White Cement Concrete

Mary Gillette

30 March 2004

Questions one might ask:

What makes white cement white?
Where is white cement being produced
and how is it being used?
Does it perform differently from gray
Portland cement?

Questions one might ask:

How does this cement choice affect mix
design, aggregate choice, and admixture
usage?
How is construction influenced?
Are there different mechanical properties
with white cement concrete?

What makes white cement white?

Coloring Oxides make normal Portland cement
gray or slightly brown
White cement has raw materials that reduce
these
Table 1. Coloring Oxides
Compound

Recommended
limit

Color influence on clinker

Fe2O3

< 0.4 %

gray

Mn2O3

< 0.02%

grayish-violet,
reddish-violet

Cr2O3

< 0.01 %

greenish

MgO

< 3%

greenish-brown

What makes white cement white?

Such raw materials could be white chalk or
limestone and china clay (kaolinite).
Remove fine particles, because they contain
more coloring oxides

Manufacturing process also controlled so

that coloring oxides dont enter clinker
Grinding media, mill lining materials, fuels
used in burning

What makes white cement white?

Regulations specifically for whiteness do
not exist in USA.
They do follow same regulations as
normal Portland cement, ASTM C150
White Portland cements are made in
Types I, II, III, and V, where I and III are
most common

What makes white cement white?

The resulting white cement has the following
chemical composition:
Table YYY: Cement compositions
Composition

Percent by weight, for various cements

Gray
(type I)

White
(textbook)

Aalborg White
(types I, II, III, V)

Middle East
White

C 3S

45 55

59.4

62

48.5

C 2S

20 30

23.5

25

30.5

C 3A

8 12

12.9

13.4

C4AF

6 10

0.6

0.8

 How white is white enough?

Whiteness is measured by comparing
reflectance with a reference standard.
Table 2. Whiteness Levels
Whiteness
Less than 80 %

Classification
Not white enough

80 84%

Ordinary commercial grades

84 88%

World market quality

More than 88%

Obtained only with special raw

materials

Where is white P.C. produced?

White Portland cement is produced all
around the world:
North America
Europe
Middle East

Aalborg White (Denmark) is the largest

world-wide producer
1.5 million metric tons / year

How is it being used?

Its still a novelty or luxury product
Can make any shape
Imitates more expensive, flawed stone

How is it being used?

Can be practical, too
Draws attention,
which is good for
safety reasons
Reflects area lighting
which can save on
energy costs over
time

Does it perform differently?

Mostly, the mechanical properties are
assumed to be the same for white and
gray Portland cement.
However, there are differences in strength
gain

Does it perform differently?

Figure 1: Strength gain of white and gray cement concretes

Does it perform differently?

Reasons for this:
High C3A and C3S
More silicates more C-S-H, less CH
Ground finer

This isnt a significant difference in

strength, though

How does it affect mix design?

The mix design:
Is richer in cement
This makes it appear whiter

Has more fine sand

Finer looks lighter

May have a higher water cement ratio

Higher w/c looks lighter

Has very careful aggregate choice

Sands act like pigments
Chosen for color and possible staining of paste

How does it affect mix design?

Admixtures Usage
Use ones as close to white as possible.
For very white concrete, use:
Silica fume
Metakaolin
Slag

Superplasticizers more effective

More even adsorption of superplasticizer because
less C3A + C4AF.
This makes cement more fluid at same dosage

How is construction influenced?

VIGILANCE, constant vigilance with uniformity
Use clean, non-staining equipment
Keep batches uniform
Different w/c will show!

How is construction influenced?

Set time is usually faster: 129 or 100 min versus
166 min
Use formwork that doesnt stain and that doesnt
leak
No untreated wood
avoid ones with coloring oxides
Use experienced finishers
Avoid metal trowels and over-trowelling

Case Study: Jubilee Cathedral

Near Rome in Tor Tre Triste
Many cathedrals nearby for comparisonthis one is very
different!
It upholds the citys rich architectural tradition(but)
was always intended to be a work of contemporary
architecture, meaningful for our time and one that is
marked with openness. Transparency and light cascade
down from the skylit roof, literally invading the interior of
the churchPeople in the atrium are enveloped with
mystical light.
-- Richard Meier, architect

Case Study: Jubilee Cathedral

Concrete was precast, post-tensioned by
Italcementi Gruppo
Designed for aesthetic durability in what
they call Bianco TX Millenium
Added titanium dioxide that oxidizes the
organic and inorganic air pollutants in the
presence of air and light

References
[1] James A. Farny. White Cement Concrete, EB217. Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois,
U.S.A, 2001.
[2] Enterprise Solutions Group website, http://www.esg-inc.com/cu-5.htm Access on 18 March 2004.
[3] D. Kupper and K.-H. Wiemer. Modern technology of white cement manufacture, ZKG
International, No. 10 (1986) p 531 541, translated to English for issue No 12 (1986) p 355 360.
[4] D. Kupper and W. Schmid-Miel. Process engineering and raw material factors affecting the
lightness and hue of white clinker and cement, ZKG International, No. 12 (1987) p 589 597,
translated to English for issue No 2 (1988) p 30 32.
[5] G. C. Bye. Portland cement: Composition, production and properties. Thomas Telford Publishing,
London, 1999, p 5, 164-165.
[6] Decorative Concrete: Mixing and Handling White Cement Concrete, Portland Cement
Association, Skokie, Illinois. Accessed via internet (www.portcement.org) on 17 March 2004,
9:30pm.
[7] Annual Book of ASTM Standards, vol 04.02. ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, p150
153.
[8] White Concrete Technology a world of possibilities. Aalborg White product information
(downloaded from www.aalborgwhite.com on 16 March 2004, 8:48pm).
[9] S. Chandra and J. Bjornstrom. Influence of cement and superplasticizers type and dosage on the
fluidity of cement mortarsPart I, Cement and Concrete Research 32 (2002) p1605 1611.
available online at www.sciencedirect.com.
[10] Bilal S. Hamad. Investigations of Chemical and Physical Properties of White Cement Concrete,
Advanced Cement Based Materials, issue 2 (1995) p 161 167. available online at
www.sciencedirect.com.
[11] ArchNewsNow, photos by Andrea Jemolo. Iconic Arcs: Jubilee Church by Richard Meier &
Partners. Access via internet (http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature123.htm) on 6
March 2004.
[12] Italcementi Press Releases, dated 24 October 2003. accessed via the internet
(http://www.italcementigroup.com/newsite/Chiesa_2000.htm) on 6 March 2004.