Influence of Cement Brand on the Fresh, Mechanical, and Durability Properties of Concrete
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1014-5642Keywords:
Portland cement, cement brand, compressive strength, fresh concrete properties, water absorption, analysis of varianceAbstract
This study evaluated the influence of three commercially available Portland cement brands in Nigeria (Dangote, Lafarge, and BUA) on the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties of 1:2:4 concrete at a constant water-cement ratio of 0.5. Concrete cubes (150 × 150 × 150 mm) were cast and cured for 3, 7, 14, and 28 days, after which slump, setting time, compressive strength, and water absorption were determined. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that both cement brand (F(2,24) = 15.73, p < 0.001) and curing age (F(3,24) = 28.70, p < 0.001) significantly influenced compressive strength, whereas their interaction was not significant (p = 0.13). One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among brands at 3 and 7 days (p < 0.01), but not at 14 or 28 days (p > 0.05). Although BUA recorded the highest mean 28-day compressive strength (28.22 ± 2.14 N/mm²), followed by Lafarge (26.44 ± 3.74 N/mm²) and Dangote (23.78 ± 0.22 N/mm²), Tukey's HSD test found no significant pairwise differences. The cement brand did not significantly affect water absorption (p = 0.08), whereas curing age did (p = 0.04). Lafarge produced the highest slump (45 mm) and shortest setting time (5-6 hours), while BUA produced the lowest slump (25 mm) and longest setting time (8-9 hours). These findings indicate that the cement brand primarily influences fresh properties and early-age strength, supporting project-specific testing when selecting cement.
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