Rapid Hardening Cement- All You Need to Know

Rapid hardening cement is a very popular term in the construction industry news. If you are not familiar with this variety of cement then don’t worry because in this blog I have talked about rapid hardening cement and what its advantages and disadvantages are.

What is rapid hardening cement?

Rapid hardening cement or high early strength portland cement is a special variety of cement that has less initial setting time.

Where other types of cement can take up to 7 days to set, the initial setting time of rapid cement is just 3 days.

Uses of Rapid Hardening Cement

Here are some uses of rapid hardening cement.

• It is used in construction sites where the framework needs to be removed as soon as possible due to deadlines or time constraints.
• It is used where there is a need for high early strength.
• It is used to manufacture posts, electric poles, block fences, etc so that they can leave the molds quickly.
• It is used in the construction of roads which can't be shut for long due to high traffic.
• It is widely used in cold weather concreting so that the rapid release of heat protects the concrete from freezing.

Composition of Rapid Hardening Cement

Rapid hardening cement is a mixture of calcareous, siliceous, argillaceous, and other substances.

Rapid hardening cement contains ingredients in the following proportion.

Sr.No.	Scientific Name	Chemical Formula	Percentage
1.	Tricalcium Silicate	Ca3O5Si	60%
2.	Tricalcium Aluminate	Ca3Al2O6	10%
3.	Tetracalcium Aluminoferrite	Ca4Al2Fe2O10	8 %

Properties of Rapid Hardening Cement

Here are some properties of rapid hardening portland cement.

• Hardens very quickly in very little moisture.
• Provides good early strength.
• Release a large amount of hydration heat.
• Has a lighter weight.
• Sets and cures very quickly.

Advantages of Rapid Hardening Cement

The high strength of rapid concrete cement comes with many advantages.

• Due to its fine clinkers, it has an impervious structure thus becoming resistant to chemical and water attacks.
• It does not need a long time to set and cure.
• Due to a rapid release of hydration heat, it is very good for construction in cold regions.
• As it hards very rapidly, it becomes an ideal choice for the construction of roads and highways where the traffic can't be stopped for long.
• RHC is good for mortar and plaster purposes because it has a lighter weight than OPC and PPC.
• It is very popular in cold regions because of its less initial setting time.

Disadvantages of Rapid Hardening Cement

Apart from the advantages of the rapid hardening cement, it also comes with some disadvantages.

• It is not suitable for structures that are underwater or have any sort of contact with water because this cement releases a large amount of heat and that can lead to shrinkage cracks in the structure.
• It is not ideal for building large concrete structures because it releases a large amount of heat and therefore creates cracks in the structure.
• This cement can harden very quickly in the presence of very little moisture, therefore it is challenging to store it.
• The cost of Rapid hardening cement is higher than its counterparts, therefore it may create a misbalance in the budget of the construction.

This was all about rapid hardening cement that is used for construction.