opc vs ppc which is better

  Hi there, Welcome to " www.thecivilengineer18.com " , I love to constantly update myself and I want my readers do the same. Hence I post things about Civil Engineering , Construction , Interior Design, Estimation and Finance on my website regularly. Hope this will be useful for you.

    In the below article I am going to explain you about OPC Vs PPC which is better?

Cement

What is Cement made of?

    So before we start this off, we need to know the basics of cement then only we can able to understand the difference between the two. I already discussed this in detail in my previous article " what is cement made of ". Read that and then come back again if you want in depth knowledge about the topic.

OPC VS PPC What's the Difference ?

    If you read my article of " What is Cement made of " then you should know my now that Ordinary Portland Cement is called OPC which majority of the ingredient would be Limestone which contains Calcium Carbonate and other ingredient. On the other hand Portland Pozzolana Cement is called PPC where 15% to 35% of fly ash content is replace in the OPC. So from this I Could say that PPC is a Blend of OPC and Fly ash. 

OPC VS PPC which is better?

    So you want to know which is better. Let's take you want to go at a speed of 1000 km/hr to reach your destination. Weather you take your car, definitely not you go by plane. But to reach your destination you need to travel at 60km/hr then you go by Car or bike which is more economical. Like in the same manner OPC and PPC have there own advantages and Disadvantage which can be used at different situations which we will see below, based on that you decide which is a better cement for you.

OPC - Ordinary Portland Cement

    OPC are quick setting cements. After the Mix of Cement : Sand : Aggregate with water is made they harden faster than that of PPC because of its high heat of hydration. But they acquire strength faster than that of PPC. Based in the Strength they acquire at the end of 28 days of curing they are Classified as OPC -33 grade , OPC - 44 grade, OPC - 55 grade.

    OPC 33 grades acquires a strength of 33 N/mm2 at the end of 28 days, since because of there limited strength they are used for plastering and masonry works. But be careful since the heat of hydration is high in OPC you need to cure the plastered and masonry wall with water in a proper interval to avoid cracks in the works.

    OPC 44 grade acquires a strength of 44 N/mm2 at the end of 28 days,  these cement were literally used in almost most of the residential construction where there will not be any too much load that need to be taken up. 

    OPC 53 Grade acquires a strength of 53 N/mm2 at the end of 28 days, 53 grade is used in places where heavy load need to be transferred by the structural members. So 53 grade cement is widely used in the construction of High Rise Building, Precast concrete, Pre-stressed Concrete, Long Span structures like Bridges etc.,

PPC - Portland Pozzolana Cement

    PPC due to there pozzolanic content shows better resistance to chemical reactions than OPC. Hence they are very much suitable for coastal pile structures and under water construction etc., When it comes to residential construction like your house construction use it for Brick/ Blockworks and Plastering purpose. Since these surfaces are very much prone to chemical attacks.  Regarding the workability of concrete PPC provides a better workability than that of the OPC.

Which cement is best for House Construction?

    Alright let's assume that you are now planning to construct you house, but at the same time you are on a tight budget at the same time you are running of time. Then you need to go for this option. Use OPC 43 grade for your house structural elements i.e Footing, Columns, Beams and Slabs. In this way yo can finish the structure fast. Then after that use PPC for you brick/ block work and Plastering as well as flooring ( Tiles/Granite/Marble) . Hence therefore you need to use a blend of OPC and PPC for a better result both in the Economic as well as structural point of view.

Conclusion

    From the above discussion you may understand that each cement has its own advantage and disadvantages. So its up to us which one to choose for which purpose. so choose your cement wisely for your projects or for your own construction purpose.

What is Plastering?