Similar International Standards
ASTM C91/C91M - 22ASTM International, USA
HighCurrent
Standard Specification for Masonry Cement
Specifies requirements for three types of masonry cement (N, S, M) for use in masonry mortar.
EN 413-1:2011CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Europe
HighCurrent
Masonry cement - Part 1: Composition, specifications and conformity criteria
Defines and gives specifications for masonry cements based on strength classes for use in masonry.
BS EN 413-1:2011BSI (British Standards Institution), UK
HighCurrent
Masonry cement. Composition, specifications and conformity criteria
The UK's adoption of the European standard EN 413-1 for masonry cements.
AS 1316-1991Standards Australia, Australia
MediumWithdrawn
Masonry cement
Previously specified requirements for masonry cement, now integrated into the broader blended cement standard.
Key Differences
≠IS 1344 specifies a single type of masonry cement, whereas ASTM C91 defines three types (N, S, M) and EN 413-1 defines multiple strength classes (e.g., MC 5, MC 12.5), allowing for more specific performance selection.
≠The air content requirement in IS 1344 is a single range of 8-15%. ASTM C91 has different ranges depending on the cement type (e.g., 12-22% for Type N, 10-18% for Type S), reflecting different workability and durability goals.
≠While IS 1344 allows for inert materials, EN 413-1 provides much more detailed compositional rules, explicitly defining various main constituents (like fly ash, limestone) and their allowed proportions for different classes of masonry cement.
≠IS 1344 requires a minimum fineness of 400 m²/kg (Blaine), making it a mandatory acceptance criterion. In contrast, ASTM C91 does not specify a mandatory Blaine fineness limit in its main table, using it more for ensuring uniformity between batches.
Key Similarities
≈All standards cover a factory-produced hydraulic binder specifically designed for producing masonry mortar, characterized by improved workability, water retention, and air entrainment compared to ordinary Portland cement.
≈All standards specify minimum requirements for key performance properties like compressive strength, water retention, and air content, which are crucial for the performance of masonry mortar.
≈IS 1344, ASTM C91, and EN 413-1 all mandate a test for soundness to ensure the long-term dimensional stability of the hardened mortar. Both IS 1344 and ASTM C91 use the autoclave expansion test with an identical limit of 1.0%.
≈The principle of the water retention test is fundamentally similar across the standards, measuring the mortar's ability to retain water against suction from masonry units, which is critical for proper hydration and bond strength.