What does 33,43 and 53-grades of cement mean?

What does 33,43 and 53-grades of cement mean?

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Cement is a very important building material used in the construction industry. It’s essentially a fine powder, which when mixed with water undergoes chemical change and thereafter allowed to set and harden is capable of uniting fragments or masses of solid matter together to produce a mechanically strong material. Cement can be used as binding material with water, for bonding solid particles of different sizes like bricks, stones or aggregate to form a monolith.

Cement has replaced all other binding materials as it is the strongest binding material amongst other comparables such as clay& lime.

Cement is now used in many construction trade items like Plain Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, Mortar, Plaster, Grouts, Paints and in Pre­cast Elements. In an ordinary building construction, the cement accounts to about 15­17% of the cost of construction. In some other major constructions like concrete roads and bridges, it is much higher.

The following are the commercially available Cements:

1-Ordinary Portland Cements (OPC) of 33,43 & 53Grade, 

2-Blended Cements viz.Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and Portland Slag Cement (PSC).

3-Sulphate Resisting Cement, White Cement and Low Heat Portland Cement are also being produced in smaller scale

Even though only Ordinary Portland Cement is graded according to strength, the other cements too have to gain a particular strength. 33, 43 and 53 grade in OPC indicates the compressive strength of cement after 28 days when tested as per IS: 4031­1988, eg, 33 Grade means that 28 days of compressive strength is not less than 33 N/mm2 (MPa). Similarly, for 43 grade and 53 grade the 28 days compressive strength should not be less than 43 and 53 MPa respectively.

Mostly 53-grade ordinary portland cement is used in construction industry. Nowadays there are very few manufacturers that produce 33 grade ordinary portland cement and 43 grade ordinary portland cement.

In such case when 33 and 43 grade cement are not available, one can opt for PPC where cost will be marginally lower.

As hardly anyone manufacturer 33 or 43 grade cement, it is difficult to state about its cost, but it has been lower than 53 grade. Mini plants generally manufacture 33/43 grade cement.