G/TBT/N/EGY/311  
22 November 2021  
(21-8788) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  EGYPT   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality  
16 Tadreeb El -Modarrebeen St., Ameriya, Cairo – Egypt  
E-mail: eos@idsc.net.eg  / eos.tbt@eos.org.eg  
Website: http://www.eos.org.eg  
Tel.: + (202) 22845528  
Fax: + (202) 22845504  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notifi cation shall be indicated if different from above:   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Concrete 
and concrete products (ICS 91.100.30)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ministerial 
Decree No. 223 /2021 (2 pages, in Arabic) mandating the Egyptian Standard ES 1401 
"autoclaved aerat ed concrete blocks - requirements" (20 page(s), in Arabic)  
6. Description of content:  The Ministerial Decree No. 223 /2021gives the producers and 
importers a six -month transitional period to abide by the Egyptian standard ES 1401.  
This standard specifies the requirements for autoclave porous concrete blocks, which is a 
cement product based on hydrated calcium silicate, where a low density is obtained by 
including an agent that produces microscopic voids that is treated using steam under high 
pressure.  
The raw materials used in the production of porous concrete blocks by autoclaving 
portland cement or mixed cement, quartz sand, water, lime, gypsum or anhydrite, and 
void-generating materials. the quartz sand used can be replaced with any fine siliceous 
aggregate which is usually ground to a fine powder before use. Fly ash can also be used 
as an alternative to sand. The raw materials are mixed together to form a slurry and 
poured into steel moulds. as a result of the chemical reaction occurring in the slurr y the 
increasing in volume occurs. The product is mechanically cut into blocks of different sizes 
after setting and before solidification. Then the blocks are treated with steam under 
pressure in an autoclave, where the material turns into hardened calcium  silicate.  
Worth mentioning is that this standard is technically identical with modification 
with  ASTM C1693 - 11(2017).  G/TBT/N/EGY/311  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Safety and quality requirements  ; Other  
8. Relevant documents:   
• ASTM C1693 - 11(2017)  
• Ministerial Decree No. 223/2021  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  20 May 2021  
Proposed date of entry into force:  14 June 2021  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality  
Address: 16 Tadreeb El -Modarrebeen St., Ameriya, Cairo - Egypt  
E-mail: eos@idsc.net.eg  / eos.tbt@eos.org.eg  
Website: http://www.eos.org.eg  
Tel: + (202) 22845528  
Fax: + (202) 22845504