CeMAP cites relevance of cement proficiency testing

MANILA, Philippines - There is more to proficiency testing for cement than merely establishing the integrity and reliability of the construction material through laboratory processes, the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) said yesterday.

CeMAP president Dr. Ernesto Ordonez issued the statement to correct common misperceptions that cement proficiency testing was limited to the simple evaluation of test results for precision, apart from affirming the quality of the material being sold in the domestic market.

“Proficiency testing also provides the participating laboratories an opportunity to assess the performance of their particular analytical methods,” Ordonez pointed out, adding that the process involves a cluster of laboratories performing the same analyses on homogenous samples.

The CeMAP official also said proficiency testing was “purposely designed as a self-help scheme to inform the concerned laboratories of the need to correct their procedures to attain better accuracy.”

CeMAP provides proficiency testing for both privately and publicly owned testing laboratories. Its testing laboratory is the only such facility in the ASEAN. It is only one of two proficiency testing service providers for laboratories in the country - the other being that for the food processing sector.

This year, CeMAP will conduct its third round of proficiency testing.

The Philippine Accreditation Office, which operates under the umbrella of the Department of Trade and Industry, earlier cited CeMAP’s initiative to institutionalize cement proficiency testing in the country as a preemptive move against the use of substandard cement in the local market.

Ordonez has also warned of the “great risk” posed by poor quality cement being used for the construction of high rise buildings and vital infrastructure projects. “Imagine the danger to public safety if below quality cement finds its way into the construction of local edifices and infrastructures,” he warned.

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

Physical characteristics of cement that must be closely monitored through laboratory tests are compressive strength and “setting time”, referring to the amount of time before the cement harden to the appropriate level.