What if the Third Little Pig Had Built His House Out of Cement Blocks?

The term cement block is a misnomer. Cement is an ingredient of concrete. The ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) Standard Specification C 90-95 states that a concrete masonry unit is to be manufactured by forming a mixture containing portland cement, water, and mineral aggregates with or without the inclusion of other constituents such as air-entraining agents, coloring pigments, and water repellents.

While most engineers and building construction professionals refer to them as concrete masonry units, or more commonly by the TLA CMU, the correct layman's term is concrete block.

More importantly, a house made from blocks of cement instead of concrete would not be structurally sound and would not withstand normal loading and environmental stresses much less the destructive power of a malevolent wolf. If the third Little Pig had in fact constructed his house of cement, he very well might not be with us today and would therefore be unable to share the story of his incredible ordeal.

Oh, if you are wondering what a "TLA" is - It is the acronym for Three Letter Acronym.