1. These Directions are stipulated for the inspection of cement commodities.

2. The commodities of cement covered: Portland cement and blended hydraulic cements imported to

Taiwan or manufactured and sold in Taiwan.

3. The inspection methods for cement commodities are monitoring inspection and management-

system-based monitoring inspection.

4. Inspection standards and inspection items:

(1) Portland cement: In accordance with CNS 61, the inspected items are as follows:

a. All chemical compositions and physical characteristics. For physical characteristics of three-day

mean age compressive strength, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspections, Ministry of

Economic Affairs (hereinafter referred to as "the BSMI") may stipulate compressive strength

monitoring plans for other periods.

b. Contents of additives.

(2) Blended hydraulic cement: In accordance with CNS 15286, the inspected items are as follows:

a. All chemical compositions must be in accordance with the prescribed standards.

b. Physical characteristics:

(a) Autoclave expansion and shrinkage.

(b) Time of setting.  

(c) Cement mortar air content.

(d) Three-day mean age compressive strength[excluding IS (≥ 70) and IP (LH)].

(3) The BSMI may stipulate compressive strength monitoring plans for other periods.

5. The relevant regulations for monitoring inspection (including management-system-based

 monitoring inspection):

(1) Application:

a. Monitoring inspection: The obligatory inspection applicant shall apply to the BSMI or its branch

(hereinafter referred to as the inspection authority) for inspection by submitting an inspection

application form before the commodities are imported or domestically manufactured commodities

are shipped out of the production premises.

b. Management-system-based  monitoring inspection:

(a) An applicant must register for monitoring system, submit the application form, attach the quality

management system certificates recognized by the BSMI or with certification bodies recognized by

the BSMI and a list of basic inspection facilities to the inspection authority to apply for

management-system-based monitoring inspection.

(b) An applicant must also prepare basic inspection facilities, such as autoclave, Le chatelier

pycnometer, constant temperature and humidity incubator, air permeability apparatus, Vicat

apparatus, compression machine(25 tons), Gilmore apparatus, flow table and muffle

furnace (high temperature furnace that can be used constantly up to 1200 degrees). The applicant

only needs to submit either a Vicat apparatus or a Gilmore apparatus, but the Gilmore apparatus is

required for blended hydraulic cement.

(2) Commodity inspection mark regulations:

a. Cement commodities must have the commodity inspection mark "C" imprinted by the BSMI on

its smallest unit of packaging. The obligatory inspection applicant that received a commodity batch

number or manufacturing date on its smallest unit of packaging provided by the management-

system-based monitoring inspection may print its own commodity inspection mark in accordance

with Article 3 of the Regulations Governing the Use of the Commodity Inspection Mark, which

includes a graphic symbol with an identification number. The identification number is comprised of

a Roman letter "Q" and the monitoring inspection registration number.

b. Bulk cargo may be exempt from the labelling commodity inspection mark.

(3) Regulations for inspection:

a. Monitoring inspection: batch-by-batch examination. The obligatory inspection applicant who has

passed three consecutive sampling inspections for commodities with the same origin, same

manufacturing site or brand and the same types will be subject to a random-selected batch

inspection one out of every two batches. The obligatory inspection applicant who fails to pass

random-selected batch inspection will be subject to batch-by-batch examination.

b. Management-system-based monitoring inspection:

(a) The commodities of cement manufactured and sold in Taiwan: A production premise shall

perform the inspection to its commodities and issue, by countersigning, the monitoring inspection

certificate if compliance is demonstrated after the inspection.

(b) The commodities of cement imported to Taiwan: A production premise  shall perform the

inspection to its commodities and the obligatory inspection applicant shall submit a copy of

registration certificates for the production premises under management-system-based monitoring

inspection and the inspection records to the BSMI for approval before issuing the monitoring

inspection certificates.

(c) Management-system-based  monitoring inspection production premise must insert columns for

slag, fly ash and limestone content, in addition to the inspection record. The BSMI may inspect or

conduct random sampling inspections whenever necessary.

(4) Principles for the delivery of samples and confirming the content of the additives:

a. Imported commodity (including monitoring inspection and follow-up batch-by-batch examination

for commodities that failed monitoring inspection): Upon receipt of the samples, the Inspection

Authority will mix them and divide into three portions: one portion will be subject to chemical

composition and the content of the additives inspection by the Inspection Authority (for slag, only

the sulfide sulfur content  in the original cement sample will be quantified), one portion will be

subject to physical characteristics inspection by specicalised cement laboratory of  the BSMI

(Taichung or Hualian branch) and one portion will be subject to inspection by the BSMI’s

specialized slag laboratory of  the BSMI (Hualian branch).

b. Domestic commodities (including management-system-based  monitoring inspection production

premise, Domestic production premises and follow-up batch-by-batch examination for commodities

that failed monitoring inspection): Upon receipt of the samples, the Inspection Authority will mix

them and divide them into three portions: one portion will be kept by the Inspection Authority for

future inspection, one will be subject to physical characteristics, chemical composition and additive

content inspection (for slag, only the sulfide sulfur content  in the original cement sample will be

quantified) by a specialised cement laboratory and one portion will be subject to inspection by a

specialized slag laboratory.

c. Fly ash and limestone content will be inspected in accordance with CNS 12459. sulfide sulfur

content  in the original cement sample will be quantified in accordance with Article 7.3 of CNS

12459 and a ratio of one to hundred shall be used as the estimated content for slag. If the quantity of

fly ash and limestone together is less than six percent, but the quantity slag estimate, fly ash and

limestone content together exceed six percent, the additive content for such a commodity is deemed

to be questionable.

d. The Inspection Authority or specialised cement laboratory must inform the specialised slag

laboratory to confirm commodities found to contain questionable additive content. The obligatory

inspection applicant will also be informed that the period of inspection will be extended for five

working days and the "Specialized Laboratory Management System" inspection extension process

will be carried out at the same time.

e. The specialised slag laboratory must provide the inspection results to the Inspection Authority

within five working days after receiving telephonic notification.

(5) Period of inspection: Five working days after the receipt of sample. However, if commodities

with questionable additive content are found, they will be subject to further inspection by a

specialised slag laboratory and the inspection period will be extended for another five working days.

(6) The error amount permitted for additive inspection is one percent, which means that inspection

results below six percent are compliant and any result exceeding six percent is deemed to be non-

compliant.