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Cement color pigment is an integral colorant blended through the cementitious mix, not a surface paint. For pavers, sidewalks, and infrastructure, choose powder, granular, or liquid pigment according to your batching equipment and production scale; then use the selected manufacturer’s dosage and compatibility data with your actual binder, aggregates, curing, finish, and sealer. ASTM C979/C979M-24 sets a maximum prescribed dosage of 10 mass% of cement, but that is a ceiling—not a universal recipe. A representative trial mix and cured mock-up are the only reliable way to approve a shade and process before full production.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder pigment | Small batches, mortar, pavers, and operations that weigh dry materials | Dry synthetic mineral-oxide colorant; dosage and binder basis vary by product | Manual or automated dry batching | November 2026 |
| Granular integral admixture | Ready-mix, precast, and paver plants seeking clean, repeatable dosing | Free-flowing concentrated granules; may be supplied in disintegrating bags | Concrete mixers and automated batching systems | November 2026 |
| Liquid dispersion | Plants with liquid-admixture pumping and metering equipment | Concentrated dispersion poured or pumped into the mixer | Liquid dosing systems | November 2026 |
What is integral cement color pigment?
Integral pigment is a finely divided colorant incorporated into the cementitious mixture so the color extends through the concrete or mortar. The category includes dry powders, free-flowing granules, and concentrated liquid dispersions. Product literature describes these materials for uses such as concrete, mortar, pavers, and related cement-based products; the correct choice depends on the product’s instructions and your batching method.
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Because the pigment is part of the mix, the finished appearance depends on much more than the pigment name. Cement type and color, sand and coarse aggregate, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), water-to-cement ratio, slump, finishing, curing, surface moisture, curing compound, and sealer can all alter the result. A color chart is therefore a starting reference, not a guarantee that an untested job mix will match it.
Which pigment form fits your operation?
Choose the form that your crew or plant can dose consistently. A technically suitable color can still produce variation if the packaging, weighing, or metering method is poorly matched to the batch process.
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Powder pigment
Powder is the most straightforward option for a small shop or site that already weighs dry ingredients. NewLook describes synthetic mineral-oxide powder for concrete, mortar, pavers, and similar products in its technical sheet. Powder normally requires dust control, accurate weighing, and enough mixing time to disperse the color evenly. Verify the current product sheet rather than relying on an old printout; the cited NewLook sheet is revised 2012.
Granular integral admixture
Granules are concentrated pigment made to flow more readily than a fine powder. Sika describes free-flowing granules that can be added directly to a concrete mix or supplied in disintegrating bags. This can simplify plant handling and reduce loose-powder measuring, but you still need the supplier’s instructions for sequence, dispersion, and dosage. Confirm that the bag size and handling method suit your mixer and batch size.
Liquid dispersion
Liquid color is supplied as a concentrated dispersion that can be poured or pumped into the mixer. It suits facilities with liquid-admixture storage and metering, particularly when automated dosing and dust reduction are priorities. Check pump compatibility, freeze or temperature limits, agitation requirements, shelf life, and the supplier’s recommended addition point before committing to a system.
What does ASTM C979/C979M-24 actually require?
ASTM C979/C979M-24 is the active specification listed for pigments for integrally colored concrete. Its tests address pigment properties and selected effects in concrete. It does not establish compatibility with every admixture, and it does not cover pigment stability under accelerated steam curing. Treat conformity evidence as one part of approval, not as proof that a pigment will work in every mix or curing regime.
The standard states: “The maximum prescribed dosage rate of a pigment, established in accordance with 4.7, shall be equal to or less than 10 mass % of cement.” That 10% value is a maximum prescribed rate. It is not a target dosage for ordinary pavers, sidewalks, or structural concrete, and it does not replace the product-specific recipe.
Ask the supplier for current evidence of ASTM conformity, the applicable product and revision, and any exclusions. For a public project, also check whether the contract names an approved pigment, requires a submittal format, or imposes additional durability, appearance, or environmental documentation.
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How much pigment should you add to cement?
Use the selected product’s dosage table and its stated calculation basis. Do not take a percentage from one pigment and apply it to another. The practical calculation is:
pigment required = product dosage fraction × the cementitious mass defined by that product’s instructions.
The difficult part is defining “cementitious mass.” SCOFIELD Integral Color SG literature expresses dosage by pounds per 94-pound sack and says SCMs such as fly ash and slag are added to cement weight when determining dosage. SikaColor-101 gives guidance for its own regional product and says trial mixes establish the exact amount. MATCRETE likewise provides its own typical range and defines cementitious content to include specified supplementary materials. These bases are product-specific and must not be blended into a generic formula.
- Obtain the current technical data sheet and identify the stated dosage unit: percentage, mass per cement sack, mass per cubic yard or metre, or another basis.
- List the cement and SCM quantities in your approved mix design.
- Include SCMs only when the product instructions say to include them.
- Calculate the pigment for the actual batch size, then verify the result against the ASTM maximum and the manufacturer’s limits.
- Weigh or meter the pigment with the same control used for every production batch; do not estimate by volume unless the supplier explicitly provides a volumetric method.
- Run trial batches and adjust only within the supplier’s permitted range while checking fresh and cured properties.
If the product’s instructions conflict with the project specification, stop and obtain a written resolution from the engineer, concrete producer, and pigment supplier. A higher dose is not automatically a darker or better result; it can change workability, cost, and compliance without solving a binder or finishing problem.
Why does the same pigment look different in different concrete?
Color is the combined result of pigment, binder, aggregate, water, surface treatment, and curing. Sika identifies cement type and color, aggregate selection, pozzolans, water-to-cement ratio, finishing tools, surface moisture, curing compound, and sealer as influences on final appearance. NewLook also identifies cement, sand, coarse aggregate, water, troweling, finishing water, and curing. MATCRETE warns that site conditions, slump, curing, finish, and sealer affect the result.
- Binder: A lighter or darker cement and changes in SCM content can shift the apparent shade even when the pigment mass is unchanged.
- Aggregates: Aggregate color and exposure influence the visible field, especially where finishing reveals sand or coarse particles.
- Water and slump: Uncontrolled water changes the water-to-cement ratio and can produce a lighter, less uniform surface.
- Finishing: Troweling pressure, timing, tools, and added finishing water alter the paste at the surface.
- Curing: Different curing times, moisture conditions, or curing compounds can create shade differences between placements.
- Sealer: A sealer can change the final visual appearance, so it belongs in the approval sample rather than being selected afterward.
For consistent work, hold the approved materials and process steady. Sika advises avoiding extra water during finishing or curing. NewLook and MATCRETE similarly caution against uncontrolled water addition and surface sprinkling or dusting.
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How should you compare pigment products?
Compare documentation and process fit before comparing color names. A product with a broad shade chart may be a poor choice if it cannot be metered accurately or accepted under the project specification.
| Comparison point | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Form and batching | Is it powder, granule, or liquid? Can your crew weigh, bag, pump, and clean it consistently? |
| Conformity | Is current ASTM C979/C979M conformity documented, and are limitations or exclusions stated? |
| Dosage basis | Is the rate based on cement only or on cement plus specified SCMs? What units and batch-size limits apply? |
| Compatibility | Has the supplier addressed your cement, SCMs, admixtures, curing method, and finishing process? Remember ASTM does not guarantee compatibility with untested admixtures. |
| Color evidence | Are there physical samples made with materials comparable to yours, rather than only a printed or digital chart? |
| Packaging and storage | What package sizes, lot identification, shelf-life, temperature, moisture, and stock-continuity requirements apply? |
| Technical support | Will the supplier support a trial batch, mock-up review, dosage calculation, and production troubleshooting? |
Use the Interstar June 2024 ready-mix color chart or another current supplier chart to narrow the shade family, then approve the actual mix. Charts from different suppliers are not interchangeable color standards.
What should a DIY or small-batch buyer purchase?
For a few pavers, repair batches, or a small sidewalk, buy the smallest package that allows accurate weighing and leaves enough material for the complete job. A digital scale and clean small mixing tools can help keep mock-ups and production batches consistent, but the pigment’s own data sheet remains the controlling instruction.
- Write down the cement and SCM quantities for one batch before opening the pigment.
- Choose a pigment with a clear dosage basis, current instructions, and a shade sample or chart.
- Prepare a small trial using the same aggregate, water, admixture, finishing, curing, and sealer planned for the work.
- Record pigment mass, batch size, water additions, weather or site conditions, finishing time, and curing method.
- Keep the approved trial as a reference and reproduce its materials and sequence for the placement.
Do not sprinkle dry pigment onto the surface to darken a weak or uneven batch. Surface dusting and extra water can create a different skin from the underlying concrete and produce blotchy results.
What changes for paver or precast production?
Production plants need repeatable dosing, lot traceability, and a process that works at the plant’s cycle time. Granular products or liquid dispersions may fit automated systems better than manually weighed powder, but the choice must be confirmed against the mixer, bag-dispensing equipment, pumps, and cleaning procedures.
Lock the approved mix design, pigment lot, aggregate sources, moisture corrections, mixing sequence, compaction or consolidation, curing cycle, and sealer. If the plant uses accelerated steam curing, ask specifically for pigment-stability information because ASTM C979/C979M-24 does not cover that condition. Retain cured reference units from the approved trial so a later batch can be compared without relying on memory or a screen image.
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How should infrastructure buyers specify and approve integral color?
For sidewalks, streetscape units, drainage elements, barriers, and other public or large-scale work, the contract documents and authority requirements govern. The pigment supplier’s literature cannot substitute for the engineer’s approved mix design or the project’s requirements for strength, durability, exposure, accessibility, slip resistance, appearance, and procurement.
- Read the project specification first. Identify named standards, approved-material lists, submittal requirements, exposure classes, curing limits, and mock-up obligations.
- Submit current documentation. Include the technical data sheet, ASTM conformity evidence, safety and storage information, dosage basis, shade samples, and regional product identification.
- Coordinate the actual mix. The engineer, concrete producer, pigment supplier, and installer should agree on cement, SCMs, aggregates, admixtures, water, finish, curing, and sealer.
- Produce representative mock-ups. Use the actual materials, equipment, finish, curing, and sealer. Evaluate both fresh and cured concrete.
- Verify performance. Confirm required strength and other specified properties before releasing full-scale production.
- Plan supply continuity. Confirm package sizes, lead times, lot control, storage, and what happens if a pigment lot or raw material changes.
For a project-specific approval, coordinate directly with the responsible engineer and authority. The general guidance here cannot establish a jurisdiction’s contract requirements.
How do you run a reliable color trial?
A useful trial reproduces the decisions that affect appearance, not just the pigment mass. Sika recommends evaluating fresh and cured concrete and verifying required strength and other specifications before proceeding at scale.
- Use the actual cement, SCMs, aggregates, admixtures, water source, pigment product and lot, and intended sealer.
- Batch at a scale that reveals weighing, dispersion, finishing, and curing problems; make enough material for representative cured samples.
- Follow the supplier’s addition sequence and mixing time. Record every water addition and any adjustment to slump.
- Finish the sample with the tools, timing, texture, and surface exposure planned for production.
- Cure and seal it under the intended conditions, then compare color after the specified curing period rather than judging only the fresh surface.
- Check strength and other project properties, document the accepted appearance, and retain labeled reference pieces.
Run additional trials if the cement, aggregate source, SCM percentage, admixture package, curing cycle, finish, or sealer changes. A color approval is tied to the complete combination, not merely to a pigment code.
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Follow the product’s current storage and shelf-life requirements. Keep packages identified by product, color, lot, and receipt date; protect dry products from moisture and liquid products from conditions listed by the supplier. Use clean, dedicated measuring and transfer equipment so residue from another color cannot contaminate a batch.
For production, establish a receiving check, a first-in/first-out or otherwise documented stock system, and a rule for handling damaged or unidentified packages. If the supplier changes formulation, packaging, or regional product designation, obtain updated instructions and repeat the relevant trial rather than assuming the old approval transfers.
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What are the most common causes of color failure?
| Observed problem | Likely process issue | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Batch is lighter than the approved sample | Extra water, different cement or SCM content, or a changed sealer | Compare the complete batch record; restore the approved binder and water controls, then make a new trial. |
| Dark and light patches | Incomplete pigment dispersion, variable surface moisture, or inconsistent finishing | Check weighing, addition sequence, mixing time, finishing timing, and curing uniformity. |
| Adjacent placements do not match | Different aggregate, cement lot, slump, curing, or finishing conditions | Hold materials and process constant and compare each placement with the retained reference. |
| Color changes after sealing | Sealer was not included in the original mock-up | Evaluate the sealer on representative cured samples before approving production. |
| Plant cannot repeat the approved dose | Package or form does not suit the batching equipment | Change the handling method or select a form—powder, granule, or liquid—that can be metered reliably. |
How we picked the buying criteria
The criteria above follow the evidence in ASTM C979/C979M-24 and manufacturer technical literature: batching form, current conformity documentation, product-specific dosage basis, actual-mix compatibility, representative color samples, package and storage controls, and supplier support for trials. Infrastructure decisions also require the project’s own strength, durability, exposure, accessibility, slip-resistance, and procurement requirements; those cannot be inferred from a pigment color chart.
Bottom line: what should you buy?
Buy the pigment form your operation can dose consistently, and approve it only with the product’s current instructions and a trial made from the actual cementitious system. Use ASTM C979/C979M-24’s 10 mass% limit as a maximum boundary, never as a default recipe. For public or high-volume work, make the engineer-approved mix, curing, finish, and sealer part of the color approval and retain representative cured references before ordering at scale.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can the same integral pigment be used in mortar and concrete pavers?
Some dry pigment products are described for both mortar and pavers, but the permitted dosage, binder basis, and compatibility still belong to the specific product. Confirm the current technical sheet and make a trial with the mortar or paver mix you will actually place.
Does a 10% pigment dose produce the darkest possible concrete?
No. ASTM C979/C979M-24 sets 10 mass% of cement as a maximum prescribed dosage, not a darkness target. The manufacturer’s tested range and the actual binder, aggregates, water, curing, and sealer determine the practical result.
Why is pigment stability under steam curing a separate question?
ASTM C979/C979M-24 does not cover accelerated steam-curing pigment stability. If a precast plant uses steam, request product-specific evidence and include that curing cycle in the approval trial.
How long should I keep a color mock-up?
Keep labeled cured reference pieces for the duration of production and any acceptance period defined by the project. They provide a physical comparison when cement, aggregate, pigment lots, curing, or sealing conditions are questioned later.
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What if the supplier’s dosage instructions conflict with the project specification?
Do not choose one instruction informally or average the numbers. Pause the order or placement and obtain a documented resolution from the project engineer, concrete producer, and pigment supplier, with any revised trial and approval recorded.
