Vietnam is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest, and the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia across the South China Sea to the east and southeast.[d] Its capital city has been Hanoi since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976, with Ho ...
Cement. 1  Cement is a binder. Similar to flour in a recipe, the purpose of cement is to hold the other materials together. 2  Concrete is a composite of aggregate (such as sand or gravel), cement, and water. Itâs like a cookie. 3  The basic composition of mortar might seem similar to concrete, but what really sets it apart is how it is used.
Portland cement is not a brand name, but the generic term for the type of cement used in virtually all concrete, just as stainless is a type of steel and sterling a type of silver. Cement comprises from 10 to 15 percent of the concrete mix, by volume. Through a process called hydration, the cement and water harden and bind the aggregates into a rocklike mass. This hardening process continues for years meaning that concrete gets stronger as it gets older.