While Australian Standards are essential, voluntary documents that set out specifications, procedures and guidelines that aim to ensure products, services, and systems are safe, consistent, and reliable are also of importance. These technical papers are an effective tool to increase the beneficial use of natural and manufactured pozzolans.

The Australasian Pozzolan Association (APoZA)  with its members support, is funding a materials evaluation testing program to gain a deeper understanding of the potential uses of natural and manufactured pozzolans within the construction industry. This project will complement the newly created Standards Australia project, AS3582.4 (Pozzolans). An outcome of the testing program will be to gain  thorough knowledge and confidence in the materials properties to enable the development of the new Australian Standard (sic AS3582.4).   

Given the emerging nature of pozzolans, it’s prudent to undertake this initial testing program designed to determine a number of important areas including characteristics, binder performance and concrete performance.

The scope of work proposed relates to the following main areas;

·      proposed classification of materials;

·      material requirements;

·      coefficient of variation requirements;

·      performance requirements;

·      reportable properties

·      test methods appropriateness and/or confirm new test methods

The research the APozA is conducting is not designed to be ‘definitive’ of all aspects of the material — but first capture of important properties and performance which will be published into the public domain. Over time (like for fly ash, slag and silica fume) more research will be undertaken by researchers, concrete technologist and concrete suppliers.

Working with Cement Australia testing laboratory, each members submitted product will be evaluated on;

-Basic materials characterisation, including colour, moisture, chloride content

-Binder performance testing such as mortar drying shrinkage and sulfate expansion

-Concrete performance including carbonation, compressive strength and water absorption.

Interested in the development of sustainable end uses for emerging classes of pozzolans across the construction materials supply chain? If your organisation is currently producing a pozzolan, get in touch to discuss how you could get involved with the Australasian Pozzolan Association.