| Specifying White Cement
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key advantage of using white cement for decorative and architectural
concrete is that it provides a neutral tinting base and consistent
color results. Every color option is possible with it, from pure
whites to bright and pastel colors. White cement is available everywhere
in North America. Although you won’t find it under a separate
specification, it can be specified via a number of different standards—portland
cements, masonry cements, and plastic (stucco) cements.
Concrete and All Other (General) Uses
ASTM C 150 for portland cement is the most common
cement spec in North America. Of the five basic types of cement
covered under this spec, Types I through V, Types I and III white
cement are the most prevalent, but Types II and V are also manufactured.
For a discussion of the purpose of each cement type, click
here. Manufacturers usually control color of white cement by
limiting the amount of iron and manganese oxides allowed. More.
ASTM C 595 on blended cement includes other pozzolanic
or slag materials in the cement. There is no inherent reason why
a white cement could not be produced under C 595. However, byproduct
ingredients like pozzolans or slags may not be color controlled
to the same degree as portland cements, so a blended cement product
is more likely to vary in color. Therefore, white cement would probably
not be specified under this standard.
ASTM C 1157 on hydraulic cement is based on performance
characteristics. The six types of cement described by this standard
are closely correlated to the types of cement in C 150. In fact,
cements that meet C 150 often simultaneously meet C 1157. The most
common, Type GU for general use, is similar to a Type I. Type HE,
high early strength, is similar to a Type III. These would be the
most likely C 1157 materials to be requested for white and colored
concrete uses, much like Type I and III are the most popular C 150
types for those purposes.
CSA A 3001 is the Canadian Standards Association
standard for Cementitious Materials for Use in Concrete. The portland
cement nomenclature is the same as C 1157. The blended cement nomenclature
builds off those designations. As with the ASTM specifications,
white cement could be specified under the portland cement designation,
but would not likely be specified under the blended cement specifications.
See CSA for more
information.
Masonry Mortar and Stucco
Other cement specifications have been developed specifically for
special construction uses. ASTM C 91 on masonry
cement is used to make both mortar and plaster (stucco). C 91 has
Types N, S, and M. Many cement companies ship these materials in
bagged, colored mixes to save the end user the time and trouble
of blending materials on the job.
C 1328 on plastic (or stucco) cement is used for
stucco applications but this material is found only in the southwest
and western portions of the United States. C 1328 has Types S and
M. As with C 91, these materials can be premixed with color pigments
to simplify job site use.
Incidentally, C 150 is also used for mortar and stucco, but it
is mixed with lime to provide workability. These mixes can be white
or colored and can be premixed, too.
ASTM C 1329 on mortar cement is a sister product
to C 91. The difference is that mortars made with mortar cements
must have certain minimum bond strengths because these materials
are intended for use in more structurally demanding applications.
Cement types are the same as in C 91: N, S, and M. While it is not
disallowed, there does not seem to be much demand in the marketplace
for white mortar cement.
CSA A 3002 is the Canadian Standards Association
standard for Masonry and Mortar Cement. Similar to ASTM C 91 and
C 1329, this single standard covers both materials in the same specification.
Like ASTM, masonry cements could be specified as white, but mortar
cements would likely not be. One notable difference from the ASTM
counterparts is that A 3002 only recognizes Types N and S—Type
M is not included.
For more information about the types, history, and manufacture
of portland cement, click
here.
To locate any type of cement in the U.S. or Canada, go to the PCA
Directory of Cement Sales Offices.
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