Cement vs. Concrete- What’s the Difference?

Cement and concrete are actually two completely different substances. In essence, cement (or Portland Cement to be specific) is used as an “ingredient” in concrete that mixes with aggregate, sand, road base, and water to form concrete when dried. 

JLC Martinez Concrete, a local concrete company in the Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt, Lodi, Stockton, Lathrop, Tracy, Manteca, and Modesto area, is here to help. Below, you’ll find out more information on these two amazing materials and how they’ve come into play since Roman times.

Compositional Differences

As mentioned above, cement is an ingredient of concrete. Concrete is made up of cement, aggregate rock, sand, and water, while the former is a substance all on its own (kind of).

Depending on what kind of cement you’re talking about, it can be made up of clay, limestone, bauxite, iron, slate, and or shells—and that’s not even a comprehensive list. The most common type of cement used in the concrete industry is called Portland cement (which goes back to the UK, not Oregon or Maine!).

When builders gather around fries and milkshakes to talk about what’s in their cement, they’re referring to a small part of their concrete and not the concrete structure itself. While cement is still critical from a structural perspective, it’s just a part of the concrete slab or structure as a whole.

Construction

Concrete and cement play different roles when it comes to installation. Cement is a binding agent. It’s the egg to your Nana’s tiramisu. See, it glues whatever it’s touching together thus serving as the most critical piece. Because of its usefulness, cement is commonly used outside of concrete construction and has various roles in the construction industry at large.

Concrete is used for its strength and ease of shaping. It’s hard (once cured), not sticky. It’s the go to for the construction of foundational elements and surfaces due to it’s second to none strength and versatility around forms. 

Power

As you now know, concrete is stronger than cement and can last for hundreds of years if it is made right. have you ever been to the Roman Colisuem? That’s concrete. When you combine aggregate rock, sand, water, and cement and allow that stuff to rest and dry, the result is one of the most durable building materials on planet earth.