Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer
ASTM C1107/C1107M is the standard specification for packaged dry, hydraulic-cement grout (nonshrink). It covers a factory-blended grout to which only mixing water is added, used under applied load where the grout must not settle below its initial placement height. Its tests focus on height change and strength, and they do not tell the whole shrinkage story.
Definition and scope
The full designation is ASTM C1107/C1107M, “Standard Specification for Packaged Dry, Hydraulic-Cement Grout (Nonshrink)”. It is maintained by ASTM Committee C09, Subcommittee C09.43, and sits in Volume 04.02 of the ASTM Book of Standards. The ASTM store page for the 2020 edition (checked 2026-10-29) describes the scope this way: the specification covers packaged dry, hydraulic cement grout (nonshrink) intended for use under applied load, meaning grout that supports a structure or machine and whose height must not fall below the height at which it was placed.
The abstract adds three details that help separate this standard from general-purpose cement mortar:
- The product is made of hydraulic cement, fine aggregate and other ingredients, supplied as a packaged dry blend.
- Only mixing water is added on site or in the lab; nothing else is blended in.
- The specification covers preliminary adjustment mixing, grout performance qualification, mixer preparation and consistency testing, and it determines yield with a 400-mL cylindrical measure.
The ASTM store page lists a later edition, C1107/C1107M-26, as the active version and marks the 2020 edition as superseded. Because the requirements sit behind ASTM’s paywall, anyone specifying or accepting a product should confirm which edition applies and read it directly.
How it is used in practice
C1107 is a performance specification: a product either meets its height-change and strength requirements or it does not. A federal highway research note, Dimensional Stability of Grout-Like Materials Used in Field-Cast Connections (FHWA-HRT-16-080, which cites the 2014 edition; checked 2026-10-29), describes C1107 as setting out methods through which cementitious grouts can be tested, with attention to minimum strength and dimensional stability. FHWA also says it covers the material performance requirements of grout-like materials, particularly nonshrink cementitious grouts, that an end user should assess before use or acceptance.
FHWA’s summary table gives the height-change limits it attributes to C1107:
| Stage | Test method | Limit (as tabulated by FHWA) |
|---|---|---|
| Early age, through final set | ASTM C827 | Maximum +4.0 percent height change |
| Hardened, at 1, 3, 14 and 28 days | ASTM C1090 | Maximum +0.3 percent, minimum 0.0 percent |
Both methods measure the height change of a cylindrical specimen 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter and 6 inches (152 mm) tall, C827 while the grout is fresh and C1090 once it has hardened. FHWA notes that the C827 procedure is time-consuming and relies on manual recording (a projector lamp, a magnifier and indicator charts). The limits above come from FHWA’s table, not from the standard’s text, so check them against the edition you actually use.
Related standards at a glance
| Standard | What it measures | Relationship to C1107 |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM C827 | Height change of fresh grout, through final set | Method behind C1107’s early-age height-change limit |
| ASTM C1090 | Height change of hardened grout specimens | Method behind C1107’s hardened height-change limit |
| ASTM C1698 | Autogenous deformation, measured in a sealed corrugated tube | Recommended by FHWA as an addition to C1107 testing |
| ASTM C157 | Length change, sealed and drying | Recommended by FHWA as an addition to C1107 testing |
CASRAI also covers two neighbouring ASTM grout standards: ASTM C1019 and ASTM C476. Neither replaces C1107; each is its own document with its own scope.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
The scope language, grout that supports a structure or machine, is the reason C1107 turns up outside civil engineering. Laboratory and clinic facilities teams can meet the standard on a product data sheet that says a packaged grout “meets ASTM C1107”. That statement is a claim about two things only: the product passed the standard’s height-change and strength tests under the edition cited, and it is a packaged dry grout.
FHWA’s work shows what that claim leaves out. In its tests, three nonshrink grouts expanded under the C1107 methods yet showed considerable shrinkage under the C1698 and C157 methods, and some grouts lost height. FHWA concluded that the C1107 height-change tests lack sufficient refinement to show whether a grout may develop restrained strains and stresses that lead to cracking and loss of bond, and that they give an incomplete picture because they do not assess drying shrinkage.
A short checklist of questions this implies
- Which edition of C1107/C1107M does the data sheet cite, and is it the active one?
- Were the C827 and C1090 results reported, or only the statement that the product complies?
- Is the grout confined or restrained in the intended use? FHWA’s concern is restrained strain, which the C1107 tests do not capture.
- Has the product also been tested for autogenous deformation (C1698) and sealed and drying length change (C157)? FHWA recommends adding both.
- If the application cannot tolerate any height loss, do the reported results show none at every age tested? FHWA observed that some grouts showed height reduction and would not comply if no reduction is allowed.
Test results reported by a laboratory carry their own assurances; ISO/IEC 17025 explains what laboratory accreditation does and does not cover.
Common misunderstandings
“Nonshrink” means the grout never shrinks
The word describes performance against the standard’s height-change limits. FHWA’s results show that grouts expanding under the C1107 methods can still shrink considerably under sealed-curing and drying tests. The label is not a guarantee of zero shrinkage in service.
Meeting C1107 means the grout suits every application
FHWA describes the standard as covering the performance an end user should assess, not as the end of that assessment. The scope is grout under applied load, supporting a structure or machine.
Any edition of the standard will do
ASTM revises C1107/C1107M, and its store lists a 2026 edition as active with the 2020 edition superseded. Citations in specifications and data sheets should name the edition.
“The full requirements are free to read”
The complete standard is sold by ASTM. The numbers in this guide come from FHWA’s published table and the ASTM store abstract, and neither replaces the standard itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is ASTM C1107?
ASTM C1107/C1107M is the standard specification for packaged dry, hydraulic-cement grout (nonshrink), intended for use under applied load where the grout must not fall below its placement height.
Does nonshrink grout never shrink?
No. In FHWA’s tests, three nonshrink grouts expanded under the C1107 methods yet showed considerable shrinkage under the C1698 and C157 methods.
Which tests sit behind the C1107 height-change limits?
ASTM C827 for fresh grout through final set and ASTM C1090 for hardened grout at 1, 3, 14 and 28 days, as tabulated by FHWA.
Which edition should be cited?
The ASTM store lists C1107/C1107M-26 as active and the 2020 edition as superseded, so name the edition in any specification and confirm it with ASTM.
Is C1107 enough to judge dimensional stability?
FHWA says its height-change tests give an incomplete picture because they do not assess drying shrinkage, and it recommends adding C1698 and C157.
Sources
- ASTM International, C1107/C1107M-20, “Standard Specification for Packaged Dry, Hydraulic-Cement Grout (Nonshrink)”, store page and abstract, https://store.astm.org/c1107_c1107m-20.html, checked 2026-10-29.
- Federal Highway Administration, “Dimensional Stability of Grout-Like Materials Used in Field-Cast Connections”, TechNote FHWA-HRT-16-080, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/16080/16080.pdf, checked 2026-10-29.
