Cement
is an integral part of concrete. Its properties affect the properties of
concrete produced with it. Therefore, there is need to examine the properties
of various brands of cement available in the Nigerian market with a view to
ascertaining their compliance with the set standards. Five brands of cement:
Unicem, Dangote, Ibeto, Elephant and Atlas were selected and tested for
Fineness, Consistency, Setting Times (Initial and Final), Soundness and
Compressive Strength. For the compressive strength, two concrete cubes were
cast in a 150x150x150mm mould for each brand of cement and for each curing age
of 3, 7, and 28 days. A total of 30 cubes were cast and cured. The results
revealed that all the tested brands of cement in the Nigerian market met the
requirements of various standards: Fineness (Maximum of 10%), Consistency
(Plunger penetration distance of 5 to 7mm on paste made of 500g of cement mixed
with 25 to 75% of water), Setting Times (45minutes minimum and 600 minutes
maximum for initial and final setting times respectively), Soundness (10mm
maximum expansion). The least compressive strength is more than 30N/mm2
target strength. Thus all the tested cement brands in the Nigerian market met
the requirements of the relevant codes/standards.
