scope:

Purpose of the report

This report summarizes current information about the composition, availability, and factors affecting the performance of commercial hydraulic cements. Although the amount of information given may make it appear that selecting cement for a specific purpose is complicated, this is only true in unusual circumstances.

The purpose of this report is to provide users with general information on cements to help them recognize when a readily available general-purpose cement will perform satisfactorily or when conditions may require selection of a special cement. It will also aid the cement user by providing general information on the effects of cements on the properties of concrete. Some chemical and physical characteristics of a cement affect certain properties of concrete in important ways. For other properties, the amount of cement is more important than its characteristics. The report is not a treatise on cement chemistry or concrete; for those who need to know more, however, it provides references to the technical literature, including many ACI documents.