Standards

ASTM C150 — US Standard for Portland Cement | Egyptian Compliance

ASTM C150 is the US standard for Portland cement. Covers Type I/IA/II/IIA/III/IIIA/IV/V Portland cements + masonry. Egyptian cement (Egypt Globe) ASTM C150 compliance, MTC per ASTM C114/C109, AASHTO M-85 acceptance, US state DOT supply.

ASTM C150 — US Standard for Portland Cement

ASTM C150/C150M: "Standard Specification for Portland Cement" is the primary US standard for Portland cement. It is required by federal and state highway agencies, by US construction codes (ACI 318), and by most US ready-mix and precast producers. Egypt Globe Group ships ASTM C150 Type I, II, III and V (SRC) cement from Egyptian mills, with a Mill Test Certificate per ASTM C114 and ASTM C109 issued for every lot by the port laboratory before the Bill of Lading.

Standard at a glance

Clause	Requirement	EGG verification method	Frequency
MgO (all types)	≤ 6.0 %	Chemical analysis per ASTM C114	Every lot
SO₃	≤ 3.0 % (Type I / II, C₃A ≤ 8 %); ≤ 3.5 % (Type I, C₃A > 8 %; Type III); ≤ 2.3 % (Type IV / V)	ASTM C114	Every lot
Loss on ignition	≤ 3.5 % (Type I / II / III / V); ≤ 2.5 % (Type IV)	ASTM C114	Every lot
Insoluble residue	≤ 1.5 %	ASTM C114	Every lot
C₃A	≤ 8 % (Type II); ≤ 15 % (Type III); ≤ 7 % (Type IV); ≤ 5 % (Type V)	Bogue calculation from ASTM C114 oxides	Every lot
Type II: SiO₂ ≥ 20.0 %, Al₂O₃ ≤ 6.0 %, Fe₂O₃ ≤ 6.0 %	Table 1 limits	ASTM C114	Every lot
Fineness (Blaine)	≥ 2,800 cm²/g (Type I / II / IV / V)	ASTM C204	Every lot
Autoclave expansion	≤ 0.80 %	ASTM C151	Every lot
Compressive strength	Type I 3-d ≥ 12.0 / 7-d ≥ 19.0 MPa; Type II 10.0 / 17.0; Type III 1-d ≥ 12.0 / 3-d ≥ 24.0; Type V 3-d ≥ 8.0 / 7-d ≥ 15.0 / 28-d ≥ 21.0	ASTM C109 (50 mm cubes)	Every lot (early ages at the mill; later ages on retained sample)
Setting time (Vicat)	Initial ≥ 45 min, ≤ 375 min	ASTM C191	Every lot
Air content	≤ 12 %	ASTM C185	Every lot
Optional: low alkali	Na₂Oeq ≤ 0.60 %	ASTM C114	Per contract
Optional: heat of hydration, false set	Per Table 5	ASTM C186; ASTM C451	Per contract
Sampling	Representative sample of the loaded lot	ASTM C183 sampling	Every lot; witnessed by Intertek / TÜV Austria / SGS when contracted

Cement types

ASTM C150 defines 8 cement types covering different performance + chemistry:

Type	Name	Use
Type I	Normal	General construction, no special properties
Type IA	Normal Air-Entraining	Type I + air entrainment for freeze-thaw resistance
Type II	Moderate Sulfate Resistance	Sulfate-bearing soils + moderate heat of hydration
Type IIA	Moderate Sulfate Resistance + Air-Entraining	Type II + air entrainment
Type II(MH)	Moderate Sulfate + Moderate Heat	Mass concrete + moderate sulfate exposure
Type III	High Early Strength	Rapid construction, precast, cold weather, early form removal
Type IIIA	High Early Strength + Air-Entraining	Type III + air entrainment
Type IV	Low Heat of Hydration	Mass concrete dams (rarely used today)
Type V	High Sulfate Resistance	Severe sulfate environments, marine, sewerage

Chemical requirements (Table 1)

Property	Type I	Type II	Type III	Type IV	Type V
SiO₂ min	—	20.0	—	—	—
Al₂O₃ max	—	6.0	—	—	—
Fe₂O₃ max	—	6.0	—	6.5	—
MgO max	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
SO₃ max (C₃A ≤ 8%)	3.0	3.0	3.5	2.3	2.3
SO₃ max (C₃A > 8%)	3.5	—	4.5	—	—
LOI max	3.5	3.5	3.5	2.5	3.5
Insoluble residue max	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
C₃A max	—	8	15	7	5
C₃S+4.75×C₃A max	—	100	—	—	—
Tricalcium aluminate + ferrite	—	—	—	—	25

Type V's C₃A ≤ 5% limit is the defining characteristic of sulfate-resistant cement.

Physical requirements (Table 4)

Property	Type I	Type II	Type III	Type IV	Type V
Air content max %	12	12	12	12	12
Fineness, Blaine cm²/g min	2,800	2,800	—	2,800	2,800
Autoclave expansion max %	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80	0.80
1-day compressive MPa min	—	—	12.0	—	—
3-day compressive MPa min	12.0	10.0	24.0	—	8.0
7-day compressive MPa min	19.0	17.0	—	7.0	15.0
28-day compressive MPa min	—	—	—	17.0	21.0
Initial setting Vicat min	45	45	45	45	45
Initial setting Vicat max (min)	375	375	375	375	375

Optional requirements (Table 5)

Buyers can specify:

False set

(after initial setting time, premature stiffening)

Heat of hydration

(for low-heat or moderate-heat Type II)

Alkali content (Na₂Oeq ≤ 0.60%)

low-alkali for alkali-silica reactive aggregates

Loss on ignition + insoluble residue tighter limits

Test methods referenced

ASTM C114

Chemical Analysis of Hydraulic Cement

ASTM C109

Compressive Strength (50mm cubes)

ASTM C151

Autoclave Expansion

ASTM C204

Blaine Fineness

ASTM C191

Setting Time (Vicat)

ASTM C186

Heat of Hydration

Egyptian cement compliance with ASTM C150

Egypt Globe Group ships ASTM C150-compliant cement under:

Type I

(CEM I 42.5N equivalent) — general construction

Type II

(CEM I 42.5N + low-C₃A clinker) — moderate sulfate, moderate heat

Type III

(CEM I 52.5R / 52.5N high-strength) — rapid hardening, precast

Type V

(SRC — C₃A ≤ 5%) — high sulfate resistance for marine + sewerage + sulfate soil

Every shipment ships with:

Mill Test Certificate per ASTM C114 chemical + ASTM C109 strength data — per-lot, issued by the port laboratory before B/L
Compliance statement signed by QC manager
Optional third-party TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek lab confirmation report
AASHTO M-85 acceptance letter (for federal/state highway projects)

How EGG certifies conformity

Cement conformity is certified lot by lot. The Quality Assurance division that has been at the nucleus of Egypt Globe Group since incorporation in 2014 runs the chain mill → silo → port laboratory → independent inspection → buyer laboratory:

Mill release — the producing mill's laboratory reports oxide chemistry and Bogue C₃A per ASTM C114, Blaine fineness per ASTM C204, Vicat setting per ASTM C191 and early-age strength per ASTM C109 for each production lot; later-age strength is tracked on retained cubes.
Silo and stockpile control — lots held in identified silos or bagged lots; no mixing of released and unreleased cement; moisture-barrier packing (HDPE-lined kraft, PE-lined FIBC) per packing & containerisation.
Port laboratory gate — the port-side QC team samples the loaded lot per ASTM C183, re-checks chemistry, fineness and setting time and issues the per-lot Mill Test Certificate before the Bill of Lading. Zero tolerance on specification deviation: a lot outside the MTC is rejected at the loading port, never re-graded or renegotiated.
Independent inspection — Intertek (US specialty: ASTM, AASHTO, state DOT procurement), TÜV Austria, SGS or Bureau Veritas (all ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025) sample during loading, witness or run independent tests and issue a Certificate of Inspection with sealed retained samples.
Contractual guarantee — the specification is guaranteed at the port of loading and binding under the sales contract; voyage condition is governed by the B/L and marine insurance; laycan discipline with documented NOR / SOF.

ASTM C150 vs other cement standards

Standard	Region	Type I equivalent	Type V equivalent
EN 197-1	EU	CEM I 32.5/42.5/52.5	SRC (per EN 197-1 + SR Annex)
AASHTO M-85	US Federal/State DOT	Adopts ASTM C150 verbatim	Adopts
CSA A3000	Canada	GU (General Use)	HS (High Sulfate Resistance)
BS 12 / BS EN 197-1	UK	CEM I	SR cement
IS 269 / 8112 / 12269	India	OPC 33/43/53 (no direct sulfate equivalent — IS 12330 for SRC)	IS 12330 SRPC
GB 175	China	PC, PI	SRC per GB 748

US state DOT procurement notes

State DOT cement contracts typically follow AASHTO M-85 (which adopts ASTM C150)
Typical specification: Type I/II Low Alkali (Na₂Oeq ≤ 0.60%) — covers most general DOT work
Specialty: Type III for fast-track repairs; Type V for coastal + sulfate-aggressive soils
Pre-qualified supplier list required for federal projects
ASR (alkali-silica reactivity) compliance increasingly required

Loading ports for US East Coast lanes: Damietta, Alexandria, El Dekheila.

Egypt-globe cement catalog →
EN 197-1 reference (EU standard) →
HS 2523 cement export ref →

Priced offers

Ready for a quote?

FOB / CIF / CFR pricing from 7 Egyptian ports — turnaround once stock, laycan and freight are confirmed.

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Frequently asked questions

Which ASTM C150 cement types does Egypt Globe Group ship?

Type I, the CEM I 42.5N equivalent for general construction; Type II, CEM I 42.5N made with low-C₃A clinker for moderate sulfate resistance and moderate heat; Type III, CEM I 52.5R or 52.5N high-strength for rapid hardening and precast; and Type V, sulphate-resisting cement with C₃A at or below 5% for marine, sewerage and sulfate-soil work.

What makes ASTM C150 Type V sulfate-resistant?

Type V is defined by a C₃A limit of 5% maximum, with tricalcium aluminate plus ferrite capped at 25% and SO₃ at or below 2.3%. Its strength requirements are 8.0 MPa at 3 days, 15.0 MPa at 7 days and 21.0 MPa at 28 days per ASTM C109 on 50 mm cubes. It is specified for severe sulfate environments, marine structures and sewerage.

Which test methods back the Mill Test Certificate for ASTM C150 cement?

Chemical analysis per ASTM C114 with Bogue C₃A calculated from the oxides, compressive strength per ASTM C109 on 50 mm cubes, Blaine fineness per ASTM C204 with a 2,800 cm²/g minimum, autoclave expansion per ASTM C151 at or below 0.80%, Vicat setting time per ASTM C191 between 45 and 375 minutes, and air content per ASTM C185 at or below 12%. The port laboratory samples the loaded lot per ASTM C183 and issues the per-lot Mill Test Certificate before the Bill of Lading.

Can Egyptian ASTM C150 cement be supplied to US state DOT projects?

Yes. State DOT cement contracts follow AASHTO M-85, which adopts ASTM C150 verbatim, and each shipment includes an AASHTO M-85 acceptance letter. The typical DOT specification is Type I/II Low Alkali with Na₂Oeq at or below 0.60%, with Type III for fast-track repairs and Type V for coastal and sulfate-aggressive soils. Federal projects require a pre-qualified supplier listing, and alkali-silica reactivity compliance is increasingly required.

Which Egyptian ports load ASTM C150 cement for US East Coast lanes?

Damietta, Alexandria and El Dekheila. Lots are held in identified silos or bagged lots with no mixing of released and unreleased cement, in moisture-barrier packing such as HDPE-lined kraft sacks or PE-lined FIBCs. Intertek, whose US specialty covers ASTM, AASHTO and state DOT procurement, TÜV Austria, SGS or Bureau Veritas can sample during loading and issue a Certificate of Inspection with sealed retained samples.

Other questions? Email our export desk — the export desk replies to every request.

ASTM C150 — US Standard for Portland Cement | Egyptian Compliance