Introduction

Cement is one of the most essential elements and materials required for construction. It is a calcareous substance used in concrete, mortar, plaster, grouts and pre-cast elements. Its discovery caused a revolution in the construction industry as it led to a reduction in the usage of clay and lime which were being used as binding materials for centuries.

What are the types of cement bags?

Cement bags in India come in different volumes, which include 50 kg, 40 kg, 30 kg, 25 kg, and 20 kg, the standard in India being 50 kg. The dimension of a 50 kg cement bag is 750 mm x 500 mm x 100 mm. There are different types of cement bags in India, like HDPE cement bags, polypropylene cement bags, perforated cement bags, cement plastic valve bags, and jute cement bags.

Types of Cement in India

Cement is classified based on strengths that are determined by the grades. Grades are basic indicators of compression strength. These compression strengths are expressed in terms of Mega Pascal (MPa).

With different types of cement available in the market, you might be thinking about which cement brand will be suitable for your building. Given below are different types of cement and their characteristics.

1. Ordinary Portland Cement

It is the most commonly used cement in the world. It is constituted of limestone, silica, aluminium and iron. Its biggest advantage is that it attains significant strength in less time. And its curing period is less as compared to PPC, which is 7 days.

Ordinary Portland Cement is classified into three grades, namely OPC 33 Grade, OPC 43 Grade, and OPC 53 Grade cement. Grade 33 and Grade 43 OPC cement are rarely used nowadays. They were used for civil purposes, like plastering, flooring and tiling. Grade 53 cement has now replaced both, due to its better strength and durability as compared to the other two alternatives.

2. Portland Slag Cement (PSC)

Portland Slag Cement is used for structures near coastal areas, wastewater treatment plants or sewage treatment. It provides resistance to corrosion, sulfate and chloride. It is generally used in the construction of roads and bridges as PSC ensures that these don’t crack and remain intact, providing strength to the structure.

3. Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

PPC has now become the first choice. It contains pozzolanic material, which helps in increasing building strength, and fits green building criteria. The strength of PPC is equivalent to that of Grade 53 OPC cement. PPC is cheaper than OPC, provides better resistance to chemicals, has lower heat of hydration and provides better workability and finishing.

4. Coloured cement: White

It is made from raw materials like iron oxide and manganese oxide, used for internal and external architectural beauty and for creating ornamental concrete products like flooring, idols and non-structural. It is more expensive compared to Ordinary Portland Cement.

These were the different types of cement with their constituents and uses. And from this, we can conclude that Coloured White Cement is the most expensive one that is used majorly for ornamental purposes and Ordinary Portland Cement is the most widely and commonly used cement.

Types of Cement Bags

1. HDPE Cement Bags

High-Density Polythene (HDPE) cement bags have branched polymer chains, which makes them dense, and this makes them durable and resistant to punctures or tears. These are used for bulk heavy-duty packaging.

2. Polypropene Cement Bags

Polypropene cement bags are manufactured using masterbatch, UV batch, and high-quality virgin material. These are resistant to humid weather, and in turn, protect against moisture. These bags are immune to external wear and tear and are secure against rough handling.

3. Jute Cement Bags

These are bags that are made from closely-knit jute strands. These are generally used to transport cement in a relatively lesser amount, like 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg and over small distances.

4. Perforated Cement Bags

These bags have small holes in them, which allow the hot air to pass out while filling cement in the bag. But these small holes also allow moisture and are not used in the packaging of pure cement.

Cement and their Prices

The price per bag and grades of Indian cement brands are given below 

Cement Consumption and Trends

The consumption of cement in India has gradually increased from 230 million metric tonnes to 379 million metric tonnes in the past decade. And there has been a growth of 30 million metric tonnes in FY 2022 as compared to FY 2021.

Ultratect Cement has been the most popular and widely used cement in India, and it is being followed by Ambuja Cement and ACC Cement at 2nd and 3rd spot respectively.

Why is Cement Universally Accepted?

Given below are a few reasons why cement is a universally accepted construction material

• It is about 10 times stronger than clay and lime.
• It can be produced in large quantities in controlled environments and can be transported over long distances.
• It can be easily stored for longer durations with proper precautions.
• It can be easily used with locally available materials.
• It combines easily with steel and can withstand compressive strength.
• Materials used for making cement include fly ash, clay, bauxite, silica, and these are abundantly available on the surface of the earth.

Explore our different brands of cement in our cement product listings for seamless construction experience.