Structure III

Lecture 2

Content
Setting time of cement
Tests on cement
Setting time of cement
Cement paste setting time is affected by a number of
items including: cement fineness, water-cement ratio,
chemical content (especially gypsum content) and
admixtures.
Setting tests are used to characterize how a particular
cement paste sets.
For construction purposes, the initial set must not be
too soon and the final set must not be too late.
Additionally, setting times can give some indication of
whether or not a cement is undergoing
normal hydration.
Contd.
Normally, two setting times are defined:-

1. Initial setting time Occurs when the paste begins to
stiffen considerably.
2. Final setting time Occurs when the cement has hardened
to the point at which it can sustain some load.

Note: These particular times are just arbitrary points used
to characterize cement, they do not have any fundamental
chemical significance. They describe the setting of the
cement and are not tied to the setting time of concrete.

Review questions
What do you understand by setting time of
cement ?
What is the difference between initial setting
time and final setting time of cement ?
Tests on cement
The list of main physical tests conducted on
cement are as-
1. Fineness test
2. Soundness test
3. Consistency test
4. Setting time test
5. Compressive strength test
Fineness test
To determine the fineness of cement by dry
sieving as per IS: 4031 (Part 1) 1996. The
principle of this is that we determine the
proportion of cement whose grain size is larger
then specified mesh size.
The apparatus used are 90m IS Sieve, Balance
capable of weighing 10g to the nearest 10mg, A
nylon or pure bristle brush, preferably with 25 to
40mm, bristle, for cleaning the sieve.
IS Standard Sieves
Procedure
Weigh approximately 10g of cement to the nearest 0.01g and place
it on the sieve.
Shake the sieve by linear movements, until no more fine material
passes through it.
Weigh the residue and express its mass as a percentage R1,of the
quantity first placed on the sieve to the nearest 0.1 percent.
Gently brush all the fine material off the base of the sieve.
Repeat the whole procedure using a fresh 10g sample to obtain R2.
Then calculate R as the mean of R1 and R2 as a percentage,
expressed to the nearest 0.1 percent. When the results differ by
more than 1 percent absolute, carry out a third sieving and
calculate the mean of the three values.
Review questions
Why fineness test is carried out ?
Give the standard sieve size used in fineness
test ?
Consistency test
The basic aim is to find out the water content
required to produce a cement paste of standard
consistency as specified by the IS: 4031 (Part 4)
1988. The principle is that standard consistency
of cement is that consistency at which the Vicat
plunger penetrates to a point 5-7mm from the
bottom of Vicat mould.
Apparatus Vicat apparatus conforming to IS:
5513 1976, Balance, whose permissible
variation at a load of 1000g should be +1.0g,
Gauging trowel conforming to IS: 10086 1982.
Procedure
Weigh approximately 400g of cement
and mix it with a weighed quantity of
water. The time of gauging should be
between 3 to 5 minutes.
Fill the Vicat mould with paste and
level it with a trowel.
Lower the plunger gently till it
touches the cement surface.
Release the plunger allowing it to
sink into the paste.
Note the reading on the gauge.
Repeat the above procedure taking
fresh samples of cement and
different quantities of water until the
reading on the gauge is 5 to 7mm.
contd.
Reporting of result-
Express the amount of
water as a percentage
of the weight of dry
cement to the first
place of decimal.
Review questions
What do you understand by consistency of
cement ?
Why consistency test is carried out ?
What is the name of apparatus used in this
test ?
Test for setting time of cement
We need to calculate the initial and final
setting time as per IS: 4031 (Part 5) 1988. To
do so we need Vicat apparatus conforming to
IS: 5513 1976, Balance, whose permissible
variation at a load of 1000g should be +1.0g,
Gauging trowel conforming to IS: 10086
1982.
Procedure
Prepare a cement paste by gauging the cement
with 0.85 times the water required to give a paste
of standard consistency.
Start a stop-watch, the moment water is added to
the cement.
Fill the Vicat mould completely with the cement
paste gauged as above, the mould resting on a
non-porous plate and smooth off the surface of
the paste making it level with the top of the
mould. The cement block thus prepared in the
mould is the test block.
(A) Initial setting time
Place the test block under the rod bearing the needle.
Lower the needle gently in order to make contact with
the surface of the cement paste and release quickly,
allowing it to penetrate the test block.
Repeat the procedure till the needle fails to pierce the
test block to a point 5.0 0.5mm measured from the
bottom of the mould.
The time period elapsing between the time, water is
added to the cement and the time, the needle fails to
pierce the test block by 5.0 0.5mm measured from
the bottom of the mould, is the initial setting time.
(B) Final setting time
Replace the above needle by the one with an annular
attachment.
The cement should be considered as finally set when,
upon applying the needle gently to the surface of the
test block, the needle makes an impression therein,
while the attachment fails to do so.
The period elapsing between the time, water is added
to the cement and the time, the needle makes an
impression on the surface of the test block, while the
attachment fails to do so, is the final setting time.
Review questions
What is the main significance of this test ?
How initial and final setting time is
determined from test specimen ?
How much quantity of water is used in this
test ?
Soundness test
This test is performed to determine the
presence of uncombined lime in cement.
If uncombined lime is present in cement,
during the setting action it might slake causing
increase in volume and will cause the
development of cracks.
In structure, cracks are objectionable as they
deteriorate the structure.
Contd.
Soundness of cement is determined by Le-
Chatelier method as per IS: 4031 (Part 3)
1988.
Apparatus The apparatus for conducting the
Le-Chatelier test should conform to IS: 5514
1969, Balance, whose permissible variation at
a load of 1000g should be +1.0g and Water
bath.
Le-Chateliers Apparatus
Procedure
Place the mould on a glass sheet and fill it with the cement paste
formed by gauging cement with 0.78 times the water required to
give a paste of standard consistency.
Cover the mould with another piece of glass sheet, place a small
weight on this covering glass sheet and immediately submerge the
whole assembly in water at a temperature of 27 2
o
C and keep it
there for 24hrs.
Measure the distance separating the indicator points to the nearest
0.5mm (say d
1
).
Submerge the mould again in water at the temperature prescribed
above. Bring the water to boiling point in 25 to 30 minutes and
keep it boiling for 3hrs.
Remove the mould from the water, allow it to cool and measure the
distance between the indicator points (say d
2
).
(d
2
d
1
) represents the expansion of cement.
Review questions
Why this test is carried out ?
Give the practical utility of this test.
Name the apparatus used in this test.
Compressive strength test
The compressive strength of hardened cement is the most
important of all the properties. Therefore, it is not surprising that
the cement is always tested for its compressive strength at the
laboratory before the cement is used in important works.

Apparatus Required-
1. Non porous enamel tray
2. Trowel
3. Cube mould of size 7.06cm
4. Platform vibrator (or) Equipment for hand compaction
5. Compression testing machine
6. Balance to measure weight

Contd.
Strength test are not done on neat cement paste
because of difficulties of excessive shrinkage and
subsequent cracking of neat cement.
Strength of cement is indirectly found on cement
sand mortar in specific proportion.
The cubes are prepared for this purpose.
The cubes are then tested in compression testing
machine at the end on three days and seven days.
Testing of cubes is carried out on their three sides
without packing.
Thus the cubes are tested at each time.
Procedure
Preparation of cement mortar cubes:

1. Take 555 gms of standard sand, 185gms of cement (i.e. ratio of cement to sand
is 1:3) in a non porous enamel tray and mix them with a trowel for one minute.
2. Add water quantity (P/4 + 3.0) % of combined weight of cement and sand and
mix the three ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is of uniform colour. The
time of mixing should not be less than three minutes and not more than four
minutes.
3. Immediately after mixing fill the mortar into a cube mould of sizes 7.06cm.
4. Compact the mortar either by hand compaction in a standard specified manner
or on the vibrating table.
5. Place the moulds in cabin at a temperature of 27 2 C for 24 hours
6. Remove the specimen from the moulds and submerge them in clean water for
curing.

Contd.
Testing of cement mortar cubes:

1. Take the cube out of water at the end of three days with dry cloth.
Measure the dimensions of the surface in which the load is to be
applied. Let be L and B respectively.
2. Place the cube in compressive testing machine and apply the load
uniformly at the rate of 35N/mm
2
.
3. Note the load at which the cube fails. Let it be P.
4. Calculate the compressive strength of the cube by using formula. The
compressive strength at the end of three days should not be less than
16N/mm
2

5. Repeat the same procedure (steps 1 to 4) for other two cubes.
6. Repeat the whole procedure (Step 1 to 5) to find the compressive
strength of the cube at the end of 7 days and it should not be less than
22 N/mm
2
.

Review questions
Give the significance of this test.
What is the size of cubes prepares for the test
?
What is the minimum compressive strength
recommended for the cubes after 3 days and
7 days ?