1.1 Introduction

In a recent review published by The Concrete Society it was stated that cement and concrete should be regarded as one of the primary construction materials for use in the new millennium [1]. Portland cement is by far one of the most extensively used materials on earth today. In 1996, analysis determined the total worldwide production of Portland cement to be 10 ⁹ tons [2]. However, in 1999, this value had escalated to 10 ¹⁰ tons. The definition of cement is a material of various constituents used for binding or setting to produce a hardened object [3].

The construction of increasingly tall, more intricate and ornate structures such as the Millennium Dome and the resund Fixed Link required cementitious materials to be stronger and more flexible. The development of objects as diverse as concrete submarines illustrate the versatility and physical properties of modern cement materials [1, 4]. However, in order to achieve the structural and technological demands of modern construction the inclusion of chemical additives into cementitious materials is required [5]. This includes the addition of fillers to give improved strength, accelerators to decrease reaction time and polymer-based materials to make the final material less brittle. This book seeks to explore the use of polymers as additives to cementitious materials.

Since their initial introduction into construction materials, the benefits of utilising polymeric materials to alter and improve the working characteristics of cement has been extensively studied.

Polymer materials have been used by man since ancient times;