Introduction

1. The compressive strength of cement is the ability of the cement to withstand load when it is being hardened into a mass. This property is of great importance because it ascertains the quality of cement which is quite useful in building structures.
2. With the increase in compressive strength of cement, properties such as flexural strength, abrasion resistance and so on also increase. Therefore, by performing the compressive strength test of cement we can determine different characteristics of cement.
3. The compressive strength test of cement mortar is not carried out on plain cement because due to the high heat of hydration of cement, in addition to water, thermal cracks develop in the sample. The test is therefore performed on blocks of mortar composed of cement and sand.
4. The mortar cubes of size 70.6 mm are prepared, compacted, cured and tested under a compression testing machine at the end of three days, seven days and twenty-eight days respectively.