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ASTM Selected Technical Papers
Significance of Tests and Properties of Concrete and Concrete-Making Materials
By
R. C. Mielenz
R. C. Mielenz
1
The Master Builders Co.
, Division of Martin Marietta,
Cleveland, Ohio, chairman
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D. L. Bloem
D. L. Bloem
2
Nat. Ready Mixed Concrete Assn. and Nat. Sand and Gravel Assn.
,
Washington, D.C.
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L. E. Gregg
L. E. Gregg
3
Associates, Inc.
,
Lexington, Ky.
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L. E. Gregg
L. E. Gregg
3
Associates, Inc.
,
Lexington, Ky.
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C. E. Kesler
C. E. Kesler
4
University of Illinois
,
Urbana, Ill.
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W. H. Price
W. H. Price
5
Am. Cement Corp.
,
Los Angeles, Calif.
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ISBN:
978-0-8031-8109-0
No. of Pages:
582
Publisher:
ASTM International
Publication date:
1966

Determination of the portland cement content of hardened concrete is often a matter of concern to engineers and chemists working with mortars and concretes. Unfortunately, a precise method of analysis has not been developed due to the many complexities of the material under test. Difficulties include the selection of representative samples, the presence of aggregate materials from unknown sources, the use of portland cements that differ substantially from an average composition, the presence of admixtures or additions (such as pozzolans or finely ground slag), the degree of hydration of the cement, the effect of carbonation as contrasted with hydration, and the effect of leaching of the concrete. In view of such formidable obstacles, chemical procedures demand that every effort should be made to obtain samples of the materials used in the concrete mixture. Where adequate information is obtained on the coarase and fine aggregate and cementing material, a reasonably accurate estimate of the cement content of hardened concrete can be made by chemical methods. In the absence of sufficient information on the source materials, assumptions must be made with respect to the amount of soluble substances that may be contributed to the analysis by the aggregate fractions and with respect to the ratio of aggregate materials present in the mixture. The assumptions affect the reliability of the test results. In some instances, the use of several schemes of analysis should be considered since the information derived from one method may assist in interpreting the results derived from an alternate method. This report outlines several methods that have been employed to determine the cement content of hardened concrete and indicates the reliability of the results that have been obtained, with emphasis being given to the procedure that is available as ASTM Test for Cement Content of Hardened Portland Cement Concrete (C 85). Results of cooperative tests undertaken by ASTM Committee C-9 to evaluate the reliability of the ASTM method of test are presented.

1.
Report of Subcommittee I on Definitions and Chemical Limitations, of Committee C-1 on Cement
,”
Proceedings, Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
, Vol.
28
, Part I,
1928
, pp. 238–243.
2.
Powers
T. C.
, “
The Nonevaporable Water Content of Hardened Portland-Cement Paste—Its Significance for Concrete Research and Its Method of Determination
,”
ASTM Bulletin
No. 158,
Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
, May, 1949, pp. 68–76.
3.
Yaltkaya
E. R.
,
Urkan
S.
,
Koksal
K.
,
Senturk
H. S.
, and
Enustun
B. V.
, “
Nondestructive Estimation of Cement Content of Hardened Concrete
,”
Application of Advanced and Nuclear Physics to Testing Materials, ASTM STP 373
,
Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
, March, 1965, pp. 62–69.
4.
Blackman
J. S.
, “
Method for Estimating Water Content of Concrete at the Time of Hardening
,”
Proceedings, Am. Concrete Inst.
, Vol.
50
,
1954
, pp. 533–541.
5.
Bloem
D. L.
, discussion of a paper by
Blackman
J. S.
, “
Method for Estimating Water Content of Concrete at the Time of Hardening
,”
Proceedings, Am. Concrete Inst.
, Vol.
50
,
1954
, pp. 544-1–544-4.
6.
Brown
A. W.
, “
A Tentative Method for the Determination of the Original Water/Cement Ratio of Hardened Concrete
,”
Journal Applied Chemistry
, Vol.
7
, October, 1957, pp. 565–572.
7.
Covault
D. O.
and
Poovey
C. E.
, “
Use of Neutron Activation to Determine Cement Content of Portland Cement Concrete
,” Publication 1022,
Highway Research Board
,
1962
, pp. 1–29.
8.
Polivka
M.
,
Kelly
J. W.
, and
Best
C. H.
, “
A Physical Method for Determining the Composition of Hardened Concrete
,”
Papers on Cement and Concrete, ASTM STP
 205,
Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
,
1956
, pp. 135–152.
9.
Axon
E. O.
, “
A Method of Estimating the Original Mix Composition of Hardened Concrete Using Physical Tests
,”
Proceedings, Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
, Vol.
62
,
1962
, pp. 1068–1080.
10.
Chamot
E. M.
and
Mason
C. W.
,
Handbook of Chemical Microscopy
, Vol.
1
, 3rd edition, Chapter 16, “Quantitative Analyses of Heterogeneous Mixtures,”
1958
, pp. 469–488.
11.
Chayes
F.
, “
Linear Analysis of a Medium-Grained Granite
,”
Am. Mineralogist
, Vol.
31
,
1946
, pp. 261–275.
12.
Chayes
F.
, “
A Simple Point Counter for Thin-Section Analysis
,”
Am. Mineralogist
, Vol.
34
,
1949
, pp. 1–11.
13.
Chayes
F.
and
Fairbairn
H. W.
, “
A Test of the Precision of Thin-Section Analysis by Point Counter
,”
Am. Mineralogist
, Vol.
36
,
1951
, pp. 704–712.
14.
Powers
T. C.
and
Brownyard
T. L.
, “
Studies of the Physical Properties of Hardened Portland Cement Paste—Part 2
,”
Proceedings, Am. Concrete Inst.
, Vol.
43
,
1947
, pp. 249–336.
15.
Mielenz
R. C.
, “
Diagnosing Concrete Failures
,”
Stanton Walker Lecture Series on the Materials Sciences—Lecture
No. 2,
University of Maryland
,
1964
.
16.
Light
A. K.
,
Determination of the Constituents of Hardened Concrete
,
Department of Public Works
,
Ottawa, Canada
,
1930
.
17.
Ford
C. L.
, “
A Study of Methods for the Determination of the Portland Cement Content of Hardened Concrete
,”
Portland Cement Assn., Research and Development Div.
,
1952
.
18.
Kriege
H. F.
, “
Determining the Cement Content of Concrete
,”
Engineering News-Record
, Vol.
92
, No.
21
,
1924
, p. 892.
19.
Kriege
H. F.
, “
Cement Content of Hardened Concrete
,”
Report on Significance of Tests of Concrete and Concrete Aggregates
. ASTM STP 22,
Am. Soc. Testing Mats.
,
1935
, p. 55.
20.
Kriege
H. F.
, “
Cement Content of Hardened Concrete
,”
Report on Significance of Tests of Concrete and Concrete Aggregates
, ASTM STP 22-A,
Am. Soc. Testing Mats
,
1943
, p. 69.
21.
Kriege
H. F.
, “
Cement Content of Hardened Concrete
,”
Report on Significance of Tests of Concrete and Concrete Aggregates
, ASTM STP 169,
1955
, p. 221.
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