When you buy or plan to buy cement, there are certain things which you need to check and we are here to look into these one by one.
We know that every products or materials such as food, medicines, clothing, machinery, etc., do not last forever. Similarly, cement also loses its strength with time, from the date of packing, depending upon its type. Hence, this is a necessity, so that a shopkeeper does not end up in fooling buyers by selling a product that is old or has expired.
ISI Mark:
The first thing that one should check is the “ISI” mark. The IS code that has been followed for manufacturing the cement is also usually typed above it.
Manufacturer and Brand name:
The name of the manufacturer and the Brand are printed on every cement bags, but due to the variance and availability of large number of Cement manufacturer in the market, they can be researched and studied before purchasing one.
Types of Cement:
Cement is generally of two types
- OPC typically means Ordinary Portland Cement. This is standard concrete used for many purposes. OPC is the most popular general-purpose cement in the country today. OPC is majorly used for civil engineering construction work, precast and pre-stressed items such as concrete blocks, tiles, pipes and asbestos products such as sheets, pipes and non-structural works such as plastering and flooring.
- PPC: The other variety is known as Blended cement which is available as PPC (Portland Pozzolana Cement) or slag cement. The Pozzolana Cement is ideally suited for all the types of RCC construction including construction of hydraulic structures, mass concreting works, masonry mortars, plastering and many more applications.
Grade of Cement:
Grade is a number that indicates the minimum compressive strength gained by the cement-sand mortar mix in 28 days’ time.
Validity of Cement:
Each bag consists packaging date and a “Best before” date, these are usually printed on the side of the bag. This is important because there is a strength loss after the validity of the cement bag.
Net Quantity/Weight:
The weight or the quantity of cement are also printed on Cement bags.
Use Guide:
It is the most common guide printed on all cement bags, “Use no hook”. Using hooks may lead to the package being punctured, which will allow water to get into the bag resulting in the formation of lumps, in reaction to the exposure to air and water. Cement lumps are a big hindrance while involving construction work.
MRP of Bag:
It is mandatory to check the rate of the Bag you purchase, because different brands have different rates, considering the composition, grade as well as the location.
These are well known methods of what you should check on a cement bag and what is in it. Hoping that these points have been helpful in your construction plannings.
Visit https://www.maxcement.co.in/ and check out what the MAX family have to provide.
