Make your cement choice matter

A home is beyond just a brick-and-mortar structure. There is a high emotional and aspirational value attached to its construction. For it is the single largest investment most of us are likely to make in a lifetime.

Location and infrastructure, architecture and amenities, floor plans and layouts, or wall colours and tiles, for that matter - these are some of the appealing factors that are high on the mind and generally influence the decision ultimately.

However, there are factors which are beyond the visual elements that ideally need to be considered, but are often overlooked in the overall larger scheme of things.

Take, for instance, homeowners seldom pay attention to the quality/type of cement being used in the construction of their dream home as it is something which cannot be visualised unlike in the case of paints or tiles being used.

According to rough estimates, the construction stages are usually spread over a period of six months. A house with a floor area of 1,000 sq ft would roughly require around 400-450 cement bags. For instance, a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation will point out that about 14-16% of the expenditure of building a new home is likely to be directed towards purchasing these cement bags.

The choice of cement is the most important decision in constructing a house, second to the structural analysis bill of quantity formation. Selection of the right cement, followed by the correct concrete mix design is integral to the strength and durability of your house. Cement must be selected based on multiple factors like geographic location & other performance parameters, ex: strength, durability, workability, slump retention etc.

Grade of concrete, water cement ratio, type of cement & cementitious products used, adequate curing, controlled or reduced heat of hydration of cement, minimization of crack formation, temperature, and stripping time are the governing factors for concrete performance. Thus, the choice of the cement becomes extremely critical.

The choice of cement can determine whether you allow harmful gaseous substances & water to ingress and remain trapped in your house or not.

Cement, which uses slag as raw material will help you achieve this objective. JSW Cement uses slag (a by-product of steel making process) to manufacture cement at their facilities.

Slag cement by virtue of its chemical properties & secondary hydration process minimizes pores & voids, when applied and hence leaves very less room for harmful gases & water vapour to be trapped, unlike other cements, thus eradicating steel reinforcement corrosion & concrete matrix deterioration through chemical attack.

For JSW Cement, quality, trust and service are of prime importance. The ultramodern manufacturing facilities ensure world-class quality not only in terms of high ultimate strength but also guarantees you a durable construction, which withstands the test of time.