Cement

The hydraulic binder that activates with water to harden concrete — and the ingredient that most directly influences strength, durability, and setting characteristics.

Cement — specifically portland cement — is the fine, powdery binder used in virtually all ready-mix concrete. When mixed with water, cement undergoes a chemical reaction called hydration, forming interlocking crystals that bind the aggregate particles into a solid mass. Without cement, concrete is simply a loose pile of rocks and sand.

Portland cement is manufactured by heating calcium-bearing materials (typically limestone) with silica, alumina, and iron oxide to produce clinker, which is then ground with gypsum to control setting time. It is covered by ASTM C150, the standard specification for portland cement, which defines cement types based on chemical composition and performance characteristics.

Cement is the most expensive ingredient per unit weight in a concrete mix design and typically the largest contributor to a mix's carbon footprint. Getting the cement type and content right — through proper mix design per ACI 211.1 — is both an engineering and economic priority for every ready-mix producer.

Portland Cement Types — ASTM C150

Type I — General Purpose. The most widely used portland cement. Suitable for all applications where the special properties of other types are not required. Used for buildings, bridges, pavements, precast elements, and most standard ready-mix products. Many markets supply a combined Type I/II, which meets the requirements of both.

Type II — Moderate Sulfate Resistance. Specified when concrete will be exposed to moderate sulfate concentrations in soil or groundwater. Also available as Type II(MH), which additionally limits heat of hydration — useful in larger structural pours. Widely specified for underground structures and transportation infrastructure.

Type III — High Early Strength. Produces strength more rapidly than Type I, making it valuable in cold-weather concreting, applications requiring early form removal, or when a precast operation needs to cycle the same form twice in one day. Type III is ground finer than Type I, which increases its surface area and accelerates hydration.

Type IV — Low Heat of Hydration. Designed for mass concrete applications — large dams, thick foundations, and other high-volume pours — where the heat generated during hydration must be minimized to prevent thermal cracking. Type IV is rarely stocked and is typically a special-order product.

Type V — High Sulfate Resistance. Used only where concrete will be exposed to severe sulfate attack — high-sulfate soils, sulfate-bearing groundwater, or seawater exposure in certain conditions. A specialty product with limited availability, specified by engineers for specific exposure conditions.

Air-Entraining Variants (Types IA, IIA, IIIA). Air-entraining additions interground with Types I, II, and III clinker produce fine, distributed air bubbles during mixing, improving freeze-thaw resistance. In practice, most producers achieve air entrainment through admixtures added during batching rather than through air-entraining cement.

Blended Cements and Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Portland cement is increasingly used alongside or partially replaced by supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) — fly ash, ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), silica fume, and natural pozzolans. These materials react with byproducts of cement hydration to produce additional cementitious compounds, improving durability and reducing cost and carbon impact.

ASTM C595 governs blended hydraulic cements, including Type IL (Portland-Limestone Cement), now widely available as a lower-carbon alternative to straight Type I in many markets.

The type and quantity of cementitious materials — portland cement plus any SCMs — are specified in the mix design and recorded on the eTicket at batching.

Cement and the Batch Ticket

For ready-mix producers, cement is batched by weight per cubic yard per the approved mix design. The actual cement weight loaded into each truck is recorded on the eTicket — along with SCM weights if applicable. This documentation is part of the quality and compliance record for every delivery.

External Resources

• Types of Cement — American Cement Association
• ASTM C150 Standard Specification for Portland Cement

Cement Weight. Every Batch. Every Ticket.

Every load batched through a Dispatch360-connected plant records cement weight and type as part of the eTicket — alongside aggregate weights, water additions, and admixture dosages. That documentation travels with the load from plant to job site, giving producers and customers a complete, traceable quality record for every cubic yard delivered.

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