Portland cements and blended hydraulic cements for concrete in the U.S. conform to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C150 (Standard Specification for Portland Cement), C595 (Standard Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cement) or C1157 (Performance Specification for Hydraulic Cements).
Some state agencies refer to very similar specifications: AASHTO M 85 for Portland cement and M 240 for blended cements. These specifications refer to standard test methods to assure that the testing is performed in the same manner. For example, ASTM C109 (Standard Test Method for Compressive.
In the US, three separate standards may apply depending on the category of cement. For portland cement types, ASTM C150 describes:
For blended hydraulic cements – specified by ASTM C595 – the following nomenclature is used:
Type 1P Portland-Pozzonlan Cement
Type 1T Ternary Blended Cement
Chemical tests verify the content and composition of cement,while physical testing demonstrates physical criteria.
In C150/M 85 and C595/M 240, both chemical and physical properties are limited. In C1157, the limits are almost entirely physical requirements.
Type IP – Portland-pozzolan cement – up to 40% pozzolan permitted
Type IT – Ternary blended cement3 – up to 70% of pozzolan + limestone + slag, with pozzolan being no more than 40% and limestone no more than 15%
Used for general construction, this blend can contain up to 50% pozzolan. Fly ash is the most common pozzolan used in blended cement.
Ternary cements are blends two complementary supplementary materials such as fly ash, slag cement or silica fume.
The highest amount of material in the blend determines its type. For example, if fly ash were the highest component, it would be considered Type.
The “(X)” in the designation refers to the percentage of the ingredient included in the blended cement. The remainder is Portland cement.
For example, Type IL (10), Portland-limestone cement, contains 10% limestone and 90% Portland cement.
Blended cement makes it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications such as,
