hydraulic cement
Noun: A type of cement that sets and hardens through a chemical reaction with water (hydration) and can do so even underwater. It is produced by heating a mixture of limestone and clay in a kiln to form clinker, which is then ground into a fine powder.
This term refers specifically to the powdered binding material used in construction. It is the primary ingredient in concrete and mortar. - The dam's construction required a special hydraulic cement to ensure it would cure properly in the wet environment. - Hydraulic cement is essential for foundations that may be exposed to groundwater.
- Technical Context: In engineering and chemistry, "hydraulic cement" describes cements with silicate and aluminate compounds that undergo hydration, forming insoluble products that are stable in water. Portland cement is the most common type.
- The study compared the long-term durability of different classes of hydraulic cement in marine environments.
- Portland cement (n): The most common and widely used type of hydraulic cement.
- Cement (n): A broader category of binding materials, which includes both hydraulic and non-hydraulic types (e.g., lime plaster).
- Hydraulicity (n): The property of a cement to set and harden underwater.
- Portland cement (specific type)
- Water-hardening cement
The core meaning is defined by its chemical property of hardening underwater, which distinguishes it from non-hydraulic cements like lime plaster that require air to set.
- a cement that hardens under water; made by heating limestone and clay in a kiln and pulverizing the result