Cement is the core ingredient in concrete. At the Heidelberg Materials Union Bridge plant, cement is produced in excess of 2,000,000 tons per year. Cement is mixed with sand and limestone to form concrete, with cement being the binder of the mixture.
Cement manufacturing at Union Bridge is a 24 hour, 7 day/week operation where a mixture of limestone, sand, iron slag and ponded ash are precisely controlled and blended to an exact chemical recipe.
The mixture is then heated at very high temperatures (1450 degrees C or 2640 degrees F) to form clinker which is a semi-finished material that has hydraulic properties. The clinker is then fed to a finishing mill where the clinker is mixed with gypsum to optimize setting behavior and strength development of the finished cement.
Cement plant laboratories check each step in the process to insure the cement meets strict quality control requirements before being shipped to our customers.