The heart of concrete lies in the cement. Several tests should be performed to determine the characteristics of cement and its compatibility with other materials in the concrete mix design. Compressive strength testing of mortar cubes at 3-days, 7-days and 28-days of aging are used to observe the development of the strength gain of the mortar over time.
A chemical analysis of the cement will provide a reasonable estimate of the composition of the cement. These are just a few of the tests that can be used to determine the quality of the cement.
Our Accreditations
Our laboratory is approved and/or inspected by A2LA, AMRL (AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory), CCRL (Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Our laboratory accreditations include: ISO 17025, AASHTO R18 and we are an approved laboratory for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Our employees are active members in ACI, ASTM, ICRI, FRCA, ASCE and SWRI. Several TEC Services employees are current or past committee members, committee chairs, board members and presidents of these organizations in local and national chapters.
We work closely with ASTM in the development of test methods, testing guidelines and specifications for all types of cements. Our laboratory has performed research, quality control, and cement–admixture compatibility testing.
A basic list of some of the cement testing our laboratory provides is listed below. This list consists of ASTM tests and other tests that we perform on a regular basis. If a test is desired that is not listed below, please call us and inquire for further details.
Specification for Natural Cement
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Specification for Masonry Cement
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Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (2×2 Cubes)
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Chemical Analysis of Hydraulic Cement
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Specification for Portland Cement
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Autoclave Expansion of Portland Cement
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Length Change of Hardened Hydraulic-Cement Mortar and Concrete
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Sampling and the Amount of Testing of Hydraulic Cement
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Air Content of Hydraulic Cement Mortar
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Normal Consistency of Hydraulic Cement
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Density of Hydraulic Cement
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Time of Setting of Hydraulic Cement by Vicat Needle
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Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by Air-Permeability Apparatus
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Air-Entraining Additions for Use in the Manufacture of Air-Entraining Hydraulic Cement
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Potential Alkali Reactivity of Cement-Aggregate Combinations
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Flow Table for Use in Tests of Hydraulic Cement
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Time of Setting of Hydraulic-Cement Paste by Gillmore Needles
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Standard Specification for Mortar for Unit Masonry
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Mechanical Mixing of Hydraulic Cement Pastes and Mortars of Plasic
Consistencies |
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Sampling and Testing Fly Ash or Natural Pozzolans for Use in
Portland-Cement Concrete |
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Flexural Strength of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars
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Compressive Strength of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars (Portions of Prisms Broken in Flexural)
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Early Stiffening of Hydraulic Cement
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Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by the 45-µm (No. 325) Sieve
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Effectiveness of Pozzolans or Ground Blast-Furnace Slag in Preventing
Excessive Expansion of Concrete Due to the Alkali-Silica Reaction |
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Early Stiffening of Hydraulic Cement (Paste Method)
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Potential Expansion of Portland-Cement Mortars Exposed to Sulfate
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Standard Specification for Processing Additions for Use in Hydraulic
Cements |
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Moist Cabinets, Moist Rooms, and Water Storage Tanks Used in the Testing of
Hydraulic Cements and Concretes |
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Optimum SO3 in Hydraulic Cement Using 24-hr Compressive Strength
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Standard Specification for Fly Ash and Other Pozzolans
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Specifications for Blended Hydraulic Cements
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Drying Shrinkage of Mortar Containing Hydraulic Cement
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Specifications for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for
Use in Concrete |
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Fineness of Hydraulic Cement and Raw Materials by the No. 50, No. 100, and No. 200 Sieves by Wet Methods
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Restrained Expansion of Expansive Cement Mortar
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Time of Setting of Hydraulic Cement Mortar by Modified Vicat Needle
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Specifications For Expansive Hydraulic Cement
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Length Change of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars Exposed to A Sulfate Solution
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Expansion of Hydraulic Cement Mortar Bars Stored in Water
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Measuring Changes in Height of Cylindrical Specimen of Hydraulic-Cement
Grout |
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Specifications for Hydraulic Cements
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Evaluation of Laboratories Testing Hydraulic Cement
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Silica Fume Used in Cementitious Mixtures
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Specification for Plastic (Stucco) Cement
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Specification for Mortar Cement
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Flow of Hydraulic Cement Mortar
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Water Retention of Hydraulic Cement-Based Mortars and Plasters
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Determining the Potential of Alkali-Silica Reactivity of Combinations of
Cementitious Materials and Aggregate (Mortar-Bar Method) |
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Tensile Strength of Concrete Surfaces and the Bond Strength or Tensile Strength of Concrete Repair and Overlays Materials by Direct Tension
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Standard Specification for Rapid Hardening Hydraulic Cement
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Establishing and Implementing a Quality System for Construction Materials
Testing Laboratories |
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Acceptance Criteria for Proprietary Hydraulic Cement
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ISO/IEC 17025
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General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration of
Laboratories |