Cement Specification

Emphasizes Performance
by Paul D. Tennis

ASTM C 1157, covering both blended

and portland cements, moves away
from requirements on chemical composition
ASTM C 1157, Standard Performance Specification for
Hydraulic Cement, is a relatively new specification in which
restrictions on composition of the material are minimized. For
the producer, ASTM C 1157 allows optimal use of raw
materials and the ability to produce innovative cements. For the specifier, it contains

Many limits in C 1157 applicable to all cement types

optional requirements that are not available under other specifications.

are similar to requirements in C 150 and C 595. All

Requirements in C 1157 are largely based on C 150 and C 595, the traditional,

cement types in C 1157 are required to meet maximum

cement specifications that contain a combination of prescriptive and performance

autoclave expansion (0.8%) and maximum mortar bar

limits. However, the newer specification contains unique features as well.

expansion (0.020% at 14 days) limits that are identical

ASTM C 1157 was first approved in 1992 as a performance specification for blended
cements; however, in 1998 it was amended to include portland cements. Thus, for
the first time, both portland and blended cements could be specified under one standard based on identical performance requirements. Cements are classified into six
types according to their intended use: GU for general construction, HE for high-early
strength, MS for moderate sulfate resistance, HS for high sulfate resistance, MH for
moderate heat generation, and LH for low heat generation. An optional suffix, R,
may be added to the cement type (for example, GU-R) if laboratory testing (C 227)
indicates the cement is resistant to alkali-silica reactivity (ASR).

dictate composition restrictions. Instead, the emphasis is on the ability of the cement
to perform. For example, in C 150, the tricalcium aluminate (C3A) content in Type II
or V cement is prescriptively limited to control sulfate resistance. In ASTM C 1157,
assurance of sulfate resistance of Type MS or HS cement is determined by testing (C
1012) mortar bars made with the cement. The laboratory test, rather than a chemical
analysis, is used as a predictor of performance.

from C 150 (between 45 and 375 minutes). One

optional requirement, that for early stiffening (C 451), is
identical to an optional requirement in C 150. Unlike
C 150 and C 595, C 1157 does not include requirements for air-entraining cement. Air content (C 185)
and fineness (C 204) are reported for informational

Cement Type
MS

1 day

10 (1450)

3 days

10 (1450) 17 (2465) 10 (1450)

7 days

17 (2465)

The strength provisions of C 1157 are an example of

one of the unique aspects of the specification. By
default, strength requirements are the minimums
shown in Table 1. However, there are several optional
requirements that can be invoked by the
specifier, including an optional 28-day strength
requirement, alternative (higher) minimums at specific

Table 1. Default Minimum Strength Requirements of ASTM C 1157

(ASTM C 109), MPa (psi)

28 days

which is identical to C 595 and only slightly extended

Unique Strength Provisions

The new specification represents a shift away from prescriptive specifications that

HE

time (Vicat test, C 191) is between 45 and 420 minutes,

purposes, but have no specification limits.

Focus On Performance

GU

to those in C 150 and C 595. Likewise, initial setting

HS

ages, and strength ranges (within maximum and

minimum values) applied at a specific age. Thus, if a
specifier has an application requiring cement within a
particular range of strengths, C 1157 provides an

MH

LH

opportunity for invoking specific optional requirements

to address that need. However, specifiers should be

5 (725)

5 (725)

aware that cements may not be available to meet

17 (2465) 10 (1450) 10 (1450)

5 (725)

17 (2465)

17 (2465)

continued to page 4

Concrete Technology Today / November 2001

C O N C R E T E

continued from page 3

T E C H N O L O G Y

T O D A Y

optional sulfate-resistant cement in C 595. Type HS

cements have more restrictive requirements based
on C 1012: 0.05% at 6 months, or 0.10% at 1 year.

optional requirements and should check with their cement or concrete supplier
to determine whether particular options are available in their area.

In summary, many ASTM C 1157 performance

requirements are similar to those in the more

For sulfate-resistant and controlled-heat-of-hydration cements, requirements are

traditional C 150 and C 595 specifications. However,

based on performance tests with limits again similar to those in C 150 and C

options for specifying cements with particular

595. For example, Type MH cements are required to generate (C 186) less than

properties that cannot be specified elsewhere are

290 kJ/kg at 7 days, matching optional requirements for low heat Type II in C

also included. This brief review cannot cover all

150 and the MH option in C 595. Type LH cements are required to generate less

provisions of the standard; readers are encouraged to

than 250 kJ/kg at 7 days and less than 290 kJ/kg at 28 days, identical to the

carefully examine the specification for complete

requirement for equivalent types in C 150 (Type IV) and C 595 (LH option).

details. ASTM C 1157 can be ordered from ASTMs

Requirements for Type MS cements, maximum expansion (C 1012) of 0.10% at

Web site at www.astm.org, or by calling

180 days, are similar to optional requirements in C 150 for Type II and for

610.832.9585.

Technology Q & A
Does magnesium chloride harm concrete?

Q. Our state recently began using magnesium chloride as a road deicer, and
weve noticed an increase in the scaling of concrete. Does magnesium chloride
cause more damage to concrete than conventional road salt (sodium chloride)?

A. A PCA literature search found three references comparing the effects of magnesium chloride with sodium chloride and other deicers on the scaling resistance of
concrete. Unfortunately, the cited studies provide conflicting results.
The abstract from a German field study (Leiser 1967) states that "concrete surfaces

A common finding of the above research is that all

were only slightly affected [by magnesium chloride lye], and that the solution is less
harmful than granulated salt."

deicers can aggravate scaling, emphasizing the need

However, two recent studies found magnesium chloride to be more aggressive than
sodium chloride. In the first study (Cody 1996), concrete containing dolomite coarse
aggregate was cored from five highway pavements. Small blocks were cut from the
cores and subjected to wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles in 0.75M and 3.0M solutions

for placing high-quality, air-entrained concrete in

deicer environments.

References

of NaCl, CaCl 2, and MgCl 2. Magnesium chloride was the most destructive deicer,
producing severe deterioration under almost all of the experimental conditions.

Cody, R.D., Cody, A.M., Spry, P.G., and Gan, G.,

Calcium chloride was the next most destructive salt. Sodium chloride was relatively
benign.

Chloride Deicing Salts," Environmental & Engineering

"Experimental Deterioration of Highway Concrete by

Geoscience, Vol. II, No. 4, Winter 1996, pp. 575588.

In the second study (Lee 2000), the researchers again found magnesium chloride to

Lee, H., Cody, R.D., Cody, A.M., and Spry, P.G., Effects

be significantly more aggressive than sodium chloride in wet-dry and freeze-thaw

conditions.

of Various Deicing Chemicals on Pavement Concrete

Deterioration, Proceedings of the Mid-Continent
Transportation Symposium, Center for Transportation

In both of these studies, the authors concluded that the major cause of deterioration

Research and Education, Iowa State University, 2000.

by magnesium-based deicers was the formation of non-cohesive magnesium silicate

hydrates (MSH), produced by the reaction of dissolved magnesium with calcium
silicate hydrates of the cement. Because MSH does not form strong bonds with

Magnesium Chloride Solution Used in Winter Service on

aggregate particles, these phases cause loss of cohesion in portland cement paste
and will promote crumbling.

May 1967.

Concrete Technology Today / November 2001

Leiser, K., and Dombrowski, G., "Research Work on

Roads," Strasse, Vol. 7, No. 5, Berlin, Germany,

March 1994
strengths are 400 to 800 psi (2.8 to
5.5 MPa).
The NACC tour began in late
1992 with a trial casting in Boston,
port of call for plant equipment
shipped from Europe and home of
Hodge Boiler Co., the firm that
assembled the plant onto three flatbed trailers. Public Service of
Indiana, Noblesville Station, was the
first utility location; a two-month
demonstration began there in March
1993. In May 1993, the plant traveled to New England Power in
Somerset, Mass., and from there it
completed scheduled stops throughout 1993 at United Illumination in
Bridgeport, Conn., Ohio Edison in
Akron, and Georgia Power in
Atlanta. As of this writing, the plant
is at the TVA in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The remaining utilities on the tour
are NYSEG and Niagara Mohawk,
both in the state of New York, and a
Sierra Pacific facility in the state of
Nevada.
For more information on ACC, or
to visit one of the remaining plant
locations on the tour, contact Bob
Sauber, managing director, North
American Cellular Concrete, 3
Regency Plaza, Suite 6, Providence,
RI 02903, Tel. 401/621-8108, Fax.
401/861-9527.

CLARIFICATION
In the article titled Long-Term
Properties of High-Strength
Concretes (Concrete Technology
Today, November 1993), we incorrectly identified the building associated with the data in Table 2.
The compressive strength and
modulus of elasticity data in Table
2 is correct, but it relates to the 44story Pacific First Center project in
Seattle, not Two Union Square.
Obviously, this is a major error.
We apologize to Mr. Michael R.
Gardner, who is the quality control manager for Stoneway
Concrete of Renton, Washington,
the ready mix supplier for the
Pacific First Center project, and
the gentleman who brought this
error to our attention.

Concrete
in a Marine
Environment
Seawater contains significant
amounts of sulfates and chlorides.
Although sulfates in seawater are
capable of attacking concrete, the
presence of chlorides inhibits the
expansive reaction that is characteristic of sulfate attack. Calcium sulfoaluminate, the reaction product of
sulfate attack, is more soluble in a
chloride solution and can be more
readily leached out of concrete, thus
resulting in less destructive expansion. This is a major factor explaining observations from a number of
sources that the performance of concrete in seawater with portland
cement having tricalcium aluminate
(C3A) contents as high as 10%, and
sometimes higher, have shown satisfactory durability, providing the permeability of the concrete is low and
the reinforcing steel has adequate
cover.
The maximum permissible watercement ratio for the submerged portion of a structure is 0.45 by weight.
For portions in the splash zone and
above, the maximum permissible
water-cement ratio is 0.40 by weight.
Water-cement ratios as high as 0.50
by weight may be used provided the
C3A content of the cement does not
exceed 8%.
Cements meeting the requirements
of ASTM C150, Specification for
Portland Cement, and ASTM C595,
Specification for Blended Hydraulic
Cements, and meeting the C3A
requirement noted above, that is, not
more than 10%, are acceptable for
concrete in a marine environment.
In the case of C595 blended cements,
this limitation applies only to the
portland cement clinker used in the
blended cement.
In addition to the proper selection
of cement and water-cement ratio,
other requirements for securing economical and durable concrete in a
marine environment include: (1)
adequate air entrainment, (2) low
slump, (3) adequate consolidation,
(4) uniformity of batching, mixing,
transporting, and placing, (5) a
smooth finish free from surface

voids and other defects, (6) adequate

concrete cover over reinforcement
[minimum 2 in. (50 mm), preferably
3 in. (75 mm)], and (7) sufficient curing to develop the required impermeability and other desired properties of the concrete.
For More Information
1. Verbeck, G. J., Field and Laboratory
Studies of the Sulfate Resistance of
Concrete, Research Department
Bulletin RX227, Portland Cement
Association, Skokie, Illinois, 1967.
2. Guide for the Design and
Construction of Fixed Offshore
Concrete Structures, ACI 357R-84,
ACI Committee 357 Report,
American Concrete Institute,
Detroit, 1984.
3. Mehta, P. K., Durability of
Concrete Exposed to Marine
EnvironmentA Fresh Look,
Concrete in Marine Environment,
Proceedings, Second International
Conference, SP-109, American
Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1988.

Performance
Standards are
Coming
The American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) recently published a new specification designated C1157-92, Standard Performance
Specification for Blended Hydraulic
Cement. The new standard, however, does not replace ASTMs existing
standard C595, Specification for
Blended Hydraulic Cements, which
defines five types of blended cement
in terms of ingredient proportions
and chemical limitations.

Unique Development
Unlike C595, the new C1157 performance standard does not dictate the
composition or constituents of
blended cement other than the
requirement that it should consist of
two or more inorganic constituents
which contribute to the strengthgaining properties of the cement,
with or without other constituents,
processing additions, and functional
additions. The blended cement
5

R e t u r n To I n d e x

Concrete Technology Today

may be produced by intergrinding
or other blending processes. C1157
does require that the ingredients of
the blended cement be reported and
that the ingredients, including processing and functional additions,
independently meet any applicable
specifications.
This really is a unique development, notes Steven Kosmatka, who
as PCAs manager of research and
development tracks specifications
and standards in the cement industry and serves on several ASTM
committees. For the cement industry, its our first foray into performance specifications.

Six Types
C1157 sets physical requirements for
the following six types of blended
cement, mirroring the attributes of
ASTMs C150 cement types:
Type GUBlended cement for general construction use
when a specialized type
is not required
Type HEHigh Early Strength
Type MSModerate Sulfate
Resistance
Type HSHigh Sulfate Resistance
Type MHModerate Heat of
Hydration
Type LHLow Heat of Hydration
In addition, any of the above types
may be designated with Option R
Low Reactivity with Alkali-Reactive
Aggregates. If Option R is invoked,
the cement should be tested using
ASTM Test Method C227, which
uses crushed borosilicate (Pyrex)
glass as the reactive aggregate. The
expansion during this test should
not exceed 0.020% at 14 days or
0.060% at 56 days. Additionally,
pozzolans used in any blended
cement also should be tested using
C227 with a nonreactive sand to
determine whether they have any
potential for alkali-reactivity.

Optimizing Cements
As noted earlier, the new standard
does not replace ASTMs existing
C595 standard; the new designations
for six types of blended cement are
simply an additional way to specify
blended cements. It gives cement

companies far more leeway in formulating their product, concedes

Kosmatka. For the first time, manufacturers can truly optimize
cements, using ingredients available
to them without the limitations of
recipe specifications.
Ultimately, performance-specified
blended cements could spawn a new
breed of productsspecial formulations that address specific customer
needs such as resistance to alkaliaggregate reaction and sulfate reaction, to name two.
There are also environmental considerations. Blending portland
cement with materials such as fly
ash, ground granulated blast-furnace
slag, kiln dust, or limestone means
less embodied energy and reduced
carbon dioxide emissions. And in
the case of kiln dust, slag, fly ash,
and other mineral byproducts, its a
way to recycle waste materials into
cement.

Acceptance?
But dont expect an overnight shift
from recipe to performance specifications; publication of the standard
is only the beginning. It has yet to
be accepted by ASTM C94
Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete,
the ACI 318 Building Code, ACI 301
Specifications for Structural Concrete
for Buildings, and other important
standards and codes organizations, a
process that could take the rest of
this decade. Moreover, acceptance
may be only the first hurdle.
Historically, U.S. specifiers have
shied away from blended cements,
perhaps finding a tandem set of
cement types confusing. Adding a
third setC1157to the existing
C150 and C595 specifications may
further complicate cement choices.
In any case, if use of a blended
cement under ASTM C1157 is contemplated, or an order is placed, a
request should be made for the manufacturers certification, which is discussed in Section 14 of the standard.
This section requires the manufacturer to provide results of tests and
chemical analyses and a list of specific constituents and functional
additions, if any, contained in the
cement specified.
Copies of ASTM Designation
C1157-92 may be purchased from

R e t u r n To I n d e x

American Society for Testing and

Materials, 1916 Race Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19103, Phone: 215299-5400, Fax: 215-977-9679.

New Research
Results
Announced
The following new research and
development bulletins are now
available. To purchase any of these
bulletins in the United States, contact Portland Cement Association,
Order Processing, P. O. Box 726,
Skokie, IL 60076-0726; telephone 1800/868-6733, or fax 708/966-9666
(24 hours a day, 7 days a week). In
Canada please direct requests to the
nearest regional office of the
Canadian Portland Cement
Association (Halifax, Montreal,
Toronto, and Vancouver).

Guide Specification for

Concrete Subject to AlkaliSilica Reactions, IS415T
This 8-page document, authored by
the Portland Cement Associations
Alkali-Silica Reactivity/Pavement
Durability Task Group, provides
specifiers and engineers guidance
with state-of-the-art approaches to
control alkali-silica reactivity (ASR).
The guide is compiled from the best
of U.S., Canadian, and European
approaches, including the Strategic
Highway Research Program.
Alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) has
been reported worldwide since 1940.
Fortunately most concrete is not
affected by this condition. Although