EPD: Portland cement, ASTM C219, Type I, II, III, IV, V (Argos USA Corp., Ash Grove Cement, Buzzi Unicem USA, Inc., CalPortland Company, CEMEX USA, Continental Cement, Drake Cement, Federal White Cement, GCC of America, LafargeHolcim, Lehigh Hanson, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, Monarch Cement Company, National Cement Group, Salt River Materials Group, St. Marys Cement, Suwannee American Cement, Titan America LLC)
The product under evaluation is portland cement as defined by ASTM C219 and specified in ASTM C150, ASTM C1157, AASHTO M 85 or CSA A3001. A hydraulic cement produced by pulverizing clinker, consisting essentially of crystalline hydraulic calcium silicates, and usually containing one or more of the following: water, calcium sulfate, up to 5% limestone, and processing additions. (ASTM C219) As a cement category portland cements have various properties, as follows: Type I – normal, no special properties required Type II – moderate sulfate resistant Type III – high early strength Type IV – low heat hydration Type V – high sulfate resistance Some cements are designated with a combined type classification, such as Type I/II, indicating that the cement meets the requirements of the indicated types and is being offered as suitable for use when either type is desired. All cement products are composed of specific combinations of calcium, silica, iron and alumina and small amounts of additives to achieve a desired profile of properties (e.g., strength, color). Clinker, the principle intermediate manufactured product within cement production, is typically produced from a combination of ingredients, including limestone (for calcium), coupled with smaller quantities of materials such as clay, iron ore, and sand (as sources of alumina, iron, and silica, respectively). So common are these building blocks that a wide variety of raw materials are suitable sources, and some sources, such clay and fly ash, may provide multiple chemical components. Cement plants are increasingly turning to industrial byproducts that otherwise would be discarded, once completing detailed analyses to determine the effects of using a byproduct on the manufacturing process, cement performance and facility emissions. Portland cement is the basic ingredient of concrete. Concrete, one of the most widely used construction materials in the world, is formed when portland cement creates a paste with water that binds with sand and rock to harden. The U.S. industry average portland cement, as found by this study, is 91.4% clinker by weight. Table 1 describes the cement’s composition by specific material resources.
USA