ASTM C856-17
Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete

Standard No.

ASTM C856-17

Release Date

2017

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM C856-18

Latest

ASTM C856/C856M-20

Scope

1.1 This practice outlines procedures for the petrographic examination of samples of hardened concrete. The samples examined may be taken from concrete constructions, they may be concrete products or portions thereof, or they may be concrete or mortar specimens that have been exposed in natural environments, or to simulated service conditions, or subjected to laboratory tests. The phrase “concrete constructions” is intended to include all sorts of objects, units, or structures that have been built of hydraulic cement concrete.

Note 1: A photographic chart of materials, phenomena, and reaction products discussed in Sections 8 – 13 and Tables 1-6 are available as Adjunct C856 (ADJCO856).

(A) A substantial portion of the coarse aggregate has maximum dimensions in the range shown as measured on sawed or broken surfaces.

(B) Sections sawed or drilled close to and parallel to formed surfaces appear to show local turbulence as a result of spading or rodding close to the form. Sections sawed in the plane of bedding (normal to the direction of placement) are likely to have inconspicuous orientation. Sections broken normal to placement in conventionally placed concrete with normal bond tend to have aggregate knobs abundant on the bottom of the upper piece as cast and sockets abundant on the top of the lower piece as cast.

(A) Dana, E. S., Textbook of Mineralogy, revised by W. E. Ford, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N. Y., 4th ed., 1932, pp. 273–274.

(B) Pore visible to the naked eye, or at8201;×8201;_, or sucks in water that is dropped on it.

(C) Dark solid spheres or hollow-centered spheres of glass, or of magnetite, or some of glass and some of magnetite, recognizable at magnification of8201;×8201;9 on sawed or broken surfaces. Other mineral admixtures with characteristic particles visible at low magnification are recognizable. Ground surface of concrete containing portland blast-furnace slag cement are unusually white near-free surfaces but retain greenish or blue-greenish patches, and slag particles can be seen with the stereomicroscope or polarizing microscope.

(A) Secondary ettringite can sometimes be recognized b......

ASTM C856-17 Referenced Document

• ASTM C1012 Standard Test Method for Length Change of Hydraulic-Cement Mortars Exposed to a Sulfate Solution
• ASTM C125 Standard Terminology Relating to Concrete and Concrete Aggregates
• ASTM C1260 Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar-Bar Method)
• ASTM C215 Standard Test Method for Fundamental Transverse, Longitudinal, and Torsional Frequencies of Concrete Specimens
• ASTM C227 Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Cement-Aggregate Combinations (Mortar-Bar Method)
• ASTM C342 
• ASTM C441 Standard Test Method for Effectiveness of Mineral Admixtures or Ground Blast-Furnace Slag in Preventing Excessive Expansion of Concrete Due to the Alkali-Silica Reaction
• ASTM C452 Standard Test Method for Potential Expansion of Portland-Cement Mortars Exposed to Sulfate
• ASTM C457 Standard Test Method for Microscopical Determination of Parameters of the Air-Void System in Hardened Concrete
• ASTM C496/C496M Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
• ASTM C597 Standard Test Method for Pulse Velocity Through Concrete
• ASTM C803/C803M Standard Test Method for Penetration Resistance of Hardened Concrete
• ASTM C805 Standard Test Method for Rebound Number of Hardened Concrete
• ASTM C823 Standard Practice for Examination and Sampling of Hardened Concrete in Constructions
• ASTM E3 Standard Practice for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
• ASTM E883 Standard Guide for Reflected-Light Photomicrography

ASTM C856-17 history

• 2020 ASTM C856/C856M-20 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2018 ASTM C856-18a Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2018 ASTM C856-18 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2017 ASTM C856-17 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2014 ASTM C856-14 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2013 ASTM C856-13 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2011 ASTM C856-11 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2004 ASTM C856-04 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 2002 ASTM C856-02 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete
• 1995 ASTM C856-95e1 Standard Practice for Petrographic Examination of Hardened Concrete