Friedels salt plays a main role in the binding and retention of chloride anions in cement and concrete. However, Friedels salt remains a poorly understood phase in the CaO–AlO–CaCl–HO system. A sufficient  understanding of the Friedel's salt system is essential to correctly model the reactive transport of chloride ions in reinforced concrete structures affected by chloride attack and steel reinforcement corrosion. It is also important to assess the long-term stability of salt-saturated Portland cement-based grouts to be used in engineering structures exposed to seawater or concentrated brine as it is the case for radioactive waste disposal in deep salt formations.
Another reason to study AFm phases and the Friedel's salt system is their tendency to bind, trap and to immobilise toxic anions, such as , , and , or the long-lived radionuclide I, in cementitious materials. Their characterization is important to conceive anion getters and to assess the retention capacity of cementitious buffer and concrete barriers used for radioactive waste disposal.