Cement + Water = Milk. Does cement lait leak into the soil?

First you need to figure it out what is "cement milk". In the common people, this is the name for a plastic compound of cement and liquid. Many people believe that when building a foundation or concrete without a special film, this very milk can partially leak into the soil or holes in the formwork. As a result of the loss of the binding component, the strength of the finished concrete or foundation decreases.

In this article, I will reveal the real facts about such a process as cement laitance leakage.

How does cement harden?

The interaction of the cement mass with water is usually called hydration. When liquid is added, cement substances instantly turn into sharp crystals firmly attached to each other. After 12 hours, the crystals obtained occupy the entire concrete mass, making it a monolithic substance, which is also called cement stone.

The reaction rate of the mass depends on the ambient temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the reaction. It is important to take into account that at temperatures above 30 degrees due to the evaporation of the liquid, the strength of the binder decreases. Despite the generally accepted proportions (60-70 percent of the liquid), only 40 percent of water is needed for the reaction of the cement mass. The remaining moisture is stored in the stone pores until it evaporates.

Cement + Water

Now let's look at how the reaction happens. At the initial stage of mixing, the mass is wrapped with a special glue. As a result of the reaction, the reacted liquid and cement particles become inseparable. The resulting mass in the common people is called cement milk.

As a result of kneading, this milk overlaps the sand filler. The bonds that appear do not allow the milk to separate and go into the ground. The spatial binders hold the cement mass so tightly that it cannot seep even through a hole in the formwork.

Only excess moisture, which remained intact during the reaction, can seep into the ground.

The concrete is poured into the foil-covered formwork only to create greenhouse effects and not to prevent cement laitance leakage.

With the correct proportion and respect for the proportions, the corresponding plasticity of the cement is achieved. Any builder can check the ratio by taking some concrete mixture on a shovel. As a result, the parameters and mobility of cement can be checked even in the field.

Of course, when adding 2 buckets of liquid and 1 bucket of cement mixture, one cannot talk about the quality of the glue and stone obtained.