Comparative Analysis of Compressive Strength of Concrete Using Different Brands of Local Cement and Admixture

Abstract

This research investigates the comparative compressive strength performance of concrete produced using different locally available cement brands and commonly used admixtures in Bangladesh. The study aims to evaluate how Shah Cement, Aman Cement, and Supercrete Cement combined with two widely applied chemical admixtures, PCA-1 (Sobute) and SikaPlast® PH 8395 affect the compressive strength of C30-grade concrete. To ensure uniformity, all concrete mixes were prepared using a fixed proportion of 1:1.5:3 and a water cement ratio of 0.45. Prior to casting, the raw materials were characterized through sieve analysis, unit weight tests, and specific gravity tests for both sand and stone aggregates. Concrete cylinders were then cast and cured for compressive strength tests at 14 and 28 days. The concrete compressive strength test results show clear differences among the three cement brands- Shah, Supercrete, and Aman- when combined with two admixtures: SikaPlast® PH 8395 and PCA-1 (Sobute). At 14 days, Shah Cement recorded average strengths of 26.0 MPa with SikaPlast® and 27.0 MPa with PCA-1 (Sobute), both nearing the 27 MPa target. Supercrete Cement showed 25.4 MPa with SikaPlast® and 25.9 MPa with PCA-1, slightly below the target but acceptable for early-age strength. Aman Cement achieved 26.4 MPa using SikaPlast® and 27.1 MPa using PCA-1, showing reliable consistency. By 28 days, all cements surpassed the 30 MPa target: Shah Cement reached 34.35 MPa with SikaPlast® and 34.47 MPa with PCA-1, the highest among all. Supercrete Cement attained 31.20 MPa with SikaPlast® and 31.65 MPa with PCA-1, while Aman Cement delivered 33.40 MPa with SikaPlast® and 33.57 MPa with PCA-1. Overall, the results indicate that PCA-1 (Sobute) consistently produced slightly higher strengths across all cement brands, with Shah Cement with PCA-1 (Sobute) achieving the best performance in both 14-day and 28-day tests.