AS 39721997

(Incorporating Amendment No. 1)

AS 39721997
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Australian Standard
Portland and blended cements

This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee BD-010, Cement. It was approved on
behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 22 November 1996.
This Standard was published on 5 February 1997.

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The following are represented on Committee BD-010:

Association of Consulting Engineers Australia

Australasian Slag Association
Australian Pre-Mixed Concrete Association
AUSTROADS
Cement Concrete & Association of Australia
CSIRODivision of Building, Construction & Engineering
Department of Public Works and Services N.S.W.
Institution of Engineers, Australia
Scientific Services Laboratory, AGAL Department of Administrative Services
University of Sydney

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 96203.

Standards Australia wishes to acknowledge the participation of the expert individuals that
contributed to the development of this Standard through their representation on the Committee
and through public comment period.

Keeping Standards up-to-date

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systems. To maintain their currency, all Standards are periodically reviewed, and new editions
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Standards may also be withdrawn. It is important that readers assure themselves they are using
a current Standard, which should include any amendments that may have been published since
the Standard was published.
Detailed information about Australian Standards, drafts, amendments and new projects can be
found by visiting www.standards.org.au
Standards Australia welcomes suggestions for improvements, and encourages readers to notify
us immediately of any apparent inaccuracies or ambiguities. Contact us via email at
mail@standards.org.au, or write to Standards Australia, GPO Box 476, Sydney, NSW 2001.

AS 39721997
(Incorporating Amendment No. 1)

This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version online.

Australian Standard
Portland and blended cements

Originated in part as AS A21925.

Previous edition AS 39721991.
Second edition 1997.
Reissued incorporating Amendment No. 1 (July 2007).

COPYRIGHT
Standards Australia
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written
permission of the publisher.
Published by Standards Australia GPO Box 476, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia
ISBN 0 7337 0885 4

AS 39721997

PREFACE
This Standard was prepared by Standards Australia Committee BD-010 on Cement. It
supersedes AS 39721991, Portland and blended cements, which was first issued in 1991
to supersede AS 13151982, Portland cement and AS 13171982, Blended cements.
Background to the first edition: A number of important amendments were made in this
revision of the Standard for portland and blended cements.
This Standard incorporates Amendment No. 1 (July 2007). The changes required by the
Amendment are indicated in the text by a marginal bar and amendment number against the
clause, note, table, figure or part thereof affected.

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First, a deliberate policy of attempting to define both portland and blended cements in terms
of their performance characteristics was adopted. All but essential prescriptive limits were
eliminated, and therefore, cements covered by this Standard were designated as general
purpose or special purpose. By definition, general purpose cements may be portland
cements (Type GP) or blended cements (Type GB). Special purpose cements may be
portland or blended cements with restrictions being placed on their composition.
Secondly, in keeping with world-wide practice, portland cements have been permitted to
contain up to 5% mineral additions, including ground limestone containing more than 80%
calcium carbonate. By definition, blended cements are those containing fly ash or
granulated iron blast-furnace slag or a mixture of these. Other materials are not permitted in
blended cements in this revision because data on the testing and performance of blended
cements containing such other materials was limited in Australia.
Thirdly, the properties of both portland and blended cements were divided into two
categories: those to which limits apply and those for which no limits are specified but for
which test results must be reported if requested by a purchaser. This requirement was
included to ensure that purchasers are as fully advised as practicable of the properties and
characteristics of cement being used.

A1

Background to the second edition: After careful consideration by the Committee,

Amendment No. 1 to the Standard was issued in February 1995 to include a new cement
typeType SL, shrinkage limited cement. Completion of work on a test procedure for
sulfate resisting cement has enabled the Committee to replace limits on chemical
composition with a physical test and the associated criteria. Amendment No. 2 to the
Standard was issued in August 1996 to include the test method and the specification for
Type SR cement. The maximum limit on sulfate expansion of 900 microstrain has been
established, based on the best available data presented to the Committee. The Committee
agreed to review the specification limit for Type SR cement in 12 months time from the
date of publication of this amendment, based on the additional test data that will be
accumulated during this period. Amendment No. 2 also permitted the use of silica fume in
blended cements up to a maximum of 10%.
Work on a test procedure for low heat cement to replace the heat of solution method and the
associated limits which were only appropriate for portland cement, is also complete. The
new test method and the associated limit are appropriate for both portland and blended
cements.
The Committee recommended that, rather than issuing Amendment No. 3, a second edition
of AS 3972 be published which incorporated all published and approved amendments.
The term informative has been used in this Standard to define the application of the
appendix to which it applies. An informative appendix is only for information and
guidance.

AS 39721997

CONTENTS

1
2

Page
SCOPE........................................................................................................................ 4
REFERENCED DOCUMENTS.................................................................................. 4

MATERIALS.............................................................................................................. 5

CEMENT TYPES AND COMPOSITION .................................................................. 6

SAMPLING AND TESTING...................................................................................... 6

REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................................... 6

PACKING, MARKING AND DELIVERY OF BAGGED CEMENT ........................ 7

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APPENDIX A

PERFORMANCE-BASED SPECIFICATION OF CEMENT..................... 9

AS 39721997

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA
Australian Standard
Portland and blended cements
1 SCOPE
This Standard specifies requirements for hydraulic cements consisting of portland cement
or of mixtures of portland cement and one or more of fly ash, ground granulated iron blastfurnace slag or silica fume.
It does not purport to provide for all the requirements which may be needed in specific
applications of such cements.

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NOTE: Background information on the development of this Standard as a performance-based

specification of cement is given in Appendix A.

2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
The following documents are referred to in this Standard:
AS
2349
2350
2350.2
2350.7
2350.9
2350.13
2350.14

Method of sampling portland and blended cements

Methods of testing portland and blended cements
Method 2: Chemical composition of portland cement
Method 7: Determination of temperature rise during hydration of portland and
blended cements
Method 9: Fineness of portland fly ash cement by the 45 m sieve
Method 13: Determination of drying shrinkage of portland and blended cement
mortars
Method 14: Length change of portland and blended cement mortars exposed to
a sulfate solution

A1

3582
3582.1
3582.2

Supplementary cementitious materials for use with portland and blended cement
Part 1: Fly ash
Part 2: SlagGround granulated iron blast-furnace

A1

3583
3583.13

Methods of test for supplementary cementitious materials for use with portland
cement
Part 13: Determination of chloride ion content

3600

Concrete structures

AS/NZS
2350
2350.4
2350.5
2350.8
2350.11

Methods of testing portland and blended cements

Method 4: Setting time of portland and blended cements
Method 5: Determination of soundness of portland and blended cements
Method 8: Fineness index of portland cement by air permeability
Method 11: Compressive strength of portland and blended cements

3582
3582.3

Supplementary cementitious materials for use with portland and blended cement
Part 3: Amorphous silica

A1

ISO
5725
5725.1
5725.2

Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results

Part 1: General principles and definitions
Part 2: Basic method for the determination of repeatability and reproducibility
of a standard measurement method

Standards Australia

www.standards.org.au

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AS 3972-1997 Portland and blended cements

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