Standardization News

Concrete is the most widely used construction material throughout the world. Understanding the drying behavior of a given concrete mixture is critical to any construction project. Ready-mix concrete producers and engineers will be able to use a new ASTM International standard to characterize how hardened concrete mixtures dry.

The new standard is C1792, Test Method for Measurement of Mass Loss Versus Time for One-Dimensional Drying of Saturated Concretes.

"The drying information provided by C1792 can be used to directly assess the drying rates of a given concrete mixture," says ASTM member Dale Bentz, chemical engineer for the Materials and Structural Systems Division in the Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute for Standards and Technology. "This information could be valuable for industrial flooring applications, for example, where a quick drying is often desirable."

In many applications, concrete is exposed to wetting and drying conditions in such a way that the concrete is partially saturated. The C1792 test will provide information on the mass loss versus time (drying) behavior of an initially saturated concrete specimen exposed to one-dimensional drying in a controlled temperature and relative humidity environment.

In addition to ready-mix producers, testing laboratories and concrete consultants will find C1792 helpful.

Subcommittee C09.66 on Concrete's Resistance to Fluid Penetration, part of ASTM International Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, developed C1792. All interested parties are invited to join in the standards developing activities of C09.66.

CONTACT Technical Information: Dale P. Bentz, National Institute of Standards and Technology • Gaithersburg, Md. • Phone: 301-975-5865 | ASTM Staff: Scott Orthey • Phone: 610-832-9730 | Upcoming Meeting: Dec. 7-10 • December Committee Week • New Orleans, La.