iS BS 3148: 1980 British Standard Methods of test for Water for making concrete (including notes on the suitability of the water) 'Méthodes d'essai pour les essais d'eau destinée & la contecticn de béton {y compris des notes sur'aptitude de eau 8 emploi} Prafverfahrung far Wasserprifungen f0r die Herstellung von Beton {einschlieBlich Erklarungen uber die Gebrauchseignung des Wassers) Foreword “This Brtch Standard prepared under the srection of the Cement, Gypeum, Aggrogaes and Guary Products, Standards Committe, ie revision of 83 3188: 1959 whichis pow withdrawn Inthe ight of presontknowledge itis not possible to issue 2 speciieaton for waterfor making concrete but only methods of testing such water Guidance onthe suitability ‘of water for making conerote given inappenete A which ‘tunmaraes the prsent sate of krowindge Dy which he ‘erate of chomical analy of waters maybe #03 '0 ldo thee subi for his purses 1.8cop0 “This British Standard describes two methods by which water may be testedin respec ofits sustabity for making onctto. Thad tests donot give information rearing {tholeng-term durabity of tha conerets and appendix “Summarizes the present state ofkrowedge inthe ight of ‘whieh waters may be judpedas to thelr surabity fr ts ‘ofthe stendards pubileations ered ton tis 3.Definitions For the purposes ofthis Britsh Standard the defirions (gveain BS 2787 ape. 4.Sampling ‘A sample of water of not las than 5 tres shale token bya competent epresontative of the interested parties. ‘The sample shallbe typical ofthe watar as tis tobe usec, ue egardbeing paid the efor of seasonal variation ‘The vempl shall not eceive any Weatment before esting ‘other han that envisaged fr tha bulk supply before the {anor is used a conerete. The sampla shal be storedin 8 clean container prewausiy rinsed out mith siilar water British Standards Institution rca en ot Se aiccraenaatirn ieceat cements S matron {Trotconec iat no igtenoatate senator seetsmn tones Sete ae nna SUN a aaa Standard a showin able 1 Table 1.Testoement cnet 027 Slpemphatdcamant [4248 Caohaatroaadcemont [1390 cement sas02s 3148; 1980 6. Initial setting time test Setormanedby the procedure described in [BS 4550: Part 3: Section 3.5 and Section 3.6.8 contet testblock shall be made with the died ater andthe tame cement, sth inal ettng ie shollbe ‘etermmnedby the same procedure ‘The nil setting times of the cement, determined fom ‘epoted.(Guldance onthe suitably ofthe water-based ‘onthe nial setting time teste gversn AS) ‘Appendix A Notes on the suitability of water for making concrete [AL General As general ule wate of chemical ‘composition acceptable for drinking whether veared for ‘etrvtion through the public supply or untreated, ‘sated formaking concrete ‘where ble supnlies ae not avaiable, water for ‘onereting may have tobe drown from nturl sources, snd may contain undesirable organic constituents or Unaccepibly high contents of morganc sae Stace ‘waters in patcular often corr suspended mater ch 3s eb, st eaves and other vegetable debi. and may be unsuitable for use wtbout physical treatment such as fiuationarimpounding tallow suspended mater o ‘AZ Orgenie impurities The eect of organic substances inneturel eters on the eeting time of cement or the Considerable complexity. Highly coloured waters, waters ‘nth pronounced dour, or those in which green or brown simectorming algae ae visible shouldbe regarsed with suspicion and shouldbe testedin accordance with this Briteh Standard 3 Inovganicimpurities [A3.1 General The permissible iit forinorganie Coneivents are ute wie, biti some areas ofthe ‘world these maybe present in suticient amount o cause ‘gradual deterioration ofthe concret The data avaible fegarcing the effect of eiscived sols on ho strength ‘and duraity ofthe conerate are nsuticient for omprenensive system of numeric! its tobe drawn up bbuteome guidsnee can be given on permasile levels of ‘Tae major ins usualy present in natura waters are calcu, magnesium, sodium potassium, bicarbonate Sulphate, chloe, tate and ss requenty carbonate* Waters conaining a combined total not more than 2000 mig per tre ofthese common ions ata generally ‘Forfar iotomation see BRE CurartPaparCP 2/78 Ana of sulphate eaing sll MJ Bowley, London HMSO 1878 7. Compressive strength test . Concrete tastcubas shallbe made withthe water andthe + spproprate est coment, andthe compressive strength determined by the method described n BS 4560; Part 9 Section 34, Control concate test cubosshllbe mede ‘uth te ited water andthe same cement and the Compressive svengih shallbe determined by the sme (Guidance on the suitability ofthe water, based on the compressive stength test ingiveninAS) 1.32 Choriges The presence of chores in concrete, titer from the maxing wate or rom other sources eon present potentalharardsu'th some cement when metal are embecced in conret, The amount of ehioride that canbe tolaratod inthe ming watercapends onthe totalamaurt of enorde nthe concrete ering rom a ‘sources RacommencedImting valves for total chard Dyweight of cement in cifrent ypes of concrete sreinchided n 63.8 of CP 110; Pert 1:1872 Ae guide, ‘the chide content othe water should ganeraly not ‘exoved 800 mgot chloride pa live. tishowever Sometimes necessary to accept higher concertrations in ‘ertin ard rogione ofthe worl where acura! waters can Dorighiy sane. Sea waterhas boon used satisfactory fr making plain Portland cement concrete but there is a tencency foto ‘use siface dampness and ffrescence Ite use may ‘io cause a moderate reduction instenath Sea water should not be uredin einforcedor prestressed concrete, norm concrete made wit igh alimune cement (8.2.3 Sulphetes. A genera uide othe accapabity of ‘sulphates in ting woteris that he sulphate content Should ot exceed 1000 mg of sulphur toe pe ire, However water with higher contents hasbeen used {SavoTactonly The amount of sulphate that canbe {oleratedin the mixing water depends onthe sulphate Contents ofthe aggregster and cement see the eileal {actors the total amountof suphateinthe concrete ‘which general shoud not exceed of sulphur oxide bbymacs of coment as statod in append A of bs saze: 1976. ‘3. Alkali corbonates and bearbonates, Water that Ccontaine sal earbonates an bicarboratos may afect ‘he setting time ofthe coment and the stength of the onerste Theirprsonce may alo be detrimental # there Sarak of akaleaggregete reaction In gona thet ‘combina total shouldnt exceed 1000 mg porte ‘A. Contamination from Indusvil westes. Special “tention a drawn othe need for eta caution when ‘sing waters that maybe contamsinete by industrial ‘flyent or by desinage from mines, miner! dumps eeaden watare should ba testi accordance with this Bah Standard [AS Assessment of setting ime and compress “igseant tfc on the sting andhareing fnaracterstes of concratef when sted as pected, (a) itil attng times ofthe coment datermined ‘Hem ha text block oc rom th contol test lock, So rasterby mare than 30 ma, on ‘Standards publications referred to ecient ee 8S3142.1989 (oh averaga compressive evangth che corfeto ‘ustoubss antlers than 90 ofthe average tangth Vals that fol outside these mis imp tate water Ineauang aneffect thorsfre further consideration Shouldbe gv o securing an ateratve source at rength es otal below 80% weroge stengthofthe contol tot cubes ‘modi te mix roportons. Mode or specting corer Forinformeton about 85 sence eating to third party ereston to sutable Briteh Standard product Spoctantans schemes forte repataton of frme at renee copy, esti and wspecton fois and ‘Feict apo our plonon conta the veto, 851 Masons venue Hemel Hemptesd Hers P2480 Tel Here! Hempstosd 3111,Pine cement Gyooum hapegnes sou = Set Erie oad ne Ieorportedby Rov Cnr. Shanda tons! Seorrane See standadaereindd tat copigh ub Cooperating organizations Amendments issued since publication BS 3148: 1980 igen rl asa ch ‘Sets Pulsnsone Maraoe 10% Parone Roa {Snden nt SND Touprone 01831 860) Tour 73276) imporartthat eee Comentan trees Gaba Ore forSownent 98/3808 OF Eom Ren cars stn ese Eee Rep ncn nerganc andes oun og6t:grlesa British Standards Institution . 2 Park Street London W1A 285 - Telephone 01-629 9000 - Telex 266833, cawSee Sections 12.2, 123, and 12.4 (pes (611068) forforner information on costing mining water. See Section 7.5.2 (pape 27) for futher ‘nformation on organic cSmtaminaion in seeregates. See Section 7.5.4 (pages 27 and 28) for further information om alkal-agaregite eat See Section 8.2.1 (nage 36) for information on alkalis in cement 10. Water 10.1 WATER FOR MIXING OR CURING REINFORCED CONCRETE Water for mixing o curing reinforced concrete can he taken fom msn drinking water supplies if they donot contain undesirable levels of dissolved sats. Generally, drinking water {ssupplied from desalination plants, or wells, snd it wally suitable for usin concrete. ‘other cases, a desalination plant may have tobe installed on ste, water may have tobe ‘brought in y road tankers, ort may be posse to obtain fram site boreholes, Water frm Some af these souroes ca be a ot as 30, so hat may he necessary To colt before ‘wed in concrete, Contamination of borehole water aries perioaiealy this shouldbe remembered when samples are taken for testing, 102 CONTAMINATION LEVEL IN WATER ‘The evel of contamination should be determined by analysis of the proportions of sulphate, ‘chlorides. and alkali salts present. The amounts f sulphates and chlesidesintodced from ‘hemixing water should be added tothe rexpostive mune preset in the other maternal ‘comprising the concrete mix when checking quit the recommended linis given Table “page 54). The amounts of alka shoud be consistent with any nocd int the constants {by alka agaregate reactions. Tecan generally be assumes that water mill be stable fo imisingo curing concrete ifthe level of contamination donot exceed the mania recommended in Table 12. Any proposal ocxczed thes levels must he considered i elation of contamination i the consitents ofthe mix ia he case of coring water that contamination will become concentrated as Yesul ofthe evaporation of uring watoe from the surface of the concrete, ‘Toceck that the mining water i also sufficiently fee from organic contatination, the initial set of cement und the eompresive strength of concrete or mortar cues made with simples of the water shouldbe checked against resus of similar tests made with tiled water The {umes forthe concrete to harden should not differ by ore than 80min, andthe strength 5 days should not be fess than 90" that obtained with uniled water 103 WATER FOR MIXING MASS CONCRETE ‘Water for mixing mass concrete which does aot contain sy emibeded tel or other unprotected etal may tolerate a higher level of worse contamination. Good quality mass ‘smerete can be made with seawater. provided that slpnate attack. unsouncness and lal-agregate reaction are avoided by appropriate mix design und sclecion of material Table 12 Recommended general limits of inorganie contamination in water for ‘mixing or curing reinforced concrete Form of contamination Maxim recommended ca) eo Dissolved solids excluding those listed belo 2 020 alkal cathonotes or biearbonates tox ou sin bas Suspended solids aun an ‘IRA Spc Pobitan 3