The effect on the hydration of cement was that Cu and Pb reacted with alkali to form soluble hydrates at theinitial stage and then there followed a slow reaction forming insoluble metal hydroxides. These hydroxides were deposited on the surface of cement particles providing a barrier against further hydration. But as a slow reaction continued, the insoluble layers were eventually destroyed and the hydration reaction resumed. Thereafter, another retardation occured by restricting the polymerization of silicates, shown by FT-IR spectroscopy analysis. In the case of Cr, as its reaction with cement caused H2O, the coordinator of Cr complex, to replace or polymerize with OH-, the formation of Cr complex promoted the leakage of OH- and increased the heat of dissolution. So the total heat evolution during hydration was larger than that in the case of Pb or Cu. The retarding effect of heavy metal ions was in the order Pb>Cu>Cr.