Redefining cement characteristics for sulfate-resistant Portland cement

Experimental research was performed to relate specific cement characteristics to expansion due to sulfate attack. Twenty-one North American cement of statistically diverse chemical composition were used in the study. ASTM 1012 “Standard Test Method for Length Change of Hydraulic Cement Mortars Exposed to a Sulfate Solution” was performed using mortars prepared with each of the cement. First-order and multivariate relationships between cement characteristics and sulfate expansion were correlated at different ages. Analysis revealed that while tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) has typically been targeted as the chief contributor to sulfate attack, iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) or tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C₄AF) content, combined with total equivalent alkalis, showed a much stronger negative correlation with expansions at all ages. These results are in agreement with a broad spectrum of sulfate expansion theories and can provide a better means of specifying sulfate-resistant cement.