US sustainable materials developer Fortera has achieved a major industry milestone with its ReAct™ low-carbon cement becoming the first such product to meet all six performance categories of the ASTM C1157 standard. The certification follows independent testing validating ReAct’s performance across compressive strength, sulphate resistance, heat of hydration and other metrics under the performance-based specification.
ASTM C1157 is a broad performance standard that allows classification of cement by measurable outcomes rather than chemical composition alone. ReAct’s achievement means a single low-carbon cement formulation can replace multiple traditional cement types typically required across different applications, potentially simplifying procurement and mix design for contractors.
Fortera says ReAct achieves cost parity with ordinary Portland cement while reducing CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent through its proprietary ReCarb® carbon mineralisation process, which captures industrial CO2 and incorporates it into the product. The cement also reaches full compressive strength in two days compared with 28 days for typical Portland cements.
Craig Hargis, Fortera’s vice-president of products, described the certification as validation that low-carbon cements can meet established industry performance benchmarks without premium costs or specification compromises. ReAct can be used alone or blended with conventional cements and supplementary cementitious materials in ready-mix, precast and other applications.
