Recent advances of ultrasonic testing of cement based materials at early ages

•US methods enable accurate determination of setting process of cement based materials.•P-wave transmission and S-wave reflection methods are most frequently used.•US methods present a promising alternative to conventional standardized methods.

To summarize some of the most important findings in the field of ultrasonic (US) testing of early age hydration and formation of structure of different cement based materials (CBMs), a review of literature with focus on US P-wave transmission and S-wave reflection methods is presented in this paper. The review shows a great ability of both US techniques to observe setting phenomena and to determine different milestones during the early age formation of CBM’s microstructure. Clear physical basis, high accuracy, and non-destructive nature of the method indicate that US methods could become standardized in the near future.