Home building guide · Walls and materials

Cement

The grey powder that reacts with water and binds sand and aggregate into concrete and mortar.

Cement: illustration
Illustration

What it is

Cement sets and hardens by a chemical reaction with water called hydration. The main types used in homes are OPC (ordinary Portland cement), PPC (Portland pozzolana cement) and PSC (Portland slag cement), plus white cement for finishing.

Types and key points

  • OPC: fast strength gain
  • PPC: made with fly ash, slower and more durable
  • PSC: made with slag, good against salts
  • Sold in 50 kg bags; use within about three months

Why it matters

Old or damp cement loses strength. Check the manufacturing date on the bag.

How Elamentt handles it

The cement brand and type are written in your specification, and bags are stored dry on site.

Next step

See it on your
own plot.

Our studio turns your plot size into a plan, a 3D model built stage by stage, and a list of the cement, steel, bricks and sand it needs. Or ask an engineer.