Cement makers set up proficiency test program

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Accreditation Office (PAO) has welcomed the move by the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippine (CeMAP) to set up a proficiency test (PT) program where laboratories can assess their competence in carrying out cement testing activities. PAO director Cirila Botor said her agency is now formulating guidelines and building capacity to accredit proficiency testing providers.

CeMAP will be the second proficiency testing provider of laboratories in the country; the other is the one set up by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) for food products.

Proficiency testing is a means of assessing the ability of laboratories to competently perform specific tests and measurements. A laboratory’s proficiency testing compares the consensus results the testing generates with the results submitted by the participant laboratories.

CeMAP has taken the initiative of running a proficiency testing program that will ensure the accuracy and reliability of test results generated by cement testing laboratories.

Passing a proficiency test will also put more value to the application for PAO accreditation of any laboratory. This is because the proficiency test evaluates the correctness of the facility’s methodology and results. Although proficiency test participation is just one of the criteria an applicant must satisfy, passing a proficiency test is an important consideration in granting accreditation to laboratories, Botor said.

There is the great risk that substandard cement will be sold in the market if laboratories in the country are not accurate in their test. “Imagine the danger posed if below quality cement finds its way into the construction of high rise building, which will expose the public to unnecessary risks,” CeMAP president Ernesto M. Ordonez said.

Among the chemical contents of cement that must be measured with precision are silica, alumnia, ferric oxide, calcium oxide, magnesia, loss on ignition, insoluble residue, sulfur trioxide, free lime and alkali.

The physical attributes of cement include compressive strength, considered as a critical indicator of concrete quality and an assurance that the concrete will come up to expectations in the structural design.

Another physical characteristic of cement that is subject to close scrutiny by laboratory tests is setting time, meaning the amount of time wherein the cement paste gradually hardens into concrete.

In the case of laboratories run by cement manufacturers, the proficiency testing reaffirms the product reliability and quality certification issued by the cement plant. The procedure form part of obtaining the Philippine Standard or “PS” mark of good quality.