The location and duration of storage on the project site and their impact on the effectiveness of cement

Abstract

As a result of cement produced at the factory arriving at the project site and being stored for several days or months, some of its properties may change due to the storage duration or the storage location. This paper conducted tests to determine the variation in strength properties due to the length and type of storage. When measuring the change in strength properties due to storage under different conditions at the project site and at different ages of cement, it was evident that a decrease in compressive strength due to aging (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 months) for each of the different storage conditions (normal and sealed). However, this was gained by performing compression tests on samples taken 3, 7, and 28 days after casting. The most significant result was a 46% decrease in the compressive strength of the cubes after 28 days for cement stored normally, compared to only about 25% for hermetically sealed cement. This latter type of storage (hermetically sealed storage) was comparable to the standard behavior of ordinary Portland cement as specified in the manufacturer's specifications and provided acceptable compressive strength for up to 3 months.