gypsum).

Rapid-hardening cement is capable of increasing strength during the first time of hardening, which is useful in the manufacture of various prefabricated reinforced concrete products. High mechanical strength can be achieved through special mineral composition, precise dosage of additives and fineness of cement grinding. Today, the production of the following types of this material has been established: quick-hardening Portland cement, which reaches its compressive strength after 3 days, quick-hardening slag Portland cement and especially fast-hardening Portland cement.

Pozzolanic cement is a substance in which more than 20% mineral additives are present. "Pozzolans" were used as an additive to lime back in Ancient Rome in the production of pozzolanic-lime substance. On this moment pozzolanic Portland cement is obtained after grinding 60-80% clinker, 20-40% mineral additive and gypsum. It is highly resistant to corrosion, which is better in soft and sulfate water. However, the rate of hardening and frost resistance are low.

Expanding cement is a group of cement substances that have the ability to increase their volume during the hardening process. Expansion occurs due to the formation of highly basic calcium hydrosulfoaluminate when the powder interacts with water. This substance is capable of binding a large number of water, 15-25 times greater than the initial volume of the solid mass. It’s up to you to decide which type of cement to choose - gypsum-alumina, waterproof and tensile, as well as Portland cement. All expansive cements can harden perfectly and expand optimally in a humid environment.

Waterproof Expanding Cement is known as a hydraulic binder, produced by co-grinding and further mixing aluminous cement, gypsum and calcium hydroxide to a homogeneous composition. This material is characterized by very fast setting, which begins after 4 minutes and ends after 10 minutes. The linear expansion of products made from this cement, which remain in water for 24 hours, remains at the level of 0.3%.

Aluminous cement is distinguished by its rapid hardening properties. It is a product of finely ground clinker, which is obtained from a burned raw material mass, which includes limestone and bauxite. The procedure for burning and melting clinker is carried out in cupola furnaces or electric blast furnaces. Aluminous cement is classified according to the content of Al2O3 in the product. There is standard alumina cement with an alumina content of approximately 55% and high-alumina cement, which contains 70% alumina.

Sulfate-resistant Portland cement has high resistance to aquatic environment with an increased concentration of sulfates compared to standard material, low heat generation, low hardening rate and significant frost resistance. This cement is produced by finely grinding clinker, which has a special mineralogical composition. This cement is used primarily in aggressive sulfate environments.

Tension cement is a separate type of expanding cement, which is produced by grinding the following components: Portland cement clinker (65%), aluminous slag (15%), lime and gypsum stone(5%). Tensile cement has a high rate of hardening and setting. A fully cured mortar made from such tensile cement has a fairly high water resistance. This feature is used to pre-create tension in different reinforced concrete structures, tension in reinforcement in several directions.

Well cement is a special type of cement used in oil and gas production. This cement is produced by finely grinding clinker with the addition of gypsum. Today, two types of well cement are produced: for oil and gas wells of the “hot” and “cold” type. Solutions based on this cement contain 40 - 50% water.

Hydrophobic cement, as is not difficult to understand from the name, is characterized by increased water resistance. This material- this is the result of a procedure for fine grinding of gypsum, clinker and special additives responsible for characteristic properties powder. Additives include residual fatty acids, oleic acid, oxidized petrolatum and acidol soap naft. They are introduced in proportions of 0.1-0.3% of the total mass of cement. But even such a small amount of additives leads to the formation of a monomolecular hydrophobic film on the surface of cement particles, which reduces the hygroscopicity of cement. Is it worth saying which cement is better for the foundation?

Magnesia cement is used for the production of floors. It is made on the basis of fine powder, part of which is magnesium oxide - a product of medium-temperature firing of natural carbonate rock magnesite or dolomite. When mixing magnesium cement with a solution of magnesium chloride, a binder called Sorel cement can be obtained. Magnesia cement has increased elasticity, greater resistance to lubricating oils, organic solvents, alkalis and salts, high fire resistance and low thermal conductivity.

White cement is produced from low-iron clinker. Its gray color is due to the presence of iron compounds in the raw material. To eliminate the greenishness and enhance the clinker, it is subjected to bleaching. The composition includes white and white Portland cement with cement additives. In white Portland cement, the content of mineral additives is excluded; they should be no more than 20% in Portland cement with additives, inert ones - no more than 10% of the total weight of Portland cement. The unique characteristics of white cement allow it to be used in the manufacture of sculptural elements and in finishing works, for example, when finishing the facades of a building.

Waterproof non-shrink cement is a quick-setting hydraulic substance that is made by mixing aluminous cement, slaked lime and semi-hydrous gypsum. The beginning of setting ends no later than 5 minutes from the moment of mixing. Cement is used to construct waterproofing shells of concrete and reinforced concrete buildings that are operated in conditions high humidity, as well as hydrophobic types of cement.

Colored Portland cement is made from white cement clinker, bleached and colored clinkers by mixing or simultaneously grinding with pigments of different tones - for example, ocher, chromium oxide or red lead. All pigments are alkali- and light-resistant. Colored Portland cement comes in yellow, pink, red, brown, green, blue and black. Colored Portland cement contributes to the architectural and decorative design of various buildings.

Acid-resistant quartz cement is produced by co-grinding or mixing separately ground sodium silicofluoride and quartz sand. This material is sealed with an aqueous solution of liquid sodium glass. Such cement stone resists the action of various organic and mineral acids, but it loses its strength in water and is destroyed in caustic alkali. Acid-resistant cement is usually used for the production of acid-resistant concrete.

Choosing the right cement

Now it's time to talk about how to choose cement, which cement is needed for the foundation, and which one is needed for pouring. The quality of construction primarily depends on correct selection grades of cement, as discussed above. If you do not guess the strength of cement, then this is fraught with the appearance of defects and destruction of the structure. Take into account in each certain case required strength cement mixture and the required strength for each design. For private construction and cementing with your own hands, it is best to buy M400 cement, which cheaper material M500 by 10-15%.

Cement quality

Without cement mortar it will not be possible to carry out any construction work. Therefore, its quality remains very important. The quality of cement is confirmed by the international standard ISO-9000. If you see such a designation on the packaging, it means that this is a product that meets all international quality standards and guarantees that no unforeseen situations will happen to it during construction.

Before purchasing cement, it is recommended to examine its packaging. The best packaging is two-layer paper. In this case, a “waterproof cloth” is used in its filing, which protects the material from negative impact water. The packaging must be sealed, without scratches or signs of tampering.

On the packaging material you should see all the performance properties of the building material: weight, brand, manufacturer. If you plan to buy cement in bulk, you may end up with expired or low-quality goods, so inspect each package whenever possible.

Like other things, you can determine the quality of gray powder by the date of manufacture and expiration date. The longer it is stored, the more its quality indicators decrease. If the cement is already 6 months old, then its activity decreases by almost a third. Also ask the sellers where exactly this cement was stored, since this material is strongly influenced by the environment, in particular dampness.

You can find out how good the cement is and whether the material in front of you is of high quality by its appearance. Remember that high-quality cement should not have swampy or dark color. Its natural color is gray, sometimes with darker shades. Feel it; high-quality cement can crumble through your fingers when squeezed in your palm. It does not compact into a lump. Naturally, pelletized cement cannot be used. High-quality types of cement are most often subjected to pelletization.

Price and manufacturer

Most often, the difference in the cost of cement is determined by the accuracy of packaging. The most the best option is cement in bags. The production of this building material in bags is carried out abroad and in the CIS at specialized bases, in specialized construction supermarkets or directly at a cement plant. On the other hand, it is much more profitable to buy cement in bags compared to loose cement, and it is easier to store it.

Any manufacturer that deserves attention and respect packages its product in bags that indicate its own address and telephone number, as well as the accuracy of weighing. Typically, a good supplier is considered to be an authoritative and well-known figure in the market who values ​​​​his clients and his reputation. If there is no information about the manufacturer on the bag, then you need to be personally acquainted with the packers in order to buy such a product with confidence.

And finally, remember that the price of cement, which depends on the brand of cement, is not always a guideline. The modern construction market is rich in fakes; for example, unscrupulous manufacturers in recent years have been practicing reducing the concentration of cement dust to reduce prices for their products, which subsequently leads to poor quality cement mortar, which is not able to retain moisture and can crumble immediately after construction is completed. . Therefore, you should focus not on price, but on the reputation and guarantees of the supplier.

Many people who are involved in construction own home, I am interested in the question of which cement is better for the foundation. It's quite important aspect, since the quality of the foundation determines how long the building will last. This article will discuss the main nuances that should be considered when purchasing cement.

general information

Nowadays you can find on the shelves of construction stores great amount various brands cement of domestic and foreign production, so many people simply do not know which cement is better for the foundation. When choosing, you should consider many factors, the main ones being:

• strength;
• compatibility with reinforced concrete structures;
• type of construction;
• weight of the future building;
• best before date;
• availability of quality certificates.

All these parameters affect the quality, strength and durability of the foundation, so they should be taken into account when purchasing materials.

What brand of cement is best for foundations? This question haunts many novice builders. Portland cement is considered ideal, since the solution prepared on its basis has high strength and excellent resistance to negative environmental factors. As for choosing a specific brand, it all depends on what type of building the foundation will be poured for.

If you want to build a base for drainage system, then the use of materials with low strength is allowed, and what cement is better for the foundation of a house? For residential buildings, you should choose materials whose strength is 2 times higher than that of concrete mixture. If you stick to everyone construction technologies, then the cement must have a strength of M400.

Review of the main brands of cement

Today there are not many brands of cement that are suitable for the construction of residential buildings. If you don’t know which cement is best for pouring a foundation, here is a list of acceptable brands:

• PC M400 D0 is a binder mixture that produces high-strength cement that can withstand very heavy loads and is highly resistant to moisture and severe frosts;
• PC M400 D20 - cement of good quality and at an affordable price. Highly resistant to aggressive environmental factors;
• PC M500 D0 is a high-quality cementitious mixture containing up to 99% cement content. Ideal for pouring foundations for heavy residential buildings and small industrial facilities;
• PC M500 D20 is a material that, in its properties and characteristics, is almost completely identical to the previous one, but has less strength.

For the foundation on which non-residential buildings will be located, you can use other brands of cement made on a slag basis, but they are not suitable for heavy buildings.

Decoding cement markings

To understand which cement is best for the foundation, the manufacturer has absolutely no importance, you need to learn to understand the markings. In addition to the brand, the abbreviation may contain the following parameters:

1. B - cement that hardens quickly. Used on construction sites with a limited construction period.
2. PL is a plasticized binder that can withstand very low temperatures.
3. SS is one of the varieties of cement that has increased resistance to negative environmental factors.
4. NC - tensile PTs, which has high resistance to moisture and high strength after hardening. Used for pouring foundations in basement, for the construction of houses on difficult soils and reconstruction of buildings.

The ability to understand cement markings will allow you to avoid many mistakes during the construction process.

Types of additives in concrete

So that the concrete or future foundation is strong and durable, and also has high performance characteristics, it contains certain additives, which can be divided into the following types:

1. Plasticizers allow you to mix the solution with less water, due to which the foundation will freeze significantly less during the cold season, will be stronger and more durable, and will not sag over time.
2. used in construction for the construction of houses in cold regions. They allow you to work normally with cement in severe frost.
3. Compactors help increase the strength of concrete and are used for the construction of thin walls.
4. Strengthening accelerators are used during short construction periods, when it is necessary for cement to gain its strength as quickly as possible after pouring.
5. Set retarders are used in cases where it is necessary to keep cement in a liquid state for a long period of time, for example, during transportation.

There are also universal supplements that combine all of the properties listed above.

Mixing concrete: optimal proportions of materials

Knowing which cement is best to fill the foundation with is not enough, since you also need to be able to mix it correctly. Good concrete must contain at least 25% cement, however, when preparing the mixture, you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations indicated on the packaging. To prepare cement for the foundation, you should choose a grade from M200 and higher, since a smaller grade is not able to withstand heavy loads and is unsuitable for building houses.

A good PC, if chosen correctly, consists of one part cement, three parts sand and five parts crushed stone. As for water, its quantity depends on the brand of building material, however, the minimum volume is 0.4, and the maximum does not exceed 0.65. It’s worth noting right away that these proportions are only suitable if you use high-quality materials.

Kneading process

So, we have already figured out which cement is best for the foundation, as well as the optimal proportions of materials required to obtain high-quality and durable concrete. Now we need to talk about what technology should be used to knead so that ready mix turned out good. All work occurs in the following sequence:

1. First, 4/5 of the water is poured into the concrete mixer.
2. Then crushed stone or gravel is added.
3. Cement and sand are poured.
4. During the kneading process in small portions the remaining water is added.

If you are constructing in a region with difficult climatic conditions and frosty winters or on a flooded plot of land, then, in addition to the main components, special plasticizers are also added to the concrete, which significantly increase its performance properties. They must be added at the very end of the batch, strictly adhering to the proportions specified by the manufacturer.

A few words about the price

We now already know which cement is best for the foundation of a house, but how much will it cost to purchase materials? It all depends on the packaging in which you buy the materials. Cement is sold in bags, big bags and by weight. The last option is the most profitable and will allow you to save a decent amount.

As for the average market prices for CPU, purchasing mixtures from well-known brands with high quality and excellent performance properties will cost approximately 4000-4500 rubles. The exact amount depends on the brand of the mixture and the presence of various additives in it that increase the cement’s resistance to water and frost. If you buy in bulk in bags weighing 50 kg, then you will pay approximately 230 rubles per unit.

Which cement manufacturers are better?

Which cement is best for the foundation of a bathhouse, and which manufacturers produce the highest quality mixtures today? It is very difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question, since both domestic and foreign materials are available for sale. Some experienced builders they claim that American and European-made cement is better, however, given their high cost, the purchase of these mixtures will not be affordable for everyone.

Among Russian companies engaged in the production of cement, the products of Novgorod and Borshchevsky are in great demand. cement factories, as well as such companies as Sebryakovcement, Mikhailov Cement Rusean and some others. All these companies produce high-quality PCs of various brands according to affordable prices, so the foundation will not cost you too much.

Famous brand Сersanit- this is a real challenge to repair as such. Сersanit offers comprehensive solution for bathrooms, what provides comfort guarantees high quality and will highlight your style. Trademark Сersanit offers tiles, porcelain tiles, vanities, shelving, bathtubs, toilets and much more.

Ceiling tiles have become a favorite material for ceiling decoration. And not surprisingly, low price, wide range, ease of installation and the ability to hide minor defects, and you won’t lose the height of the ceiling. Today we will tell you how to glue (stick) ceiling tiles with your own hands. This work is not particularly difficult, but you still have to follow a few rules.