What is this standard about?
This is the second in a two-part series of British Standards which supplements the European standard on concrete specification. This part provides concrete producers with up-to-date specifications on constituent materials and concrete.
Who is this standard for?
- Concrete producers and manufacturers
- Factory production control managers and commercial technical managers working for ready mix concrete manufacturers
- Concrete contractors and specifiers can use this information to assist designers
Why should you use this standard?
BS 8500-2 covers the latest options and testing procedures for constituent materials and concrete. It specifies a number of basic requirements for concrete and its constituent materials, and gives specific requirements relating to the types of concrete listed in BS 8500-1.
It specifies requirements for: the constituents of concrete, the properties of fresh and hardened concrete and their verification, the limitations for concrete composition, the specification of concrete, the delivery of fresh concrete, the production control procedures and the conformity criteria and evaluation of conformity.
The standard complements BS EN 206 by providing national provisions where required or permitted by BS EN 206. The requirements are given for defined materials with an established or accepted adequate performance in UK conditions. It also covers materials, methods of testing and procedures that are outside the scope of BS EN 206, but within national experience.
What’s changed since the last update?
This amendment is predominantly concerned with increasing the range of cementitious materials covered. These now include: natural pozzolana, natural calcined pozzolana or high reactivity natural calcined pozzolana as an addition, Portland‐pozzolana and pozzolanic cements, as well as a range of ternary cements which include up to 20% limestone fines.
As well, the option to use the equivalent concrete performance concept (ECPC) to demonstrate equivalence for the use of additions is clarified and additional guidance is provided on the preparation and transport of cube specimens for strength testing. Minor editorial changes have been made, such as the change of nomenclature from N/mm2 to MPa for stress.
NOTE: The amended ANNEX NA to EN 197-1 will publish at the same time as BS 8500-1/2. The amendment of Annex NA of BS EN 197-1:2011 will include guidance on the alkali contribution from the new cements/combinations that are being included in the amended BS 8500 parts (2018), in particular by amending and expanding Table NA.1.
When specifying methods for minimizing ASR in concrete, BS 8500 refers to Table NA.1 of BS EN 197-1 for the determination of the alkali contributions from various cements/combinations.
