cementitiousmaterialsforconcrete

standards,selectionandproperties

1.Introduction
Cementitiousmaterialsforconcretearefinemineralpowders.
When these materials are mixed with water, they react
chemically to form a strong rigid mass that binds aggregate
particlestogethertomakeconcrete.

The cementitious materials dealt with in this leaflet are all

based on portland cement and many contain a cement
extender.

Thispublicationgivesinformationonthestandardsthatapply
in South Africa to cementitious materials for concrete;
discusses, briefly, the manufacture and properties of
cementitiousmaterialsandfillers;andprovidesguidanceon
the selection of cementitious materials for various
applications.

Theeffectofcementitiousmaterialsondimensionalstability
ofhardenedconcreteisoutsidethescopeofthispublication.

Note:MasonrycementsthatcomplywithSANS50413are
notincludedinthisleafletbecausetheyarenotintended
foruseinconcrete.Thenationalforewordofthisstandard
reads: This part of SANS 50413 gives the definition and
composition of masonry cements as commonly used in
Europe for bricklaying, block laying, for rendering and
plasteringonly,andnotforconcrete.Usersaretherefore
cautioned to use the cements only for their intended
purpose.

2.Standardsapplicabletocement
Cementitiousmaterialsforconcrete,availableinSouthAfrica,
includecommoncementsandportlandcementextenders.

AllcementsoldinSouthAfricamustmeettherequirementsof
SANS50197forCommoncementorSANS50413forMasonry
cementandtheNationalRegulatorforCompulsoryStandards
(NRCS)requirementsasdetailedinNRCSVC9085.Bagsshould
beclearlymarkedwiththestrengthclass,notationindicating
compositionandaLetterofAuthority(LOA)numberissuedby
theNRCS.AnLOAisissuedforeachcementtypefromeach
source. To verify valid LOA numbers contact the NRCS on
0124285199orwww.nrcs.org.za.

Applicablestandardsare:
Commoncements
SANS 501971 Cement Part 1: Composition,
specifications and conformity criteria for common
cements.
SANS501972CementPart2:Conformityevaluation.

2.1SANS501971
The standard specifies a number of properties and
performancecriteria.Compositionandstrengtharerequired
tobedisplayedbythemanufactureronthepackagingofeach
cementproduced.

2.1.1Composition
The standard specifies composition of cements according to
the proportion of main constituents, and minor additional
constituents(overleaf).

AscanbeseenfromTable2and3,thestandardpermitsmany
differentcombinationsofcomposition.Inpractice,however,
manufacturers are constrained by what is technically and
economically feasible. The number of combinations that are
currently being produced in South Africa is fewer than the
numberpermittedbythestandard.

For the performance of a particular cement users should

consult the relevant producer for these details. Helpline
numbersaregiveninsection6.

2.1.2Compressivestrengthrequirements
The standard specifies strengths which are determined in
accordance with SANS 501961 Methods of testing cement.
Part1:Determinationofstrength;usingawater:cementratio
of0,5.(Themethodisnotthesameasthecubetestusedfor
concrete.)StrengthclassesareshowninTable1.Notethattest
strengthsmustclearanearlyage(2or7days)hurdle;and
forstrengthclasses32,5and42,5mustfallwithinawindow
at28days.

2.1.3Otherrequirements
SANS501971listsotherphysicalandchemicalrequirements
withwhichcementsmustcomply.Thesearemonitoredbythe
manufacturerandcomplianceisconfirmedbyexternalaudit
controlsampletesting.DetailscanbefoundinSANS501972.

Table 1: Compressive strength requirements of SANS 50197-1

32,5La
32,5N
32,5R
42,5La
42,5N
42,5R
52,5La
52,5N

Compressivestrength,MPa
Earlystrength
Standardstrength
2days
7days
28days

12,0

16,0
32,5
52,5
10,0

16,0
10,0

42,5
62,5
20,0

10,0

20,0

52,5

52,5R

30,0

Strength
class

Initial
settingtime
min
>75

>60

>45

StrengthclassonlydefinedforCEMIIIcements

Table2:Commoncements:SANS501971
Composition,percentagebymass(a)
Main
types

CEMI

Notationofthe27
products
(typesofcommon
cement)
Portlandcement
Portlandslagcement
Portlandsilicafume
cement
Portlandpozzolana
cement

CEMII

Portlandflyash
cement
Portlandburntshale
cement
Portlandlimestone
cement
Portlandcomposite
cement(c)

CEMIII

Blastfurnacecement

CEMIV

Pozzolanic
cement(c)

CEMV

Composite
cement(c)

Mainconstituents
Pozzolana

Silica

Blast
furnace
slag
S

CEM1

95100

CEMIIAS

8094

620

CEMIIBS

6579

2135

CEMIIAD

9094

CEMIIAP
CEMIIBP
CEMIIAQ
CEMIIBQ
CEMIIAV
CEMIIBV
CEMIIAW
CEMIIBW
CEMIIAT
CEMIIBT
CEMIIAL
CEMIIBL
CEMIIALL
CEMIIBLL
CEMIIAM
CEMIIBM
CEMIIIA
CEMIIIB
CEMIIIC
CEMIVA
CEMIVB
CEMVA
CEMVB

8094
6579
8094
6579
8094
6579
8094
6579
8094
6579
8094
6579
8094
6579
8088
6579
3564
2034
519
6589
4564
4064
2039

Clinker

Natural
Natural
calcined
P
Q

Flyash
Sili
ceous
V

Calca
reous
W

610

620
2135

Fume

(b)

Limestone

Burnt
shale

LL

05

05

05

05

620
2135

620
2135

1220
2135

620
2135

620
2135

620
2135

620
2135

05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05

3665
6680
8195

1830
3150

Minor
additional

Cons
tituents

1135
3655
1830
3150

Notes

(a) Thevaluesinthetablerefertothesumofthemainandminoradditionalconstituents.
(b) Theproportionofsilicafumeislimitedto10%.
(c) In portlandcomposite cements CEM II AM and CEM II BM, in pozzolanic cements CEM IV A and CEM IV B, and in composite cements
CEMV/AandCEMV/B,themainconstituentsotherthanclinkershallbedeclaredbydesignationofthecement.

Table3:Sulfateresistingcommoncements:SANS501971

Main
types

CEMI

CEMIII
CEMIV

Notationofthesevenproducts

(typesofsulfateresistingcommon
cement)
Sulfateresistingportland
cement
Sulfateresistingblast
furnacecement
Sulfateresistingpozzolanic
cement

Clinker

Composition(percentagebymassa)
Mainconstituents
Blast
Pozzolana Siliceousfly
furnace
natural
ash
slag
S
P
V

Minor
additional
constituents

CEMISR0
CEMISR3

95100

05

2034

6680

05

CEMISR5
CEMIII/BSR
CEMIII/CSR

519

8195

CEMIV/ASR

6579

2135

05

05

CEMIV/BSR

4564

3655

05

aThevaluesrefertothesumofmainandminorconstituents

Where:
CEMISR0
CEMISR3
CEMISR5
CEMIII/BSR
CEMIII/CSR
CEMIV/ASR
CEMIV/BSR

C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker
C3Acontentoftheclinker

=0%
3%
5%
=norequirement
=norequirement
9%
9%

3.Standardsapplicabletocementextenders

Portlandcementextenders
ThefollowingisalistofSANSstandardsforgroundgranulated
blastfurnaceslag,flyashandsilicafume.
SANS 55167: Parts 1 and 2. Ground granulated blast
furnaceslagforuseinconcrete,mortarandgrout.
SANS50450:Parts1and2.Flyashforconcrete.
SANS53263:Parts1and2.Silicafumeforconcrete.

These standards do not apply to extenders used in the

production of cements complying with SANS 50197 but to
their use in site blends with cement complying with SANS
50197.SANS501971doeshoweverspecifyvariouslimitsas
to the chemical composition and performance of extenders
used.

4.Manufactureandproperties
In this section, only materials available in South Africa are
discussed.

4.1Portlandcement
Portlandcementisthebasisofallcommoncementscovered
bySANS501971(seeTables2and3)andofsiteblendsthat
includeacementextender.Themainrawmaterialsusedinthe
manufacture of portland cement are limestone and shale
which are blended in specific proportions and fired at high
temperatures to form cement clinker. A small quantity of
gypsumisaddedtothecooledclinkerwhichisthengroundto
afinepowderportlandcement.

Whenportlandcementismixedwithwatertoformapaste,a
reaction called hydration takes place. As a result, the paste
graduallychangesfromaplasticstateintoastrongrigidsolid.
Thehardenedcementpasteactsasabinderinconcreteand
mortar.

Hydrationisanexothermicreaction,i.e.itproducesheat.

The hydration of portland cement (PC) produces two main

compounds:
calciumsilicatehydrate(CSH)and
calciumhydroxide(lime).

CSHprovidesmostofthestrengthandimpermeabilityofthe
hardenedcementpaste.Limedoesnotcontributetostrength
butitspresencehelpstomaintain,intheporewater,apHof
about12,5,whichhelpstoprotectthereinforcingsteelagainst
corrosion.

4.2Portlandcementextendersandfillers
Portlandcementextendersandfillersarematerialsusedwith
portlandcement,andmustneverbeusedontheirown.

Themainreasonsforthewidespreaduseofportlandcement
extendersare:
Cost saving extenders are generally cheaper than
portlandcement.
Technicalbenefitsextenderscanimproveimpermeability
anddurabilityofthehardenedconcrete;someextenders
improvethepropertiesofconcreteinthefreshstate.

Portland cement extenders affect the rate of earlyage

strength gain, and the rate of heat development due to
cementingreactions.

Extremely fine extender particles can act as nuclei for the

formationofcalciumsilicatehydratewhichwouldotherwise
form only on the cement grains. This finefiller effect brings
aboutadenserandmorehomogeneousmicrostructureofthe
hardened cement paste and the aggregatepaste interfacial
zones,resultinginimprovedstrengthandimpermeability.The
performanceofthefinefillereffectdependsonthecontentof
extremelyfineparticlesintheextender.

The effects of extenders on the properties of concrete are

summarisedinTable4.Effectstendtoincreasewithincreased
levelofsubstitution.

Improvements to the properties of hardened concrete,

broughtaboutbytheuseofextenders,canberealisedonlyif
theconcreteisproperlycompactedandcured.

4.2.1Groundgranulatedblastfurnaceslag
Groundgranulatedblastfurnaceslag(GGBS)isabyproduct
of the ironmaking process.The hot slag is rapidlychilled or
quenched(causingittobecomeglassy)andgroundtoafine
powder.

When mixed with water, GGBS hydrates to form cementing

compoundsconsistingofcalciumsilicatehydrate.Therateof
this hydration process is however too slow for practical
construction work unless activated by an alkaline (high pH)
environment. When portland cement and water are mixed,
thepHofthewaterrapidlyincreasestoabout12,5whichis
sufficient to activate the hydration of GGBS. Even when
activatedbyPC,GGBShydratesmoreslowlythanPC.

TheeffectofGGBSonthepropertiesofconcretedependson
theproperties of the portlandcement,the GGBS content of
thecementitiousmaterialandthefinenessoftheGGBS.

4.2.2Flyash
Fly ash (FA) is collected from the exhaust flow of furnaces
burning finely ground coal. The finer fractions are used as a
portlandcementextender.

Ultrafine FA is sold as a separate product. FA reacts with

calcium hydroxide, in the presence of water, to form
cementingcompoundsconsistingofcalciumsilicatehydrate.
ThisreactioniscalledpozzolanicandFAmaybedescribedas
anindustrialpozzolan.

The hydration of portland cement produces significant

amountsofcalciumhydroxide,whichdoesnotcontributeto
thestrengthofthehardenedcementpaste(seesection4.1).
ByextendingPCwithFAthecalciumhydroxidecanbeusedto
formadditionalcalciumsilicahydrate.

4.2.3Silicafume
Silica fume (SF) is the condensed vapour byproduct of the
ferrosiliconsmeltingprocess.

SFreactswithcalciumhydroxide,inthepresenceofwater,to
form cementing compounds consisting of calcium silicate

hydrate. This reaction is called pozzolanic and SF may be

describedasanindustrialpozzolan.Becausethehydrationof
PC produces calcium hydroxide (see section 4.1), the
combinationofSFandPCisapracticalmeansofusingSFand
improvingthecementingefficiencyofPC.

In addition to the chemical role of SF, it is also an effective

finefiller. The extremely small SF particles in the mixing
wateractasnucleifortheformationofcalciumsilicatehydrate
whichwouldotherwiseformonlyonthecementgrains.SFwill
also change the microstructure of the interfacial zone. The
resultisamorehomogeneousmicrostructurethathasgreater
strength and lower permeability. (To ensure thorough
dispersionandeffectiveuseoftheSF,theuseofplasticising
admixturesisrecommended.).

4.2.4Limestonefiller
Thisislimestone,finelygroundbutnotchemicallyprocessed.
Whenmixedwithportlandcementandwater,finelyground
limestoneischemicallyvirtuallyinert(althoughtheremaybe
someminorreactions).Dependingonitsfineness,limestone
mayhoweveractasafinefillerinfreshpaste.

Limestonemaybeusedasafillerincommoncementorasa
workabilityimproverinmasonrycement.

The effect of limestone on the properties of concrete or

mortardependsonthespecificlimestone,whetheragrinding
aidisusedinproduction,andthefinenessofthelimestone.

Note:Thelimestone(CaCO3)usedincementscomplyingwith
SANS501971isnottobeconfusedwith:
building lime (hydrated or slaked lime Ca(OH)2) which is
usedinmortarsandplasters.
roadlime(alsohydratedorslakedlimeCa(OH)2)whichis
usedinroadmaterialstabilisationormodification.
quicklime(CaO)whichishighlyaggressiveandisusedin
themetallurgicalindustry.
agriculturallimewhich,althoughchemicallysimilartothe
limestone used for cement, has less stringent
compositionalrequirements.

ThereisnoCa(OH)2orCaOusedincementscomplyingwith
SANS501971.

Table4:Effectsofextendersonthepropertiesofconcrete

Hardenedconcrete

Freshconcrete

Bleeding

GGBS

FA

SF

Significantreduction

Settingtime
Cohesiveness

Slightretardation

Workability

Slightimprovement
withsomeaggregates

Rateofearlyagestrengthgain

Reduces,especiallyat
lowertemperatures

Reduces:higherwater
requirementforagiven
slump
Marginalreductionof1
daystrength

Improves

Strengthgainafter28days

Increases

Rateofheatgeneration

Reduces

Porestructureofpaste
Densityofaggregatepaste
interfacialzones

Improves
Improvement

Impermeabilityofconcrete

Improvement,especially
withultrafineFA

Significantimprovement

Improves
Improves

Improves

Rateofchloridediffusion

Reduces:improvesprotectionofembeddedsteelagainstcorrosion

Alkaliaggregatereaction

Preventsorretardsifcontentissufficient(SeeTable5)

5.Selection
Cementitiousmaterialsusedforconcretemaybe:

AcommoncementcomplyingwithSANS50197(seeTables
2and3)onitsown.

AsiteblendofacommoncementcomplyingwithSANS
50197andacementextendercomplyingwiththerelevant
SANSstandard,combinedintheconcretemixerwhilethe
concrete is being mixed. Extenders must not be used
withoutportlandcement.

Note:Asdiscussedinsection2.1.1,notallthecementsshown
inTables2and3arenecessarilyavailableinSouthAfrica.It
shouldalsobenotedthatgenerallyastheextendercontentof
a cement increases, the rate of compressive strength
development at early ages is reduced. The extent of this
reductioncanbeassessedbytestingthecementinaccordance
toSANS501961.

Table5givesguidelinesforselectingcementtypeforvarious
applications.Unlessstatedotherwise,thestrengthclassofthe
commoncementmaybe32,5Norhigher.

Increases

Responsetosteamcuring

Sulphateresistance

UltrafineFAincreases
cohesiveness
Improves:lowerwater
requirementforgiven
slump
Slightreduction,especially
atlowertemperatures

6.Strengthperformance
For accurate and current details of the performance of a
particular branded product, consult the technical
representativesofthemanufacturer.

AfriSamSouthAfrica
(0860)141141
LafargeSouthAfrica
(011)6570000/1000
NPC
(031)4504411
PPC
(0800)023470
SephakuCement
(0861)234252
AfriSamSilicaFume
(0860)141141
AshResources
(0860)359274
AfriSamSlagment
(0860)141141
SephakuAsh
(0861)234252
UlulaAsh
(011)7080010

Table 5: Guidelines for selecting cements for concrete

Application

Comments

Conventionalstructural
concreteinanonaggressive
environment

Thecementisnormallyselectedforeconomy.
AnyoftheSANS501971commoncementsshouldbesuitable.
SiteblendsofCEMIcementwith50%GGBSor30%FAhavebeenextensivelyandsuccessfullyusedin
SouthAfrica.
A site blend of CEM I cement and about 8% SF is technically feasible but there is relatively little local
experienceofitsuse.

Largeplacementswhere
temperaturerise,dueto
heatofhydration,istobe
keptaslowaspossible
Structuralprecast

Best results are likely to be achieved with cements with extender contents in excess of 50% GGBS
or30%FA.

Precastbricks,blocksand
pavers
Highstrengthconcrete

Choiceofcementwilldependmainlyonstrengthrequirementsatearlyages.
Highearlystrengths,withoutsteamcuring,willbeachievedmosteconomicallywithcementsofstrength
grade42,5Randhigherandwithlowextendercontent.
Cementswithhigherextendercontentarebettersuitedtosteamcuring.
Wherethereisnorequirementforrapidstrengthgain,thechoiceofcementshouldbebasedoneconomy.

Providedtheelementshavesufficientstrengthtoallowhandlingatanearlyage,typicallythedayafter
casting,thechoiceofcementshouldbebasedoneconomy.

Strengthclassshouldbe42,5Norhigher.
Theinclusionofabout8%SFiscommonpracticeinthisapplication.
Othercementextendersmayalsobeusedfortechnicaloreconomicbenefits.
Superplasticizer is an essential ingredient in highstrength concrete: the compatibility of the specific
cementitiousmaterialandthesuperplasticizerisimportant.

Floors,roadsandpavements Concretefortheseapplicationsmustdevelopstrengthrapidlyenoughtopermitjointsawingbeforethe
concrete cracks due to restrained drying shrinkage. The mature concrete must have good abrasion
withsawnjoints
resistance.
These properties are likely to be achieved most economically with cements with extender

contentnotgreaterthan30%,andofstrengthgrade42,5Norhigher.

Reinforcedconcretein
marineenvironment
Concretemadewithalkali
reactiveaggregate
Concreteexposedto
sulphateattack

ResearchdonewithSouthAfricanmaterialshasshownthatbestresultsareachievedwithextender
contentsofeither50%GGBS,10%SF,40%GGBS+10%SF,or30%FA.
Thecementshouldcontainnotlessthan40%GGBS,or20%FA,or15%SF.However,theuseofSFatthis
highreplacementlevelusuallyresultsinstickyconcreterequiringtheuseofasuperplasticizer.
Fortunately,thistypeofattackisrareinSouthAfrica.ACEMI cementsresistancetosulphateattack
dependslargelyonitsC3Acontent.CEMIcementswithC3Acontentsbelowabout9to10%givemarkedly
highersulphateresistancethanthosewithC3AcontentsaboveSouthAfricanCEMIcementsmostlyhave
C3Acontentsbelow10%andthereforegiverelativelyhighsulphateresistance.Internationalexperience
suggeststhatusinghighlevelsofGGBSinconcretewillimprovesulphateresistance.TherearenoSouth
Africandataonwhichtobaseguidancetolocalusers.Thesulphateresistingpropertiesofconcrete,made
withspecificmaterials,shouldthereforebeinvestigatedbeforeaGGBSblendisspecified.Theinclusion
ofaminimumof30%FAshouldimprovethesulphateresistanceofconcrete.TherearenoSouthAfrican
dataonwhichtobaseguidanceontheuseofSFforsulphateresistance.
ConsidertheuseofsulphateresistingcementsaslistedinTable3.

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Publishedby:TheConcreteInstitute,Midrand,2016
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