The Early Beginnings of Portland Cement

Portland cement, which is one of the key ingredients in concrete, mortar, stucco and many grouts, is the most common type of cement and is used throughout the world.  Most of it is grey colored and referred to as ordinary portland cement (OPC) but there is also a white variety. 

It was in the mid-18^th century during the planning of a lighthouse in Britain that John Smeaton, an English civil engineer, pioneered the use of hydraulic lime which eventually led to the invention of portland cement in the next century.  The lighthouse required a hydraulic mortar that could set and develop some strength in the short time span between high tides. His experiments included working with combinations of different limestones and additives such as trass (a volcanic tuff occurring in the Eifel) and pozzolanas (volcanic ash from Italy).  Smeaton is credited with concrete eventually becoming the building material of choice for the modern world.

Toward the late 18^th century, Roman cement, a natural form of cement made by burning nodules found in clay deposits containing clay minerals and calcium carbonate, was developed and patented by James Parker.  This cement was nothing like the material used by the ancient Romans.  In Parker’s cement, the burnt nodules were ground into a fine powder and mixed with sand to make a mortar that set in as little as five to fifteen minutes.

After several developments in cement during the ensuing years, Joseph Aspdin patented a material he called portland cement in 1824 based on the fact that its color was similar to the famous stones on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. His portland cement was just a first step in the development of the material we use today.  Several decades later his son improved the material by inadvertently producing calcium silicates.   While this resulted in higher production cost with a material that required more lime in the mix and higher kiln temperatures, the concrete that it produced set slowly and developed strength quickly. 

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Source:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_cement