Introduction Concrete has been used worldwide as a construction material for at least 100 years. Scientific research@ new discoveries@ and in-service experience have contributed to many advances in the state of the art. The key to continued advancement in this field is to provide a means of accurately reporting and widely distributing new information about concrete in an organized and rapid manner. The means to this end is a computerized database of concrete material properties.Currently@ printed materials@ such as journals and textbooks@ are the most prevalent means of sharing information regarding concrete. Comprehensive reports@ such as the Portland Cement Association??s report on long-term performance of cement in concrete (Klieger 1957@ Wood 1992) are published from time to time@ but too infrequently to be an efficient way of disseminating information. The information in notebook databases (Rumble 1993) developed in laboratories is invaluable to the specific project for which they are developed@ but is not always sufficiently detailed@ or even published at all@ for use in future projects. As a result@ the information recorded in these databases is often used only once@ and is not as useful as it could be to the industry as a whole.A computerized database can provide ready access to countless analyses of concrete materials property data@ thereby eliminating the need for lengthy testing and analysis that may have already been performed by another group. This guide addresses the task of developing a standard format for recording and retrieving information in a database that would most benefit its users and the concrete industry at large. ObjectiveA concrete materials property database is a collection of data files in which properties of concretes and their constituents are organized and stored. Each data file is unique because it only contains information for one particular concrete. For example@ ACI Committee 207@ Mass Concrete@ has developed such a collection. ACI 207.1R contains data files for 30 concretes used in dams located throughout the world. The usefulness of such databases depends on the types and amount of data that they contain.Accessing the information in a concrete materials property database can be difficult or impossible if the database management system poses constraints or if there are inconsistencies in format and completeness among data files. To consistently report all of the properties that may be available for a particular concrete@ a comprehensive set of guidelines should be followed. The guidelines should address concrete identification and include guidance for presenting constituent information; processing parameters; and data on mechanical@ thermal@ and physical properties.This document is a guide for establishing the content of a comprehensive concrete materials property database. Recommended formats for categorizing information about concrete constituents including hydraulic cements@ aggregates@ chemical admixtures@ mineral admixtures@ fibers@ and water; concrete processing; and concrete properties and performance are provided. The information is organized into data segments and data elements suitable for use in developing a computerized database. If needed@ data segments and data elements for other constituents may be developed using the recommended formats presented in this guide as an example. Constituents that may be used in concrete production but are not covered in this guide include binders such as asphalt@ gypsum@ sulfur@ and polymers; solids such as metal shot@ pigments@ carbon black@ and redispersible powders; and liquids such as latex and other chemical solutions.Recommendations in this guide are consistent with the principles of ASTM Committee E-49@ Computerization of Material and Chemical Property Data. Guides prepared by ASTM E-49 for metals (ASTM E 1309 and E 1338); composite materials (ASTM E 1471); database terminology (ASTM E 1443); and data records (ASTM E 1313) were used in preparing this document. Although compliance with the recommended formats is considered essential for efficient computerization of concrete properties@ this guide is not intended to replace reporting requirements established in consensus standards or contractual agreements@ nor is it intended to serve as a step-by-step manual for use in database management or computer implementation.