一、 产业结构
水泥制品是以水泥为基材经过深加工制成的工业产品。由于它具有优良的物理、力学性能，耗能少，能按设计要求制成所要求的形状，耐腐蚀，使用寿命长，维修费用少，节省金属和木材等独特优点，在我国城乡、工矿企业、农田水利以及能源、交通、通讯等工程建设中得到极为广泛的使用，取得了显著的社会效益和经济效益。
水泥制品工业是建筑材料工业的一部分，解放前，我国没有水泥制品工业。随着我国国民经济的快速发展和人民生活水平的提高，对水泥制品的需求量也日益增多。在国家有关综合部门的大力支持下，在全国各级建材主管部门领导下，经过水泥制品行业几十年的艰苦奋斗，使水泥制品工业从无到有，从小到大逐步发展起来，大体经历了四个阶段。
第一阶段是钢筋混凝土制品发展时期。我国50年代研制并生产了石棉水泥管、石棉水泥瓦、混凝土和钢筋混凝土排水管、钢筋混凝土电杆、钢筋混凝土轨枕、钢筋混凝土矿井支架、钢丝网水泥船等。
第二阶段是预应力混凝土制品研发时期。我国60年代研制并批量生产承插式三阶段预应力混凝土管、一阶段预应力混凝土管、自应力混凝土管、预应力混凝土电杆、预应力混凝土轨枕、预应力混凝土管桩（PC桩）等。
第三阶段是推广应用时期。进入70年代，国家极为重视推广应用水泥制品工作，如1972年11月经国务院、国家建委建材组（即国家建筑材料工业局），在西安全国水泥管发展规划会议上，专题讨论研究如何发展混凝土压力管问题。会后，国家计委、国家建委、国家物资总局领导高度重视和大力支持，安排专项钢材和资金，扶持水泥压力管的生产发展，使水泥压力管从此进入一个新的发展时期。
第四阶段是大力发展时期。80年代、90年代到今是我们国家经济建设发展最快的历史时期，也是水泥制品工业大发展时期。在此期间，不仅大量生产各种钢筋混凝土制品和预应力混凝土制品，而且在改革开放方针指引下，积极从国外引进了先进的制管、制桩、制瓦、制板等工艺技术和装备。与此同时，也加大了国内自主开发的力度，并取得了显著成效，实现水泥制品生产装备的国产化。
据统计，2003年全国规模以上水泥制品行业企业1312个，占全国建材行业企业14185个的9.25%，全部职工（从业人员平均人数）为19.8万人；全国水泥制品行业企业工业总产值（现价新规定）、工业销售产值（现价新规定）、工业增加值、利润总额在建材行业32个行业中排名第三位。到2006年，全国规模以上水泥制品行业企业数为2623个，较2003年增长99.92%，占全国建材行业企业18351个的14.29%；全部职工（从业人员平均人数）为33.6万人，比2003年增长69.7%；水泥制品行业工业增加值、主营业务收入、利润总额在建材行业中排名第二位。另外，随着水泥制品行业一批专业科研、设计院（所）及专用设备制造厂的不断发展壮大，已形成具有中国特色的水泥制品工业体系。
二、 产品种类
在改革开放方针指引下，随着我国社会主义市场经济发展，新产品开发取得了可喜的成绩。开发了一大批技术含量较高的水泥制品新品种，并得到迅速发展。
（1）预应力高强混凝土管桩
我国60年代研制、生产了预应力混凝土管桩（PC桩），70年代研制后张法预应力离心振动辊压混凝土管桩（雷蒙特桩）。80年代后期，开始生产预应力高强混凝土管桩（PＨC桩），1987年交通部上海三航局从日本引进全套预应力高强混凝土管桩生产设备，生产￠400～1000mmPHC桩。与此同时，苏州混凝土水泥制品研究院和广东省桥丰水泥制品有限公司番禺水泥制品厂合作，开发研制利用国产装备生产PHC管桩，获得成功，并于1992年通过部级鉴定，随后该成果被建设部（93）178号文定为国家重点推广技术成果。随着国民经济快速发展，对基础桩需求量越来越大，使预应力高强混凝土管桩在地基较软的珠江三角洲、长江三角洲、江浙地区得到迅速发展。现在，全国生产预应力高强混凝土管桩的企业约300家，分布在广东、上海、江苏、福建、云南、天津、北京、湖北、广西、海南等省市区。2006年全国管桩产量约25000万米，管桩直径为￠300～1000mm，长度为5-15米。上海三航局生产的预应力高强混凝土管桩，最大直径达到1200mm，单根长度达到30米；广东江门裕大管桩有限公司生产了直径1000mm，长50为的PHC桩，创国内领先纪录。
（2）预应力钢筒混凝土管（简称PCCP）
我国开发研制、生产PCCP起步较晚，20世纪80年代才开始研制，1984年苏州混凝土水泥制品研究院与辽宁省营口市自来水公司管厂合作采用简易方法研制了直径￠600mm的PCCPL，并在输水管线上试用；1985年江苏省南京市水泥管厂与北京市政工程研究合作，采用自应力混凝土试制了口径DN600mm和DN1200mm的PCCPL，并分别安装在福建建阳水电站工程和南京市供水管线上试用。尽管这些用简易方法制作的管材数量不多，管径也较小，但却是成功的探索了研制PCCP的可能性。在此之后，山东省电力管道工程公司于1989年从美国阿麦隆公司（Ameren）引进PCCP制管工艺技术和关键设备（钢筒螺旋焊机、制作承插口钢卷设备、管模、振动器等）和国内配套设备（缠丝机和辊射机等）建立生产线，使用专用的制管设备组织生产，才拉开了我国生产PCCP的序幕。20世纪90年代至今得到快速发展。1992年深圳太阳管道有限公司从美国普莱斯兄弟公司（Price Brothers）引进全套PCCP制管工艺技术和设备；1995年江苏省无锡华毅管道有限公司也从美国阿美隆公司（Ameren）公司引进PCCP制管工艺技术和关键设备组建生产线。国家电力公司杭州和达混凝土机械工程有限公司与山东电力管道工程公司，无锡华毅管道有限公司密切合作，开发研制了生产PCCP专用的立式缠丝机和辊射机等设备，并在钢筒螺旋焊机方面的研发与生产上也取得成功，从而结束了我国不能制造PCCP设备的历史，为我国PCCP行业发展作出了应有的贡献。到目前为止，该公司设计制造了立式缠丝机30套，辊射机24套，钢筒螺旋焊机21套。尽管我国生产使用PCCP的历史仅有10多年，但由于国民经济快速发展，城市化进程的加快对管材需求量日益增多，以及PCCP适于铺设高工压、大口径管道的优点，深受生产企业、设计部门和使用部门的青睐，呈快速发展的势头。现在全国已有近50个企业建成了PCCP生产线，到2003年底，已累计生产口径DN600MM-DN4000MM管材约3100KM。2006年生产PCCP600多KM。
（3）彩色水泥瓦
彩色水泥瓦是近10年来水泥制品产品中发展最快的又一新品种，虽然我国生产“秦砖汉瓦”已有3000年历史，但生产彩色水泥瓦是从20世纪80年代开始，1987年，湖北荆州市建材总厂引进美国哥伦比亚和瑞典ABECE联合公司的SKANDIA60全自动生产线（年设计能力1000万片）。至此，这种新型混凝土瓦才在我国问世。随后我国又从意大利、英国、澳大利亚、美国等引进30多条生产线。在引进国外先进彩色水泥瓦生产线的基础上，国内也加大了消化吸收的步伐，并取得了显著进展，经消化吸收国外技术而仿制的生产线已经有200多条。建设部已明文指出：今后城镇建筑30%以上房屋要采用坡屋面，以改善建筑物防水、隔热功能和美化环境。由于彩色水泥瓦具有强度高、质量轻、低能耗等优点，是首选的新型屋面覆盖材料，发展前景看好。
（4）纤维水泥制品
我国目前仍然是当今世界生产使用石棉水泥瓦、板最多的国家。但在改革开放方针的指引下，纤维水泥制品行业依靠技术进步和创新，在开展代用纤维研究，开发技术含量较高的纤维水泥材料及制品方面，取得了较大进展。如中国建材研究总院水泥科学与新型建材研究所研制成功的杭碱破璃纤维、低碱度水泥及制品，即GRC制品，在80年代到90年代得到迅速发展，我国在GRC材料耐久性研究方面处于国际领先水平，GRC制品已在建筑工程、农牧渔业工程、环境艺术工程中使用，如北京宝贵石艺科技公司开发的用GRC材料制作的艺术吊顶板，已成功的在国家大剧院音乐厅吊顶工程中得到应用。此举为国家增光，为行业争气。
江苏爱富希新型建筑材料有限公司成功的开发了低收缩纤维水泥板材（防水、防火），即LCFC板、低收缩纤维水泥密度板，即NALC板、无石棉纤维水泥加压板、即NAFC板、浇注复合墙体和预制复合墙体等；青岛元鼎金属制品有限公司开发并生产城市输电用的石棉水泥电缆管和无石棉水泥电缆管。这些产品的开发，促进了纤维水泥制品行业的发展，也给生产企业发展创造了条件。
（5）钢筋混凝土管片
盾构法隧道施工技术是当今世界最先进的隧道施工技术，适用地铁隧道、高速公路隧道、地下供排水隧道。施工时可避免对地面建筑物的破坏，更好地保护环境。用此法施工，与之相配套的必须用钢筋混凝土管片。上海浦东混凝土制品有限公司的前身，上海水泥成品厂是我国最早生产管片的厂家，该厂于1966年8月到1970年生产了黄浦江第一条越江隧道用管片（打浦路），外径10米，内径8.8米，壁厚600mm，由8片组装成圆环，环宽900mm，全长1322米；1982-1988年生产了上海延安路越江隧道用管片，外径11米，内径9.9米，管片厚度550mm，由8块管片拼成圆环，每环宽1米，全长1476米。管片尺寸精度要求为±1mm。
随着我国城市地铁的发展，经济发展较快，经常实力雄厚的北京、上海、广州、深圳等到城市都在快速的修建地铁轨道交通，因此，需要大量高强度、高抗渗性、高精度的钢筋混凝土管片，涌现出一大批经济实力雄厚管片生产企业，如北京榆树庄构件厂、北京港创瑞博混凝土公司、北京城建集团构件厂、北京市住总市政构件厂、北京建工混凝土构件厂，上海隧道混凝土构件股份公司（该公司有2个企业生产管片）、广州市政工程水泥制品有限公司、深圳港创建材股份有限公司，成都金炜制管有限公司，辽宁兴荣昌地铁管片有限公司等。值得指出，上海隧道混凝土构件股份公司也是国内首家与日本企业合作，制造出双园地铁管片，并在上海6号线、8号线上成功应用。此外，还一举中标世界瞩目的上海长江隧道工程管片标(C-7标)，总长15KM，外径15m，每环用混凝土58立方米。
三、工艺装备
（1）生产装备
目前我国生产的水泥制品主要品种有：混凝土和钢筋混凝土排水管、自应力混凝土输水管、三阶段预应力混凝土管、一阶段预应力混凝土管、预应力钢筒混凝土管、钢筋混凝土电杆和预应力混凝土电杆、预应力混凝土轨枕、预应力混凝土管桩（PC桩）和预应力高强混凝土管桩（PHC桩）、钢筋混凝土构件和预应力混凝土构件及市政建设、公路、铁路建设、港口建设用混凝土制品、彩色水泥瓦、混凝土砌块和装饰混凝土砌块，纤维水泥制品——石棉水泥瓦（板、管）、GRC制品、硅酸钙板等。
几十年来，在开发上述产品的同时，水泥制品行业的有关科研设计院（所）、生产企业、专用设备制造厂密切合作，发扬艰苦创业、自力更生精神，以产品开发为龙头，依靠技术进步和创新，成功地研制了生产所用模具、成型等专用设备和机具，建立生产线组织生产，在生产实践中不断改进和完善，进而促进生产装备水平的提高。这些生产设备有：
——生产钢筋混凝土排水管设备：搅拌系统、管模（平口、企口、承插口、双插口、钢承口）、成型设备（离心机、悬辊机、立式轴向挤压成型机、立式径向挤压成型机、芯模振动液压成型机、立式径向挤压成型机，芯模振动液压成型机、振动成型装置）、喂料机、钢盘骨架滚焊机、水压机、外压机等；
——生产混凝土电杆设备：搅拌系统、杆模（锥型、等径）、离心机、喂料机、调直切断机、镦头机、纵向筋张拉设备、骨架成型滚焊机、节能养护窑、抗弯试验合座等；
——生产预应力高强混凝土管桩设备：搅拌系统、桩模、离心机、喂料机、调直切断机、镦头机、钢筋骨架滚焊机、纵向筋张拉设备、蒸压釜等；
——生产自应力混凝土管设备：搅拌系统、管模、离心机、调直切断机、钢筋骨架滚焊机、水压机等；
——生产一阶段预应力混凝土管设备：搅拌系统、管模（二片、四片外模、带胶套的芯模、成型设备（震动台、风动振动器）、调直切断机、压波机、钢筋骨架成型机、纵构筋张拉设备、拆装模用螺丝机、外压稳压装置、水压机等；
——生产三阶段预应力混凝土管设备：搅拌系统、管模、成型设备（离心机、悬辊机、振动成型装置）喂料机、调直切断机、镦头机、纵向筋张拉设备、缠丝机、水压机、辊射机等；
——生产预应力钢筒混凝土管设备：搅拌系统管模（外模、内模）、成型设备（离心机、风动振动器）、钢筒成型设备（钢筒螺旋焊机、钢筒卷焊机）、钢筒水压试验机（立式、卧式）、承插口卷园机、张园机、扳边机、承插口组装机、缠丝机（立式、卧式）、辊射机（立式、卧式）、专用吊具等。
此外，在改革开放方针指引下，我国在引进国外著名的制管、制桩、制瓦、制板、制枕等先进工艺、设备的同时，也加大了自主开发、研制的步伐，通过生产实践，在充分掌握这些工艺技术和装备的基础上，经过有关科研、设计单位、专用设备制造厂、生产企业共同努力，现在已成功的研制和开发各种制管、制杆、制桩、制枕、制瓦、制板等工艺技术和装备，工艺技术不断完善、设备不断更新，机械化水平不断提高。目前，生产水泥制品和纤维水泥制品的所有专用设备都能立足于国内制造，有的已达到替代进口设备水平，不仅能满足国内需要，而且也销往国外。
随着水泥制品产品品种的增加，生产企业和生产数量的增多，对生产装备的需求数量也日益增多，在这种大发展的形势下，带动了水泥制品专用设备制造行业的发展。在改革开放前的计划经济体制下，仅有常州建材设备厂、南京费隆公司水泥制品机械厂(南京滚焊机厂)、泰州市海能建材机械厂(泰州市水泥制品机械厂)、无锡建筑材料机械厂、陕西红旗水泥制品厂等少数厂生产水泥制品专用设备。发展到今天全国从事生产水泥制品专用设备制造厂已有100多个。不仅是制造厂数量的增多，而且生产规模、专用设备的品种、数量都有了很大发展。
（2）生产工艺
水泥制品行业依靠技术进步和创新，使生产水泥制品工艺方法实现了多样化，以排水管、预应力混凝土管、纤维水泥制品为例，说明如下：
生产混凝土和钢筋混凝土排水管工艺方法：50年代初期是采用手工捣制和简易的离心法生产小口径的排水管，通过技术进步和创新，生产工艺方法已实现了多样化，现在除离心法外，还有悬辊法、振动法(外模振动、内模振动、插入式振动)、立式轴向挤压法和立式径向挤压法、芯模振动液压成型法。
生产预应力混凝土管工艺方法：我国从60年代初期开始采用离心法生产三阶段预应力混凝土管，发展到现在除生产三阶段预应力混凝土管外，还能生产预应力钢筒混凝土管。三阶段管的管芯制造方法有：离心法、悬辊法、振动法。此外，我国除三阶段制管工艺外，还有振动挤压制管工艺，即一阶段制管工艺，采用这种工艺技术和装备生产一阶段预应力混凝土管。
生产纤维水泥制品工艺方法：由50年代初期采用手工作坊式生产石棉水泥小波瓦，发现到现在采用机械化程度很高的抄取法、流浆法、5000—9000吨液压机成型生产纤维水泥瓦、板。
四、 应用领域
我国已成为当今世界生产使用水泥制品最多的国家，每年生产的水泥制品（含纤维水泥制品）不仅能满足国民经济快速发展的需要，而且还销往国外及港澳台地区。
水泥制品在我国城乡、工矿企业、农田水利以及能源、交通、通讯等工程建设中得到极为广泛的使用，取得了显著的社会效益，已成为国民经济建设中不可缺少、重要建材产品。
到2006年底，全国已累计生产各种口径的自应力混凝土管材，110000公里和预应力混凝土管材48500公里，这些管材不仅在城市、村镇建设、工矿企业建设的输水管道中得到广泛应用，而且在农田水利建设中也被大量用于引水上山管道、倒虹吸管道、喷灌管道、排涝管道、小水电站水轮机的引水管道等；累计生产了6-15米长各种规格水泥电杆18800万根，用于架设输电、照明、通讯、广播等线路，节约木材7520万立方米，累计生产预应力混凝土轨枕29500万根，节能木材3540万立方米，这些轨枕已经在铁路干线和专用线上使用。例如，已建成的京九铁路，全长2372公里，需要用预应力混凝土轨枕500多万根（单线计算）；累计生产预应力混凝土管桩9400万米；累计生产石棉水泥瓦251000万张，作为轻质屋面材料和维护材料，作用于建设轻工业厂房、仓库等工程建设中。
目前，我国每年生产钢筋混凝土排水管约30000多公里（约450万吨）、自应力混凝土管约2000公里，预应力混凝土管2000-2500公里（其中PCCP约600公里）、混凝土电杆600万根、预应力混凝土管桩20000万米-25000万米，预应力混凝土轨枕1000万根，石棉水泥瓦约16000万张。
五、标准化工作
为适应水泥制品行业的发展需要，在有关科研、设计、生产、使用、施工、设备制造、质量监督部门密切合作和大力支持下，及时制修订有关水泥制品、纤维水泥制品方面的基础标准、产品标准、方法标准和专用设备标准。
据全国水泥制品标准化技术委员会提供的数据，到2006年11月3日止，由水泥制品标委会管理的相关标准共有133项，其中国家标准55项（强制性标准13项，推荐性标准42项），行业标准78项。2006年度共申请国家标准计划项目12项，下达计划11项；申请行业标准计划项目49项，下达计划37项。正在制修订的计划项目共63项（其中国家标准计划16项，行业标准计划47项。在制修订计划项目的63项中2006年计划完成8项）。2006年颁布标准10项，其中国家标准4项，行业标准6项。
通过全行业的努力，标准化工作稳步推进，这些标准为准确测定产品性能，严格控制产品质量，保证使用安全和工程建设质量提供了科学依据；促进了行业的技术进步，加快了新产品、新技术的推广，基本满足行业生产发展和工程建设对标准的需求。

I. Industry Structure

Concrete and cement products are deep processed industrials products with cement as the base material. It is widely used in cities and the country, in industrial and mineral enterprises and agriculture irrigation works as well as the engineering projects of energy, transport and communication, thanks to its good physical and mechanic performance and energy efficiency performance, its flexibility to be made into required shape, its durability and low repair cost and the function to save metal and wood. The industry has realized significant social and economic profit.
Concrete and cement product industry is a part of the building materials industry. Before 1949, China had no cement product industry. Later, the demand for cement products grew with the rapid development of national economy and living standard. Strongly supported by the related comprehensive government departments and led by the building materials supervising departments of various levels, the cement product industry has grown through decades of hard work from zero to an established industry. The development went through four stages.
The first stage was the development of steel concrete products. In the 1950s, China studied and produced asbestos cement pipes, asbestos cement tiles, concrete and steel concrete drainage pipes, steel concrete poles, steel concrete sleepers, steel concrete mine brackets, ferro cement boat, etc.
The second stage was the research and development of prestressed concrete products. In the 1960s, China studied and produced spigot and socket 3-stage prestressed concrete pipes, 1-stage prestressed concrete pipes, auto-stressing concrete pipes, pre-stressed concrete poles, pre-stressed concrete sleepers, pre-stressed concrete (PC) piles, etc.
The third stage was the promotion and application period. Entering the 1970s, the government paid special attention to the promotion and application of cement products. For example, in November 1972, the former National Building Materials Bureau discussed how to develop concrete pressure pipes on the national cement pipe development and strategy meeting in Xi’an. After the meeting, the national planning committee, national construction committee and national materials administration bureau attached great importance to the issue and offered vigorous support to the implementation. Special arrangements were made to provide steel and funds to support the production and development of cement pressure pipes, which started a new stage of development for cement pressure pipes.
The forth stage was one of rapid development. During the 1980s and 1990s when the economy in China experienced the most rapid development, the cement products industry also enjoyed impressive development. Large quantities of various steel concrete products and pre-stressed concrete products were produced, and advanced equipment and technology was introduced from foreign countries for making pipes, piles, tiles and panels. Meanwhile, independent development was strengthened and achievements were made: the production equipment of cement products is all made in China.
According to related statistics, there were 1312 cement products enterprises (with the annual sales income over RMB5 million Yuan) in China in 2003, 9.25% of the total enterprise number of building materials industry (14185). The employee number (average number of employment personnel) was 198000. The total industrial production value (new regulation of current price), industrial sales value (new regulation of current price), industrial value-added and total profit all ranked No. 3 of the 32 sectors of building materials industry. In 2006, the number of the cement products enterprises with the annual sales income over RMB5 million Yuan was 2623, 99.92% more than the figure in 2003, 14.29% of all the 18351 enterprises of building materials industry. The total staff number (average number of employment personnel) was 336000, 69.7% more than the number in 2003. The industrial value-added, main business operation income and total profit ranked No. 2 in the building materials industry. Meanwhile, with the continuous growth of a group of research institutes and special equipment manufacturers, an industrial system of cement products with Chinese characteristics has been set up.

II. Product Variety

Guided by the policy of reform and opening and with the development of the market economy, the development of new products has seen encouraging results. A group of technically advanced new products have been developed and grown quickly.
(1) Prestressed high strength concrete pile
China started the study and production of prestressed concrete piles in the 1960s and then in the 1970s the study of post tensioned pretressed centrifugal vibration roller compacted concrete pile (Raymond pile) began. In the late 1980s, the production of prestressed high strength concrete piles (PHC pile) was started. In 1987, the Third Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd. in Shanghai of the Department of Communications introduced from Japan the whole set of production equipment of prestressed high strength concrete pile to produce ￠400～1000mm PHC piles. At the same time, Suzhou Concrete Cement Products Research Institute worked with the Panyu Cement Products Plant of Qiaofeng Cement Products Co. Ltd. of Guangdong province to produce PHC piles with domestic equipment. The research succeeded. In 1992, it passed the appraisal at the ministerial level and then appointed as a key national technical achievement to promote by the Ministry of Construction through its document No (93) 178. The rapid growth of the economy drove the demand to grow for basic piles, which enabled the prestressed high strength concrete piles to develop quickly in the Zhujiang Delta, Yangtze River Delta and the areas of Zhejiang province and Jiangsu province where the groundsill is softer. At present, about 300 prestressed high strength concrete pile manufacturers are scattered in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Yunan, Hubei, Guangxi and Hainan and the cities of Shanghai, Tianjin and Beijing. The annual pile output of 2006 in the country was 250 million meter and the diameters vary from ￠300～1000mm and length from 5m to 15m. The prestressed high strength concrete piles produced by the Third Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd. in Shanghai have the largest diameter of 1200mm and the longest single pile is 30m. And Yuda Piles Co. Ltd. of Jiangmen, Guangdong, has produced PHC piles with the diameter of 1000mm and the length of 50m, which makes a national record.
(2) Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP)
China did not start the research and production of PCCP until the 1980s. In 1984, Suzhou Concrete Cement Products Research Institute and Liaoning Yingkou Waterworks Pipe Plant worked together to produce with a simple process PCCPL with diameter of ￠600mm and tried out on the water conveying pipe lines. Then in 1985, Nanjing Cement Pipe Plant of Jiangsu province worked with Beijing Municipal Engineering Research Institute and produced with prestressed concrete PCCPL with diameter of DN600mm and DN1200mm which were respectively equipped for experiment on the Fujian Jianyang water power station project and the water conveying pipe lines of Nanjing city. Although only a few of these pipes were made with simple process and the diameters were not big, it was successful experiments to explore the possibility to make PCCP. Then in 1989, Shandong Electric Pipe Engineering Company imported the production techniques and key equipment （steel barrel spiral welding machine, equipment to make spigot and pocket steel reels, pipe molds, vibrators, etc.）to make PCCP from Ameren Company of the United States and set up a production line with this equipment and appropriate domestic equipment (winding machine and roller spraying machine). The production of the pipes with special equipment thus drew the curtain for China to produce PCCP. Since the 1990s, the development has been fast. In 1992, Shenzhen Sun Pipe Co. Ltd. imported from Price Brothers of the US the whole set of technology and equipment for PCCP production; in 1995, Jiangsu Wuxi Huayi Pipe Co. Ltd. also imported the techniques and key equipment from Ameren to set up a PCCP production line. Hangzhou Heda Concrete Machinery Co. Ltd. owned by the State Electricity Corp. worked closely with Shandong Electric Pipe Engineering Company and Wuxi Huayi Pipe Co. Ltd. and together developed the special vertical winding machines and roller spraying machines for PCCP production and also successfully produced steel barrel spiral welding machine, thus putting an end to the era when China was unable to produce PCCP equipment. Up to now, the company has designed and made 30 sets of vertical winding machines, 24 sets of roller spraying machines and 21 sets of steel barrel spiral welding machines. China has begun the production and application of PCCP for only a bit more than ten years, but the rapid growth of economy and the acceleration of urbanization have created increasingly higher demand for pipes. Meanwhile, the strengths of PCCP, such as its adaptability to high working pressure and large pipe diameters, have gained the favor of manufacturing enterprises, design institutions and end users. The development of PCCI has been on the rise. About 50 enterprises have set up PCCP production lines in China. Until the end of 2003, about 3100km of pipes with diameters from 600mm to 4000mm had been produced. The output of PCCP in 2006 was over 600km.
(3) Colored cement tile
The colored cement tile is one of the new products that have developed most
quickly in the past ten years. It was back to over 2000 years ago when China
began to make the Qin Dynasty bricks and Han Dynasty tiles. However, the production of colored cement tiles began only in the 1980s. Jingzhou Building Materials General Plant in Hubei province introduced the SKANDIA60 automatic production line (annual designed capacity of 10 million pieces) from the united company of the US Columbia and the Swedish ABECE, marking the appearance of the new concrete tiles in China. Then China imported over 30 production lines from Italy, UK, Australia and the US. Based on the imported advanced production lines of colored cement tile, the domestic companies accelerated their efforts to digest the technology and impressive results have been observed. Over 200 production lines have been set up based on the learning and imitation of the foreign lines and technology. The Ministry of Construction has clearly pointed out that over 30% of the buildings in cities and towns shall adopt slope roofing in order to update the waterproofing and heat insulating functions of the buildings as well as to beautify the environment. The high strength, light weight and low energy consumption of colored cement tiles make it the first choice of the new roof covering material and the prospect is promising.
(4) Fiber cement products
China remains the largest producer and consumer in the world of asbestos cement tiles and boards. Meanwhile, the fiber cement products sector has made progress in the research of replacement fiber and development of technically advanced fiber cement materials and products. For example, China Building Materials Academy’s Cement Science and New Building Materials Research Institute has developed alkali-resistant glass fiber and low alkali cement and products, or GRC products, which developed rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s. China is leading internationally in the research of the durability of GRC materials and the GRC products have been used for construction engineering, agriculture, farming, stock raising and fishing engineering and environmental art engineering projects. For example, the art ceiling tiles made of GRC materials produced by Beijing Baogui Stoneart Company have been applied for the roofing engineering of the Music Hall in the National Theatre, which is a glory to the country as well as to the industry. In addition, Jiangsu Aifuxi Building Materials Co. Ltd has developed the following products: low contraction fiber cement board (water proofing and fire resistant), or ICFC boards, low contraction fiber cement density board, or NALC board, asbestos-free fiber cement pressure board, or NAFC board, and cast compound wall and precast compound wall, etc. Qingdao Yuanding Metal Products Co. Ltd. has developed and produced asbestos cement cable pipes and asbestos-free cement cable pipes for urban power transmit. The development of these products has promoted the development of the fiber cement products sector and created more favorable conditions for the manufacturers.
(5) Steel concrete pipe sheet
Shield process is the most advanced tunnel engineering technology in the world, fit for the subway tunnel, highway tunnel, and underground drainage tunnel. The harm to the ground buildings during construction can be avoided to better protect the environment. To adopt the process, steel concrete pipe sheets must be deployed. Shanghai Pudong Concrete Products Co. Ltd., the former Shanghai Cement Products Plant, is the first plant in China to make pipe sheets. From August 1966 to 1970, the plant produced the pipe sheet for the first tunnel across the Huangpu River (Dapu Road). The exterior diameter was 10m, the interior diameter was 8.8m and the thickness was 600mm. 8 pieces formed a circle with the width of 900mm and the total length of 1322m. From 1982 to 1988, it produced the pipe sheets for the cross-river tunnel at Yan’an Road, Shanghai. The exterior diameter was 11m, the interior diameter was 9.9 m and the thickness was 550mm. 8 pieces formed a circle and each circle was 1m wide and the total length was 1476m. The accuracy requirements for the pipe sheets was ±1mm. With the development of the urban subways in China and the economic growth, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities with strong economic power have been engaged in rapid subway construction, which created large demand for steel concrete pipe sheets of high strength, high impermeability and high accuracy. A large group of strong manufacturing enterprises thus emerged, such as Beijing Yushuzhuang Constituents Plant, Beijing Gangchuang Ruibo Concrete Company, The Constituents Plant of Beijing Urban Construction Group, The Municipal Constituents Plant of Beijing Urban Construction Corporation, Beijing Construction Engineering Group’s Concrete Constituents Plant, Shanghai Tunnel Concrete Constituents Co. Ltd (which has two enterprises making pipe sheets), Guangzhou Municipal Engineering Cement Products Co. Ltd., Shenzhen Gangchuang Building Materials Co. Ltd., Chengdu Jinwei Pipe Co. Ltd., Liaoning Xingrongchang Subway Pipe Sheets Co. Ltd., etc.

It is worth remarking that Shanghai Tunnel Concrete Constituents Co. Ltd. was the first in China to cooperate with a Japanese enterprise to make double circular subway pipe sheets which were successfully adopted for the subway line 6 and line 8 in Shanghai. What’s more, the company has won the bid for the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel Engineering pipe sheets（C-7 bid）. The total length was 15km and the exterior diameter is 15m. Each circle uses 58 cubic meter of concrete.

III. Equipment and Technique

(1) Production equipment
The following includes the main cement products China produces at present: concrete and steel concrete drainage pipe, auto-stress concrete water conveying pipe, 3-stage pre-stressed concrete pipe, 1-stage prestressed concrete pipe, PCCP, steel concrete pole and prestressed concrete pole, prestressed concrete sleeper, prestressed concrete pile (PC pile) and prestressed high strength concrete pile (PHC pile), steel concrete constituents and prestressed concrete constituents, concrete products for municipal construction, highway and railway construction and harbor construction, colored cement tile, concrete blocks and decorative concrete blocks, fiber cement products—asbestos cement tile (board and pipe), GRC products and calcium silicate board, etc.
Along with the development of the above products during the past decades, the research institutes, manufacturers and equipment manufacturers of cement products industry have worked closely and endeavored with their own efforts to develop by technological progress and innovation the special equipment and machines for production, such as the moulds and molding machines, and set up production lines. The lines have been continuously updated in practice, which therefore promotes the level of the production equipment. The manufacturing equipment includes the following:
—equipment to produce steel concrete drainage pipes: mixing system, pipe moulds (flat joint, match joint, spigot and socket joint, double joints, steel joint), molding equipment (centrifugal machine, suspension roller machine, vertical axial extrusion molding machine, mandrel vibration hydraulic molding machine, vertical radial extrusion molding machine, vibration molding device), feeding machine, steel framework roller welding machine, water press, exterior pressing machine, etc;
—equipment to produce concrete poles: mixing system, pole mold (cone, constant diameter), centrifugal machine, feeding machine, straightening cutting machine, hammering machine, longitudinal movement tensioning equipment, framework molding roller welding machine, energy efficient curing kiln, transverse test bracket；
—equipment to produce prestressed high strength concrete piles: mixing system, pipe molds centrifugal machine, feeding machine, straightening cutting machine, hammering machine, steel framework roller welding machine, longitudinal tensioning equipment, high pressure steam batch;
—equipment to produce auto-stress concrete pipes: mixing system, pipe molds, centrifugal machine, straightening cutting machine, steel framework roller welding machine, water press, etc;
— equipment to produce 1-stage prestressed concrete pipes: mixing system, pipe molds (two-piece, four-piece exterior molds, mandrel with rubber sheath, molding equipment (vibrating table, pneumatic vibrator), straightening cutting machine, crimping machine, steel framework molding machine, longitudinal tensioning equipment, filature for demoulding and installing molds, exterior pressure stabilizer, water press, etc;
—equipment to produce 3-stage prestressed concrete pipes: mixing system, pipe molds, molding equipment (centrifugal machine, suspension roller machine, vibration molding device), feeding machine, straightening cutting machine, hammering machine, longitudinal tensioning equipment, winding machine, water press, roller spraying machine, etc;
—equipment to produce PCCP: mixing system, pipe molds (interior and exterior molds), molding equipment (centrifugal machine, pneumatic vibrator), steel barrel molding equipment (steel barrel screw welding machine, steel barrel reel welding machine), steel barrel hydraulic test machine (vertical and horizontal), spigot and socket 卷园机， 张园机， edging machine, spigot and socket assembly machine, winding machine (vertical and horizontal), roller spraying machine (vertical and horizontal), special suspension device, etc.
What’s more, China has also accelerated the independent research and development alongside with the introduction of famous foreign techniques and equipment to produce pipes, piles, tiles, boards and sleepers. Through production practice and a full understanding of these techniques and devices, the efforts of the research institutes, equipment manufacturers and cement products manufacturers have resulted in the successful independent development of various techniques and equipment to produce the above products. The technical and mechanical level keeps improving and the equipment updating continues. At present, all the special equipment to produce cement products and fiber cement products can be made in China and some is good enough to replace imported equipment and able to meet the domestic demand and sold to other countries.
The demand for production equipment has grown as more product varieties emerge and more manufacturers appear with higher output. The tendency of general development drives the development of the cement products equipment manufacturing. Before the reforming and opening and with the plan economy, only a few plants produced special equipment for cement products, including Changzhou Building Materials Equipment Plant, Nanjing Feilong Company’s Cement Products Machinery Plant (Nanjing Roller Welding Machine Plant), Taizhou Haineng Building Materials Machinery Plant (Taizhou Cement Products Machinery Plant), Wuxi Building Materials Machinery Plant, Shaanxi Hongqi Cement Products Plant, etc.
Today, over 100 enterprises manufacture the equipment for cement products. And the scale of production as well as the variety and number of equipment have also developed quickly.

(2) Production techniques

By technological progress and innovation, the cement products industry has realized various production techniques and process. Take the production of draining pipes, prestressed concrete pipes and fiber cement products for example:
The techniques to produce concrete and steel concrete drainage pipes: in the early 1950s, manual ramming and simple centrifugal process were adopted to produce small-diameter drainage pipes. Now there are various production techniques other than the centrifugal process: suspension roller process, vibration process (exterior mold vibration, interior mold vibration and internal vibration), vertical axial extrusion process, vertical radial extrusion process, mandrel vibration hydraulic molding process.
The techniques to produce prestressed concrete pipes: from the early 1960s, the centrifugal process was used to produce 3-stage prestressed concrete pipes. Now the process is also used to make PCCP. And the processs to produce the mandrel of 3-stage pipes include centrifugal process, suspension roller process and vibration process. In addition, the vibration extrusion technique, also called one-stage process, is adopted to make one-stage prestressed concrete pipes.
The techniques to produce fiber cement products: the early 1950s witnessed the manual and small scale production of asbestos cement short pitch corrugate sheets. The process has been updated to the highly mechanical methods: Hatschek process and slurry process. 5000~9000ton water presses are used to mold and produce fiber cement tiles and boards.

IV. Application

China has become the biggest consumer of cement products. Each year, China produces enough cement products, including fiber cement products, to meet the demand of the rapidly growing economy and some are sold to foreign countries and Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.
Cement products are widely used in both the cities and the countries, and in various engineering construction from industry and mining to agriculture irrigation and energy and communications. It has made significant social benefit and become indispensable building materials for the national economy.

 

 

By the end of 2006, 110,000km of auto-stress concrete piles of various diameters have been produced in China and the accumulated output of prestressed concrete piles has reached 48,500km. These piles are widely applied on the water conveying pipes of the projects in the urban and country construction and mining enterprises; they are also used for the pipes to convey water uphill, reverse siphon, spraying and pouring pipes, waterlogging drainage pipes, the water conveying pipes for small water power station water-turbine engines, etc. 188 million pieces of cement poles have been produced so far, the lengths varying from 6m to 15m with various dimensions. They are used to set up electricity transmitting, lighting, communications and broadcast networks. 75.2 million M3 of wood was saved. 295 million pieces of prestressed concrete sleepers have been produced and 35.4 million M3 of wood saved. The sleepers have been applied on the railways and special lines. For example, the Beijing-Kowloon line is 2372km long and needed over 5 million pieces of prestressed concrete sleepers (single line). The accumulated output of prestressed concrete piles was 94 million M3 and the accumulated output of asbestos cement tiles was 2.51 billion pieces, used as light roof material and protection material for the construction the factories and warehouses of light industry.
At present, China produces annually over 30,000km (about 4.5 million ton) of steel concrete drainage pipes, about 2000km of auto-stress concrete pipes, 2000~2500km of prestressed concrete pipes (of which about 600km is PCCP), 6 million pieces of concrete poles, 200~250 million meter of prestressed concrete piles, 10 million pieces of prestressed concrete sleepers and about 160 million pieces of asbestos cement tiles.

V. Standardization

The basic standards, product standards, process standards and special standards related to cement products and fiber cement products are made or revised timely by the close cooperation and support of the institutions of research, design, manufacturing, application, construction, equipment manufacturing and the quality supervision departments to catch up with the demand of the cement products industry development.
According to the statistics provided by the National Technical Committee of Cement Products Standardization, by the end of November 3, 2006, the committee is responsible for 133 related standards, of which 55 are national standards (13 mandatory standards and 42 recommended standards) and 78 are industrial standards. In 2006, 12 plans to make national standards were submitted to the government by the committee and 11 have been approved and assigned by the government. 49 plans of industrial standards were submitted and 37 were approved and assigned. Altogether 63 standards are being made (including 16 national standards and 47 industrial standards; 8 standards were planned to complete in 2006). 10 standards were issued in 2006: 4 national standards and 6 industrial standards.
Through the mutual efforts of the whole industry, the standardization has been stably pushed forward. These standards have provided scientific foundation for the accurate testing of product performance and strict control of product quality as well as the safe application and good engineering construction quality. They quicken the technical progress of the industry and accelerate the promotion of new products and techniques and can meet the basic need for standards of the industry development and engineering construction work.