#cement — Public Fediverse posts

19-Aug-2026
#Buildings that cool like African #elephants
Inspired by the cracked, water-trapping skin of elephants, Penn researchers have developed a low-cost #cement tile that cools buildings by capturing and slowly evaporating water—turning a structural flaw into a #climate solution.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140610

#science #materials #engineering #cooling

I can confidently say that my audio and cement mixing skills are at opposite ends of the spectrum!

#audio #cement #mixing

Top DIY renovation tip: Never buy the 35 kg cement bags, even if it works out a few cents less per bag. Lifting 25 kg bags around causes enough back pain.

Fun fact: In India the standard bag is 50 kg. I assume they have much stronger backs.

#Cement #Weight #Heavy #OldAge

Pouring station ready. And dirt piles moved out of the way.

Will see what the weather brings tomorrow. Been a bit unruly in some parts of the country with roofs flying away and trees blowing over.

#Foundation #Renovation #DIY #Concrete #Cement #LogHouse #Homestead #Insulation

Alpacem outlines EUR 330 million productivity and green-investment plan

Slovenia’s only cement producer plans roughly EUR 330 million of investment through 2036, including more than EUR 200 million for green projects and about EUR 120 million for productivity.

#EU #Slovenia #Cement #IndustrialDecarbonisation #Productivity

https://www.delo.si/delov-poslovni-center/energetika/investicije-cementarne-alpacem-v-produktivnost-in-zelene-nalozbe

Progress at last. Braved it despite a "Dangerous Thunderstorm Warning" and got lucky.

Shovelled ~1000 kg cement and aggregate into the orange hole and poured them down the slot between old foundation and new foam.

While I was still cleaning up, the rain came, but once the concrete is done there is only the small slot to cover, so everything is fine. I got soaked but my concrete is safe.

Phew!

New sand hauling method works ok too. Four heaped grading buckets of wet sand is the maximum. That's plenty for a couple mixer loads. Better than making a mess of the car trailer.

#Cement #Foundation #Renovation #Homestead #DIY #Building

Cement price go whee.

#Renovation #Cement

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/real-problem-global-trade

How does this stuff go on w/o ever acknowledging the crap #US #EU has been pulling for decades/centuries against #Asia #Africa - did somebody hold a gun to US/EU's head for not subsidizing the crap out of #EV #batteries #solar #wind #chips #electronics #steel #cement etc. and export the hell out of it around the world?

Burning forest “waste” to generate energy?

"Burning forest ‘waste’ to make cement damages the climate. Let’s pursue cleaner options."

"...Burning forest biomass, or so-called forest “waste” – which could include dead trees, understorey vegetation and fallen logs – generates large amounts of carbon emissions. It will likely also accelerate poor forest health. Burning forest biomass to make concrete is poor climate policy, poor environmental and forest policy, and a poor use of taxpayer funds."

"However, Australian governments must stop using taxpayer money to subsidise projects that entail large-scale burning of forest and woodland biomass for industrial energy." >>
https://theconversation.com/burning-forest-waste-to-make-cement-damages-the-climate-lets-pursue-cleaner-options-285141
#biodiversity #forests #deforestation #energy #BiomassBurning #cement #concrete #waste #tyres #climate

Phew, got the barn tidied up again just in time.

Also found out the exact lifting capacity of our Iseki's three point hitch - 500 kg. With a bit of OSB on top of the cement bags and the weight of the pallet forks (and pallet) I had to use brake steering as the front wheels were lifting and the rear hydraulics hitting relief pressure. Well designed balance! :)

My scrapmetal #PalletFork handled it fine and I got everything inside before the next rain front hit.

#Tractor #Iseki #Homestead #DIY #Cement #Barn #Pallet #Renovation

#cement : a powdery building substance

- French: ciment

- German: der Zement, zementieren

- Italian: cemento

- Portuguese: cimento

- Spanish: cemento

------------

Guess the next word of the hour @ https://24hippos.com

Woodchippping Australia's native forests to make cement?

* Concerns native forests could be part of Cement Australia's 'sustainable' fuel option as it moves away from #coal >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-01/cement-australia-railton-kiln-move-from-coal-to-alternative-fuel/106731932

* Environmental impact of concrete >>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concrete
#climate #NativeForests #Biodiversity #LoggingIndustry #cement #concrete #energy #pollution #PaveParadise

Again, don't do this with bare skin (use safety equipment and appropriate precautions)

#WoodAshCement

July 17, 2018, PrimitiveTechnology

"I developed an experimental cement from made only from re-fired #WoodAsh as its #cementitious material. It was mixed with crushed #terracotta as an aggregate and formed into a cube. The cement set hard after 3 days and did not dissolve in water after this period.

"Process: First I burnt bark and leaves in a kiln at high temperatures to produce well burnt, mostly white wood ash. The ash was then mixed into water and stirred well. The excess water was poured off and the resulting paste was made into pellets and allowed to dry. A pellet was then re-heated in the #forge until it glowed about orange hot. This was then taken out, cooled and dropped in a pot of water. The pellet dissolved and boiled due to a chemical reaction with the water. The paste was stirred and crushed terracotta (old tiles from previous projects) was added and mixed to form a mouldable #mortar. This was formed into a cube and allowed to set for three days (in the video, a cube made exactly the same way 3 days previously was used due to time constraints). The resultant cube was strong and made a slight ringing sound when tapped with a finger nail. It was placed in water for 24 hours to simulate a very heavy rain event and did not dissolve or release residues into the water.

"My current theory: The main component of wood ash consists of #calcium in some form (e.g. #CalciumCarbonate, #CalciumOxide). This can be up to 45% from my research. Calcium is in higher concentration in the #bark and #leaves of a tree. When the ash is mixed with water, the soluble component of wood ash (10% pot ash) dissolves into the water. But seeing that it does nothing for the cementing process, it is drained off leaving the insoluble calcium (and other components) in the paste. Doing this probably raises the relative percentage of calcium in the paste to about 50% or more. Most of the other 50 % consists of silica and alumina which are #pozzolans, materials that chemically react with calcium hydroxide to increase the durability of the cement product. The paste was then made into a pellet and fired again to high temperature to convert all the calcium compounds to calcium oxide. It also reduces any charcoal in the pellet to ash if it hadn’t already been burnt the first time. This step seemed important as un-fired ash pellets only partially hardened and would fall apart in water, though retaining a weak undissolved 5mm thick crust. I can only surmise that re-firing the ash just gave a greater conversion of the calcium components to calcium oxide. The pellet is slaked in water converting the calcium oxide to calcium hydroxide. This cement was mixed with crushed terracotta which may also help in some way that I’m not aware of as I only did this one experiment and did not test other aggregates yet (e.g. sand, gravel etc.). Terracotta is porous and might hold together better than other materials. The mixture is allowed to set in air where carbon dioxide reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium carbonate cementing the aggregate together. After this, the cement will not dissolve in water.

"Use: I think this material might have a potential use as a mortar holding rocks or bricks together in wet environments where #limestone or #SnailShells are unavailable for making cement. Wood ash is a pretty ubiquitous material to most natural environments inhabited by people using biomass fuels. Wood ash cement turns a waste product into a valuable building material. From my research, wood ash is already being used as a partial replacement for cement in the building industry without decreases in strength of the final product. But I’ve only just started experimenting with it and don’t know its full capabilities and limitations. Calcium content of wood ash differs depending on the species of tree, the part of the tree burnt and the soil it’s grown on. Cautious experimentation is still required before committing to a hut built from this material."

Learn more:
https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/wood-ash-cement/

#SolarPunkSunday #DIY #Cement #Woodashes #BuildingMaterials

Making And Using #Lime #Mortars

An article originally written for "Rural Wales" the magasine of CPRW

"The operation of modern #cement and lime mortar is quite different. Cements set by a non-reversible chemical action to form a solid, non yielding mass. #LimeMortars set by the absorption of #CarbonDioxide over a much longer period of time. An understanding of the chemical action of lime is therefore helpful.

"Lime is derived from #limestone or Calcium Carbonate (#CaCO3), which has been burnt in a lime kiln at over 800 degrees centigrade to produce #quicklime or #CalciumOxide (#CaO). In this process carbon dioxide and any water is driven off. Quicklime is potentially dangerous having an avid thirst for water. This process creates a lot of heat and produces #SlakedLime or #CalciumHydroxide (Ca(OH)2). Builders merchants stock this material having been reground to a fine powder and called #HydratedLime.

"The slaking process releases enough heat to cause the water to boil or spit. For this reason water must NEVER be added to quicklime. The lime must ALWAYS be added slowly into the water in a metal container. For the inexperienced builder or home craftsman, slaking is therefore not recommended.

"#HydratedLime can be used as the basis of all lime plasters and mortars. It will slowly absorb free carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and revert to #CalciumCarbonate. A triangle has therefore been completed converting the #calcium back to its original chemical form of limestone. For this reason lime mortars have the potential for #ContinuousRecycling."

Learn more:
http://www.users.callnetuk.com/~gwynedd21/home/JN/LIME.HTM

#SolarPunkSunday #SustainableBuilding #Recyclable #Reusable #LimePlaster #LimeMortar #AncientTechnology #TraditionalTechnology #SustainableBuildingMaterials #ZeroWaste

🤖🔨 Oh joy, yet another groundbreaking revelation: #AI is now the savior of #cement and concrete! Because, apparently, there's nothing more riveting than the thought of #robots pondering over the perfect mix of gravel and sand. A thrilling read for anyone who's ever dreamt of a tech-driven cement mixer revolution! 🙄🚧
https://engineering.fb.com/2026/03/30/data-center-engineering/ai-for-american-produced-cement-and-concrete/ #Revolution #Tech #Innovations #Construction #HackerNews #ngated

AI for American-Produced Cement and Concrete

https://engineering.fb.com/2026/03/30/data-center-engineering/ai-for-american-produced-cement-and-concrete/

#HackerNews #AI #Cement #Concrete #AmericanManufacturing #Innovation

VTG & Bredon renew 15yr cement wagon deal http://dlvr.it/TRYTXK #Breedon #Business #Cement #HopeValley

The thread about Leith’s lost “Eagle Buildings” and what connects them to the building of the Forth Bridge

This thread was originally written and published in September 2020.

I saw a photo tweeted by the excellent Scran resource and was struck by the coincidence that I had looked the place up only a few days before when I had come across some other photos of it on Flickr.

https://twitter.com/Scranlife/status/1308652327373606912?s=20&t=RiEzrm-6XhDoBt2_yhUtig

The Eagle Buildings were at 5 Tower Street in Leith, next to the Sailor’s Home (now Malmaison Hotel).

Here they are in 1992, when it was being used as a workshop and store by a shopfitter. The photographer suggests demolition was in 1997.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cagiva1994/14016906377/

Most of that “sandstone” front was mock and was actually a showcase of the Portland cement wares of its occupants, Currie & Co. Ltd, Building-Trade Merchants in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leith and across the Scottish central belt.

Currie & Co, Ltd. had been incorporated in April 1898 by the merger of two similar building supply and cement merchant businesses owned by John Patrick Currie:

• Currie & Co. of Glasgow, founded in 1873, headquartered in Wellington Street. Subsidiary companies included the North British Asphalt Company, the North British Coal and Firewood Company and the Eagle Portland Cement Co. This is the eagle connection; it was a brand to sell cement.
• Joseph A. Currie & Co. of Edinburgh and Leith, founded in 1875 and headquartered in Bernard Street in Leith. This business had been bought in 1893 by John Patrick on the death of his brother Joseph Allan at the age of only 42.

This 1911 advert reveals that they had a lineage going back to the late 18th century through A. M. Ross & Sons, slate merchants in Glasgow.

The headquarters had moved from Glasgow to 19 Rose Street in Edinburgh around this time, that building too was called the Eagle Buildings and it remains so to this day. If you crane your neck and look up as you pass, you’ll see an eagle watching over you high above in its “eerie”.

Joseph Allan Currie was born in Cupar, Fife, in 1851. At the age of only 21 he was appointed manager of the Waltham Abbey Gas Works in London. He returned north and settled in Leith two years later, bringing with him a new trade of Portland cement merchant. Cement was not manufactured in Scotland at the time, but was imported from the Medway. Leith was therefore the perfect base for such a venture. Joseph Allan added plaster of Paris, pavement stone, lime, fireclay and earthenware to this business, becoming a successful builders merchant, growing the business to become one of the largest in Scotland. In 1894 his company was reported as being the largest suppliers of roofing felt in the region; an increasingly popular product due to the increasing cost of roofing slate and timber.

His obituary described him as having “indefatigable energy, strong personality and business tact“. Joseph was remarkable as being the sole suppliers of Portland cement for both the Forth Bridge works and the ill-fated first Tay Bridge.

The construction of the Forth Bridge required some 20,000 tons of Portland cement, which was manufactured on the River Medway and was brought by sea to South Queensferry. Here it was transferred to an old hulk that Currie had purchased called the Hougomont; a ship that had been built in Burma as a convict transport for Australia. The Hougomont could store 1,200 tons of cement, which had to be stored for a certain number of days before it was used. When smallpox broke out amongst the workers in 1886, the Hougomont was moved to Port Edgar and used as an isolation hospital, helping the outbreak to be quickly dealt with.

John Patrick Currie – born 1848 – continued to run the business and became the largest Scottish building merchant and cement distributor, Scottish agents for I. C. Johnson & Co. Isaac Charles Johnson and his business partner had painstakingly reverse-engineered existing cement products, improved them and then produced a different product that they were careful to make sure was not subject to existing patents.

An 1894 description of the company in a trade publication states:

The commodities which Messrs. Currie & Co. deal in principally are: Portland cement, Scotch and Irish limes, pavement, freestone, crushed granite, Arran sand, slates, fireclay goods, barytes, umber, plaster of Paris, whiting, &c. In all these lines Messrs. Currie & Co. hold large stocks, and are ready to meet any demands with promptitude. Their standing is accepted as a guarantee of quality, and they spare no effort to maintain their high reputation for reliable material. The business in every department receives the direct personal attention of its founder and sole proprietor, Mr. John P. Currie, a gentleman whose commercial capabilities are well demonstrated in the success that has attended this influential concern. The business in which Mr. Currie is now so actively engaged derives its support from a thoroughly representative and increasing connection, and continues to develop.

Rivers of the North – Their Cities and their Commerce.

It seems that the Curries named nearly all their properties Eagle Buildings, with at least 3 in Glasgow.

John Patrick died at home in Edinburgh in March 1919 at the age of 71. After his death, the company seems to have moved its headquarters to another Eagle Buildings, this time in Dock Street, Dundee. By this time it was an agent for the Cement Marketing Company, which would eventually rename itself after its most famous product; Blue Circle Portland Cement. The company was still trading in 1953, after which the trail in newspaper archives goes cold.

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