Chemical Composition of Cements Produced in Saudi Arabia and Its Influence on Concrete Strength

The current cement consumption in the Kingdom exceeds 25 million tons per year, which is one of the highest per capita consumption in the world. Presently, there are eight cement companies operating in the Kingdom with a total production capacity of about 22 million tons per year. However, in the Kingdom there is a plan for new plants and major expansion of existing plants which is expected to double the current production of cement in the coming years.In this research project, the variability of chemical composition of cements produced in the Kingdom and its impact on the strength development of concrete up to 5 years were investigated. The test results showed that the chemical composition of Type I cement produced in the Kingdom is similar to typical values of Type I cement in the literature. However, the Type V cement demonstrated high C3S and low C2S contents. It was also found that all cements have low amount of alkali equivalent which can be classified according to ASTM CI50 as low-alkali cement. The results of compressive strength of concrete made with Type I cement were 2-4 MPa higher than corresponding concrete made with Type V cement at all ages up to 5 years. Keywords: Cement, Saudi Arabia, Chemical composition, Concrete strengt