| Legislative： |
1.Adopted and promulgated by Order No. 09920016200, BSMI, MOEA on 11 October 2010.
2.Clauses 4 and 7 amended and promulgated by Order No. 10020009030, BSMI, MOEA on 25 July 2011.
3.All Clauses amended and promulgated by Order No. 10420001040, BSMI, MOEA on 1 April 2015.
4.Clauses 4 and 5 amended and promulgated by Order No. 11120003800, BSMI, MOEA on 26 May 2022, and enforced on 1 June 2022.
5.All Clauses amended and promulgated by Order No. 11220000320, BSMI, MOEA on 24 February 2023.
6.Clauses 5 amended and promulgated by Order No. 11530014580, BSMI, MOEA on 28 Aug 2026. |
| Content： |
1. These Directions are stipulated by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) for
implementing the inspection of cement.
2. Scope of Inspection: Portland cement and blended hydraulic cement that are imported or
domestically-manufactured to be placed on the market.
3. Inspection schemes: monitoring inspection or management-system-based monitoring inspection.
4. Inspection standards and inspection items:
(1) Portland cement: CNS 61, including the following items:
a. All items on chemical compositions and physical properties, among which the compressive
strength shall be performed on cement age 3 days, except type IV. For type IV, the test shall be
performed on cement age 7 days.
b. Contents of additives: Contents of additives added to limestone used for Portland cement and
manufacturing processes.
(2) Blended hydraulic cement: CNS 15286, including the following items:
a. All requirements for chemical compositions.
b. Physical properties:
(a) Autoclave expansion and contraction.
(b) Time of initial setting.
(c) Air content of mortar.
(d) Compressive strength, performed on cement age 3 days for all types except IS (≥ 70) and IT
(S≥ 70). For IS (≥ 70) and IT (S≥ 70), the test shall be performed on cement age 7 days.
(3) The BSMI may develop other monitoring plans to monitor compressive strength of cement of
other ages or decide items to be inspected when there are options provided by the standards.
5. The relevant requirements of monitoring inspection (including management-system-based
monitoring inspection) are as follows:
(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 product is imported or transported out of the production premises.
b. Management-system-based monitoring inspection:
(a) An applicant shall register in the monitoring inspection system and submit the application form,
together with a quality management system registration certificate issued by a certification body
recognized by the BSMI, and a list of basic inspection equipment, to the Inspection Authority.
(b) The basic inspection equipment includes autoclave, Le Chatelier pycnometer, constant
temperature and humidity curing chamber, air permeability apparatus, Vicat apparatus, compression
machine (25 tons or above), flow table and flow mold, and muffle furnace (high temperature
furnace that can reach 1200°C or above and can operate continuously at high temperature).
(2) Commodity Inspection Mark:
a. Cement shall bear the Commodity Inspection Mark on the smallest packaging unit. But those in
bulk can be exempted from labelling the Commodity Inspection Mark.
b. Where monitoring inspection procedure is selected, the obligatory inspection applicant may print
the Commodity Inspection Mark by themselves if the product lot number or manufacture date is
identified in the application form, and the smallest packaging unit is labelled with the product lot
number or manufacture date. The identification number is composed of the letter "M" and the
monitoring inspection registration number.
c. Where the production premises are registered under the management-system-based monitoring
inspection, the obligatory inspection applicants may print the Commodity Inspection Mark by
themselves. The identification number is composed of the letter "Q" and the monitoring inspection
registration number.
(3) Inspection Requirements:
a. Monitoring inspection:
(a) The inspection is carried out by batch examination. Where the obligatory inspection applicant
applies for inspection for products of the same origin, the same production premise or brand, and
the same type, which have passed batch examination for three consecutive batches, the subsequent
applications will be subject to randomly-sampled batch examination (one out of every two batches
being sampled for inspection). Where non-compliance is found in the randomly sampled products,
batch examination will be resumed.
(b) When the bulk cement, which has passed inspection, is repackaged into small units, the
obligatory inspection applicants shall apply for re-inspection. For re-inspection applications that are
accompanied by the ex-factory or import monitoring inspection certificate and proof of delivery, the
procedure of document review is adopted. When necessary, on-site check of packaging, appearance
and labelling or sampling inspection may be conducted. For those not inspected or sampled for ten
consecutive batches, the next batch shall be inspected or sampled.
b. Management-system-based monitoring inspection:
(a) For products manufactured domestically for sale in Taiwan: The production premises shall
perform inspection of its cement and issue, by countersigning, the monitoring inspection certificate
if compliance is demonstrated after the inspection.
(b) For imported products: After the production premises conducts inspection and confirms
compliance, the obligatory inspection applicant shall submit a copy of the registration certificate for
the production premises under management-system-based monitoring inspection and the original
inspection records to the BSMI. The monitoring inspection certificate shall be issued after the BSMI
reviews and confirms compliance.
(c) Production premises registered under management-system-based monitoring inspection are
required to add fields for the contents of four additives, namely granulated blast furnace slag
(hereinafter referred to as slag), fly ash, siliceous materials and limestone, to their inspection records
and fill them out truthfully. The BSMI may conduct inspections or sampling tests at any time.
(4) Principles for the delivery of samples and confirming the content of the additives:
a. Imported products (including those subject to monitoring inspection and those subject to
follow-up batch examination after having failed monitoring inspection): Upon receipt of the
samples, the sampling office will mix them and divide them into three portions, and handle them as
follows:
(a) For samples taken by the BSMI, its Keelung Branch, and Hualien Branch, one portion shall be
retained by the respective sampling office, and the other two portions shall be sent to the Hualien
Branch for testing of chemical composition and content of additives (for slag, only the quantity of
sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample shall be determined) and physical properties.
(b) For samples taken by the BSMI's Hsinchu Branch, Taichung Branch, and Tainan Branch, one
portion shall be retained by the respective sampling office, and the other two portions shall be sent
to the Taichung Branch for testing of chemical composition and content of additives (for slag, only
the quantity of sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample shall be determined) and physical
properties.
(c) For samples taken by the BSMI's Kaohsiung Branch, one portion shall be retained by the branch,
one portion shall be tested by the branch for chemical composition and content of additives (for slag,
only the quantity of sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample is tested), and one portion shall
be sent to the Taichung Branch for testing of physical properties.
b. Domestic products (including those from production premises registered under
management-system-based monitoring inspection, domestic production premises and those subject
to follow-up batch examination after having failed monitoring inspection): Upon receipt of the
samples, the sampling office will mix them and divide them into three portions, and handle them as
follows:
(a) For samples taken by the BSMI, its Keelung Branch, and Hualien Branch, one portion shall be
retained by the respective sampling office, and the other two portions shall be sent to the Hualien
Branch for testing of chemical composition and content of additives (for slag, only the quantity of
sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample shall be determined) and physical properties.
(b) For samples taken by the BSMI's Hsinchu Branch, Taichung Branch, Tainan Branch, and
Kaohsiung Branch, one portion shall be retained by the respective sampling office ,and the other
two portions shall be sent to the Taichung Branch for testing of chemical composition and content of
additives (for slag, only the quantity of sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample shall be
determined) and physical properties.
c. The content of additives shall be tested in accordance with CNS 12459 for the contents of fly ash,
siliceous materials and limestone, and the quantity of sulfur in sulfide in the original cement sample
shall be determined in accordance with Clause 7.3 of the same standard. A ratio of 1:100 shall be
used as the estimated content of slag. The mass of limestone added to cement shall not be more than
5% of the total cement mass. The sum of the estimated slag quantity, fly ash, and siliceous materials
shall not be more than 5% of the total cement mass. Cement will be deemed as a product containing
questionable additive contents when the sum of the estimated slag quantity, fly ash, and siliceous
materials is more than 5% of the total cement mass.
d. When cement is deemed as a product containing questionable additive contents after the above
testing, the sampling office shall notify the Hualien Branch of the BSMI to conduct confirmation,
and notify the obligatory inspection applicant that a confirmation procedure is required. At the same
time, the extension of the inspection case shall be processed in the "Specialized Laboratory
Management System."
e. The Hualien Branch of the BSMI shall provide the confirmation results to the sampling office
within six working days after receiving the notification.
(5) Period of inspection: Except that the inspection period is eight working days upon receipt of
samples when the inspection items include compressive strength at the age of seven days, the
inspection period for other inspection items is six working days upon receipt of samples. However,
for products containing questionable additive contents as referred to in Subparagraph (4)(c), where
confirmation of the slag content is required, the inspection period will be extended for another six
working days.
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