This document summarizes the key learnings from a Holcim Group support course on cement applications in 2008. It covers: 1) the importance of understanding the value chain and customer needs; 2) challenges and opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions and developing sustainable products; 3) understanding the cement manufacturing process and how it influences cement properties; and 4) how the constituents and hydration of cement impact the fresh and hardened properties of cement paste and ultimately the performance of concrete.

1. Learning Transfer CCA 2008 10.Nov.2008
Key Learning's

2. 2
Holcim Group Support Course for Cement Applications 2008
Key Learning's 10.November.2008
1. Importance of Value Chain
2. Product challenges & Opportunities for Holcim
3. Product Portfolio Management
4. Cement Manufacturing Process
5. Cement Constituents
6. Basics of Cement Hydration
7. Fresh & Hardened properties of Cement Paste

3. 3
Holcim Group Support Course for Cement Applications 2008
Key Learning's 10.November.2008
1. Importance of Value Chain
 Shift from production oriented industry to market oriented (from
demand to supply)
 Channel participation
2. Product Challenges & Opportunities for Holcim
 Reduction of CO2 emissions (reduction of clinker factor, AF, innovation
of new construction technologies, sustainable buildings)
3. Product Portfolio Management
 Real life understanding of the customers needs meeting those needs
with optimized product portfolios
4. Cement Manufacturing Process
 Importance of understanding the whole Cement Manufacturing
Process (cement uniformity)

4. 4
Holcim Group Support Course for Cement Applications 2008
Key Learning's 10.November.2008
5. Cement Constituents
 Decision Tree: systematic approach to develop a desired product
 Importance of each component of cement on the performance
 Importance of MIC on the performance
6. Basics of Cement Hydration
 Phases of clinker
 Hydration kinetics
 Hydration products
 Correlation of heat to strength
 Relationship between hydration and performance

5. 5
Holcim Group Support Course for Cement Applications 2008
Key Learning's 10.November.2008
7. Fresh & Hardened Properties of Cement Paste
 Understanding of the cement properties and how these
properties influence the performance
 setting and fineness
 Durability issues: soundness, sulphate attack, porosity &
permeability, alkali aggregate reactions, carbonation, chloride
attack
Effectiveness of concrete depends not only on the
cement quality but also on the mix design