Properties of Concrete Lab

Instructor: Engr Ehsanullah khan

 • This test is used to find out the
Standard Test of percentage of amount of water at which
the Consistency of the standard consistency is achieved.
Cement
 Cement Paste/Consistency/Standard
Cement Paste

• The viscous mass obtained by mixing cement with water is known

as cement paste.
• The thickness or the viscosity of the cement paste is called
consistency.
• It is the cement paste for which the 10mm diameter plunger in a
standard VICAT test penetrates to such an extent that its distance
from the bottom is 5-7mm.
Standard/Normal Consistency

• It is the thickness or the viscosity of the standard paste and is

expressed as the percentage of weight of water
 Apparatus

VICAT Apparatus
Weight balance
Plunger with 10mm diameter and
50mm length
Spatula
Glass plate trowel
Stop watch
 The temperature of the air in
the vicinity should be between
20-27.5 °C. The temperature of
Temperature & Humidity the mixing water should be
23±2 °C.The relative humidity
of the laboratory should not be
less than 50%

Testing Amount of cement required for

the test according to various
BS-12 = 500gm

specification
specifications are mentioned
below.

ASTM C-187 = 650gm

 Mixing Time

• The cement paste must be properly mixed and placed in the test
specimen within a maximum time of 4±1/4 min from the instant
when cement and water were initially brought in contact
 Procedure

• Mix 650gm of cement with a measured quantity of water and make a cement
paste as per the standard procedure.
• Put the cement paste in the ring of the vicat apparatus and remove the excess
paste with the help of a trowel. Center the paste confined in the ring, resting
on the plate, under the plunger rod and bring the plunger end in contact with
the surface of the paste.
• Pull the hydraulic jack so that some amount of energy is stored in it and when
released that stored energy is transferred to the cement paste.This must not
exceed 30 s after completion of mixing.
• The apparatus shall be free of all vibrations during the test. The paste of
normal consistency is achieved when the rod settles to a point such that it is 4-
7mm above the bottom surface in 30 s after being released.
• Make trial pastes with varying percentages of water until the normal
consistency is obtained. Make each trial with fresh cement.
 Observations & Results

Trial

Weight of Moisture
Sr. # Cement Content Weight/Volume of Water Temperature Mixing Time Scale Reading

(gm) (%) (1gm = 1mL) (°C) (min) (mm)