Portland cement
1
4.8
- noun
- /ˈpɔrtlənd ˈsɛmɛnt/
- Specialized
:
cemento Portland
- To build a strong foundation, use high-quality Portland cement mixed with gravel and sand.
- Portland cement concrete
- Type I ordinary Portland cement
Examples
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Superior binding properties coupled with a slower drying time give Portland cement sufficient tractability to make it very adaptable for architectural detailing and sculptural modeling.
Academic text (2007) -
For the new patio, they selected a blend of Portland cement, aggregate, and water to ensure durability.
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Cement-Type 2 Portland cement was used as a cementing agent in this work.
Academic text (2016) -
His responsibilities included the specification, inspection, approval, and quality assurance testing of Portland cement concrete and concrete materials.
Academic text (2016) -
Type I ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was used for all mixtures.
Academic text (2016) -
Of the overall CO2 emissions made by the construction industry, 74 to 81% is generated by Portland cement production.
Academic text (2016) -
The execution of these embellishments was greatly facilitated by the rapid introduction of Portland cement toward the end of the nineteenth century.
Academic text (2007) -
Portland cement of grade 42.5 containing 6.7 wt% calcite was used.
Academic text (2018) -
The construction team decided to use Portland cement because it sets well even in wet conditions.
Synonyms
A cement that hardens when it meets water, even underwater
Surface Forms
Morphology
Portland + cement
A B1 learner who knows 'cement' will readily infer that 'Portland cement' is a kind or brand/name of cement because 'Portland' functions as a proper-name modifier; however the specific technical properties (e.g. composition, that it hardens under water) are not derivable from the constituents. The term's origin as a place-name and its specialized, technical sense make the expression partially transparent but not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Portland cement may come from a simple image: when the new cement hardened it looked like the pale building stone from the Isle of Portland in England, so makers started calling it 'Portland cement'. That's why the name now means a common, very strong cement that becomes 'stone-like' and can be used in concrete, even where it must 'harden under water'.