Standards

EN 197-1 — European Standard for Common Cement | Egyptian Cement Spec

EN 197-1 is the European standard for common cements (CEM I-V). Covers Portland cement, blended cement, slag cement, fly ash cement, pozzolanic cement. Egyptian cement (Egypt Globe) compliance, CE marking, DoP requirements.

EN 197-1 — European Standard for Common Cement

EN 197-1: "Cement — Part 1: Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements" is the primary European standard for hydraulic cement. It is mandatory for cement sold in the EU, EFTA and the UK (with UKCA), and increasingly referenced in MENA, Africa and Asia procurement specifications. Egypt Globe Group ships EN 197-1 compliant CEM I, CEM II, SRC and white Portland cement from Egyptian mills, with a Mill Test Certificate issued for every lot by the port laboratory before the Bill of Lading.

Standard at a glance

Clause	Requirement	EGG verification method	Frequency
Composition (CEM I)	95–100 % clinker + gypsum; CEM II 6–35 % main constituents per sub-type	Mill composition record; chemical analysis per EN 196-2	Every lot
Strength class 32.5 / 42.5 / 52.5 (N / R)	2-day ≥ 10 / 20 / 30 MPa (R) and 28-day ≥ 32.5 / 42.5 / 52.5 MPa per class (table below)	Compressive strength per EN 196-1 on mortar prisms	Every lot (2-day at the mill; 28-day on retained sample)
Sulphate (SO₃)	≤ 3.5 % (32.5 / 42.5); ≤ 4.0 % (52.5)	Chemical analysis per EN 196-2	Every lot
Chloride (Cl⁻)	≤ 0.10 % (most types)	Chemical analysis per EN 196-2 (EN 196-21)	Every lot
Loss on ignition (CEM I, CEM III)	≤ 5.0 %	EN 196-2	Every lot
Insoluble residue (CEM I, CEM III)	≤ 5.0 %	EN 196-2	Every lot
Soundness (Le Chatelier)	≤ 10 mm	EN 196-3	Every lot
Initial setting time	≥ 75 min (32.5); ≥ 60 min (42.5); ≥ 45 min (52.5)	Vicat per EN 196-3	Every lot
Pozzolanicity (CEM IV)	Positive test	EN 196-5	Every CEM IV lot
Conformity / CE	EN 197-2 system 1+; Notified Body certification; DoP per CPR 305/2011	DoP and CE certificate per designation; TÜV Austria verification on request	Per designation; per shipment when contracted
Sampling	Representative sample of the loaded lot	EN 196-7 sampling	Every lot; witnessed by TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek when contracted

Scope

Defines 5 main cement types (CEM I–V) with 27 standardised products covering:

Composition (clinker + main constituent percentages)
Strength class (32.5, 42.5, 52.5)
Early strength (N normal, R rapid, L low)
Sulphate, alkali, chloride limits
Conformity assessment (Annex ZA for CE marking)

Cement type families

CEM I — Portland Cement

95-100% clinker + gypsum

CEM I 42.5 N / 42.5 R / 52.5 N / 52.5 R / 32.5 N / 32.5 R
General-purpose, highest clinker factor
Highest CO₂ footprint
Best for high-strength, precast, rapid-hardening

CEM II — Portland-Composite Cement

Clinker + one or more main constituents (6-35%)

Subdivided by constituent:

CEM II/A-S, II/B-S

Portland-slag (6-35% blast furnace slag)

CEM II/A-D

Portland-silica fume (6-10% silica fume)

CEM II/A-P, II/B-P

Portland-pozzolana (6-35% natural pozzolana)

CEM II/A-Q, II/B-Q

Portland-pozzolana (6-35% calcined natural pozzolana)

CEM II/A-V, II/B-V

Portland-fly-ash (6-35% siliceous fly ash)

CEM II/A-W, II/B-W

Portland-fly-ash (6-35% calcareous fly ash)

CEM II/A-T, II/B-T

Portland-burnt-shale (6-35% burnt shale)

CEM II/A-L, II/B-L

Portland-limestone (6-35% limestone, TOC ≤ 0.50%)

CEM II/A-LL, II/B-LL

Portland-limestone (TOC ≤ 0.20%)

CEM II/A-M, II/B-M

Portland-composite (multiple constituents)

CEM III — Blast Furnace Cement

5-95% blast furnace slag

CEM III/A (36-65% slag)
CEM III/B (66-80% slag)
CEM III/C (81-95% slag)
Best sulphate resistance + low heat of hydration
Slow early strength development

CEM IV — Pozzolanic Cement

11-55% pozzolana (natural + fly ash combinations)

CEM IV/A (11-35%)
CEM IV/B (36-55%)

CEM V — Composite Cement

Combinations of slag + pozzolana + fly ash

CEM V/A (18-30% slag + 18-30% pozz/fly ash)
CEM V/B (31-49% slag + 31-50% pozz/fly ash)

Strength classes

Class	2-day MPa (min)	7-day MPa (min)	28-day MPa (min)	28-day MPa (max)
32.5 N	—	≥ 16	≥ 32.5	≤ 52.5
32.5 R	≥ 10	—	≥ 32.5	≤ 52.5
42.5 N	≥ 10	—	≥ 42.5	≤ 62.5
42.5 R	≥ 20	—	≥ 42.5	≤ 62.5
52.5 N	≥ 20	—	≥ 52.5	—
52.5 R	≥ 30	—	≥ 52.5	—

= Normal early strength

= Rapid early strength

= Low early strength (CEM III only)

Physical + chemical requirements (all cement types)

Loss on ignition (LOI)

≤ 5.0% (CEM I + CEM III)

Insoluble residue

≤ 5.0% (CEM I + CEM III)

Sulphate (SO₃)

≤ 3.5% (for 32.5/42.5 classes); ≤ 4.0% (52.5)

Chloride (Cl⁻)

≤ 0.10% (most types)

Pozzolanicity

positive test for CEM IV

Soundness (Le Chatelier expansion)

≤ 10 mm

Initial setting time

≥ 75 min (32.5), ≥ 60 min (42.5), ≥ 45 min (52.5)

Conformity + CE marking

EN 197-1 cement must:

Be produced under EN 197-2 conformity-evaluation system 1+
Be third-party tested + certified by Notified Body
Carry CE marking with declared performance per Declaration of Performance (DoP) under Construction Products Regulation (CPR 305/2011)
Be labeled with cement designation (e.g. "CEM I 42.5 N — EN 197-1")

Egyptian cement compliance

Egypt Globe Group ships EN 197-1 compliant cement under:

CEM I 42.5 N / 42.5 R / 52.5 N

CEM II/A-L 42.5 N

(Portland-limestone — cost-optimized general construction)

CEM II/B-L 32.5 N

SRC

(Sulphate-Resistant Cement, ASTM C150 Type V equivalent — for marine, sulfate soil, sewerage)

White Portland

(CE-marked Class 1 whiteness)

Every shipment ships with:

Mill Test Certificate (MTC) per ASTM C114 + EN 196 series — per-lot, issued by the port laboratory before B/L
Declaration of Performance (DoP) per CPR
CE marking certificate
Optional UKCA marking for UK destination
Sustainability statement (carbon footprint per ISO 14067)

How EGG certifies conformity

Cement conformity is certified lot by lot, not by type test alone. 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 chemistry per EN 196-2 (SO₃, Cl⁻, LOI, insoluble residue), fineness, setting time and 2-day strength per EN 196-1 for each production lot; 28-day strength is tracked on retained prisms and the mill's statistical conformity record.
Silo and stockpile control — lots are 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 EN 196-7, 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 — TÜV Austria (primary for EU / GCC; EN 197-1 CE-marking specialty), SGS, Intertek 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.

EN 197-1 vs other regional standards

Standard	Region	Closest EN 197-1 equivalent
ASTM C150	USA	Type I/II/III/V → CEM I 32.5/42.5/52.5 + SRC
AASHTO M-85	US Federal Highway	Adopts ASTM C150
BS 12 / BS EN 197-1	UK	Identical (UK adopted EN 197-1)
DIN EN 197-1	Germany	Identical (German adoption)
IS 269 / 8112 / 12269	India	OPC 33/43/53 ≈ CEM I 32.5/42.5/52.5
GB 175	China	PC, PII, PI, PS-A, PP, PF
GOST 31108	CIS	CEM I/II/III/IV (harmonised)

Loading ports for cement: Damietta, Alexandria, El Dekheila, Ain Sokhna. Market context: cement and clinker HS 2523.

Both Egyptian and Turkish mills declare against this standard; the Egyptian vs Turkish cement comparison shows where the two origins differ in certificates, ports and CBAM exposure.

Egypt-globe cement catalog →
ASTM C150 reference (US standard) →
HS 2523 cement export ref →

Priced offers

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

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Frequently asked questions

Which EN 197-1 cements does Egypt Globe Group ship?

CEM I 42.5 N, 42.5 R and 52.5 N; CEM II/A-L 42.5 N Portland-limestone for cost-optimised general construction; CEM II/B-L 32.5 N; sulphate-resisting cement equivalent to ASTM C150 Type V for marine, sulfate-soil and sewerage work; and white Portland cement with CE-marked Class 1 whiteness.

What is the difference between a 42.5 N and a 42.5 R cement?

Both must reach at least 42.5 MPa and no more than 62.5 MPa at 28 days. N stands for normal early strength and requires at least 10 MPa at 2 days; R stands for rapid early strength and requires at least 20 MPa at 2 days. For class 52.5 the 2-day figures are 20 MPa for N and 30 MPa for R, and for 32.5 the N class is judged at 7 days with 16 MPa minimum. Strength is measured per EN 196-1 on mortar prisms.

What chemical and physical limits apply under EN 197-1?

Sulphate SO₃ no more than 3.5% for classes 32.5 and 42.5 and 4.0% for 52.5; chloride no more than 0.10%; loss on ignition and insoluble residue each no more than 5.0% for CEM I and CEM III; Le Chatelier soundness no more than 10 mm; and initial setting time of at least 75, 60 or 45 minutes for classes 32.5, 42.5 and 52.5 respectively. CEM IV must pass the pozzolanicity test per EN 196-5.

Is Egyptian EN 197-1 cement CE-marked?

Yes. EN 197-1 cement is produced under the EN 197-2 system 1+ conformity evaluation, third-party certified by a Notified Body, and carries CE marking with a Declaration of Performance under the Construction Products Regulation 305/2011, labelled with its designation such as CEM I 42.5 N — EN 197-1. UKCA marking is available for UK destinations and a sustainability statement per ISO 14067 is included.

How is each EN 197-1 lot verified before it ships?

The mill laboratory reports chemistry per EN 196-2, fineness, setting time and 2-day strength per EN 196-1 for each production lot, with 28-day strength tracked on retained prisms. Lots are held in identified silos with no mixing of released and unreleased cement. The port laboratory then samples the loaded lot per EN 196-7, re-checks chemistry, fineness and setting time, and issues the per-lot Mill Test Certificate before the Bill of Lading; a lot outside the certificate is rejected at the loading port.

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