Evaluating the quality of locally manufactured ordinary Portland cement

Abstract

Ordinary Portland cement is one of the most widely used construction materials in building and concrete projects, and assessing its quality is a key factor in ensuring that the produced concrete conforms to standard specifications. This research aims to study the quality of ordinary Portland cement produced in several Libyan factories (Zliten, Al-Burj, Al-Fataih, Al-Hawari, and Labda) through a series of physical, mechanical, and chemical tests. These tests included fineness, standard consistency, initial and final setting times, compressive strength (tested using standard mortar cubes after 3, 7, and 28 days), and the main chemical composition of the cement. The results showed that most of the factories (Zliten, Al-Burj, Al-Fataih, and Al-Hawari) conform to Libyan, European, and American specifications. However, the cement from the Labda factory showed deficiencies in early and final compressive strength, making it more akin to low-heat cement. The study concluded with recommendations for improving quality in Libyan cement factories, including optimizing the proportions of mineral components and developing quality control systems.