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CE 202 - LAB MANUAL - July 2021-Exp. 2

The document describes procedures to determine the initial and final setting times of cement using Vicat's apparatus according to ASTM C191. It outlines the test room conditions, preparation of cement paste, molding specimens, penetration tests to determine setting times and calculations. Initial set is reached at 25mm penetration and final set when the needle does not visibly penetrate the paste.

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93 views

CE 202 - LAB MANUAL - July 2021-Exp. 2

The document describes procedures to determine the initial and final setting times of cement using Vicat's apparatus according to ASTM C191. It outlines the test room conditions, preparation of cement paste, molding specimens, penetration tests to determine setting times and calculations. Initial set is reached at 25mm penetration and final set when the needle does not visibly penetrate the paste.

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fs2y4ppt5g
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Experiment No.

2
Determination of Initial Setting Time of Hydraulic Cement
Using Vicat’s Apparatus
2.1 Introduction
One of the most important properties of cement is the time required to get the cement set, as
this regulates how much time one would have for mixing, transporting and placing cement mix,
mortar or concrete. During this time cement paste, mortar or concrete should be in plastic
condition. Once the concrete is placed in the final position, compacted and finished it should
lose its plasticity in the earliest possible time so that it is least vulnerable to damages from
external destructive agencies.
Thus, setting of cement is defined by two parameters – A. initial setting time and B. final
setting time. Initial set indicates the beginning of solidification or beginning of losing plasticity.
As long the cement paste remains in plastic state, it can be molded to any desired shape. The
constituents and fineness of cement is maintained in such a way that the concrete remains in
plastic condition for certain minimum time. Whereas the final set represents approximately the
time after which strength develops at a significant rate.
Therefore, initial setting time of cement can be defined as the time period elapsed between
the time when the water is just added to the dry cement and the time at which the paste
attains a certain degree of solidification. Whereas final setting time of cement is the time
elapsed between the time when the water is added to the cement and the time at which
cement water paste attains sufficient stiffness to resist certain definite amount of pressure after
it is placed and finished.
Setting of cement is affected by a number of factors- such as w/c ratio, temperature, gypsum
content, composition, fineness etc. of cement. Inadequate amount of gypsum in cement or
high temperature grinding of clinker may result flash set or false set of cement respectively.

Addition of air-entraining admixtures in cement (e.g., OPC Type-IA) increases its workability
but usually does not affect the setting time. As per ASTM C150-12 specification the setting
time of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and as per ASTM C595-12 specification that for
blended cement (e.g., PCC) is give below:

Type of cement Initial setting time Final setting time


OPC (Type –I & III) not less than 45 mins not more than 375 mins
Blended Cement not less than 45 mins not more than 420 mins

The purpose of this test is to ascertain the time to be allowed to pass, between mixing of
concrete and placing in position in structures. Determination of setting time will be conducted
following ASTM C191-19 specification in which the cement paste is tested with1-mm diameter

CE 202: Materials Sessional 1


needle of the Vicat’s apparatus. Under this specification two test methods are given - Method A
is the Reference Test Method using the manually operated standard Vicat apparatus, while
Method B permits the use of an automatic Vicat machine. In our lab we will conduct test using
method A.
According to the specification initial setting time is the time elapsed between addition of water to
form cement paste and when the 1-mm needle of Vicat’s apparatus makes 25 mm penetration
from top surface into the paste and final setting time is reached when the needle does not sink
visibly into the paste. It should be noted that time of setting measured by this method will not
necessarily provide the same results as the time of setting of hydraulic cement paste measured
by other methods, or the time of setting of mortar or concrete.

2.2 Apparatus
Same as those used for experiment no.-1.

2.3 Test Room Conditions


Temperature:
The temperature of the air in the vicinity of the mixing slab, the dry cement, molds and base
plates should be maintained between 20 to 27.5°C (68 to 81.5°F).
The temperature of the mixing water and of the moist closet or moist room should be 23°C
±1.7°C (73.4°F±3°F).

Humidity:
The relative humidity of the laboratory should not be less than 90%.

2.4 Test Procedure:


2.4.1 Preparation of cement paste
Prepare the cement paste by mixing 650 gm dry cement with the water content required for
normal consistency of that cement as obtained in experiment no-1. Follow the same procedure
described in section -1.4.1 (Experiment no.-1) for preparing the cement paste.

2.4.2 Molding test specimen


Follow the procedure as described in section-1.4.2., immediately after molding; place the test
specimen in the moist closet or moist room. Allow it to remain there except when
determinations of time of setting are being made.

2.4.3 Determination of setting time


1. Keep the cement paste sample in the moist cabinet or moist room undisturbed for 30 mins
after molding.
2. After 30 mins make the first penetration test. Lower the tip of the needle D and touch the
surface of the paste. Tighten the set screw, E, and set the indicator, F, at the upper end of
the scale, or take an initial reading.
3. Release the rod immediately and allow penetrating into the cement for 30 sec and read the
scale after 30 sec.
4. Repeat the procedure of determining penetration at every 15 min thereafter until a
penetration of 25 mm or less is obtained.
5. Record the results of all penetration tests and by interpolation, determine the time when a
penetration of 25 mm is obtained. The elapsed time between the initial contact of cement
and water and the penetration of 25 mm is the Vicat time of setting or Vicat initial time of
setting.
6. The final time of setting is the elapsed time between the time of initial contact of cement
and water and the time when the needle does not sink visibly into the paste.

CE 202: Materials Sessional 2


7. Plot the needle penetration versus elapsed time graph (best-fit) on a plain graph paper
(standard shape of the curve is decreasing concave down). Obtain the elapsed time
corresponding to 25 mm needle penetration from the plotted curve.

2.4.4 Precautions
 Keep all the apparatus free from vibration during the penetration test.
 Keep the 1-mm needle straight and clean to prevent cement from adhering to the sides of
the needle and decreasing penetration and to prevent cement from adhering to the point and
increasing penetration.
 Make each penetration test at least 5 mm away from any previous penetration and at least
10 mm away from the inner side of the mold.

2.5 Calculation& Results


1. Calculate the time required for 25 mm penetration from graph or from interpolation and
express it to the nearest 1 min. This time is arbitrarily defined as the initial setting time.
Alternately, Vicat time of setting can be calculated using the equation below -

( )
{ ( )}
( )
Where:
E = time in minutes of last penetration greater than 25 mm,
H = time in minutes of first penetration less than 25 mm,
C = penetration reading at time E, and
D = penetration reading at time H.

2. Calculate the time required for visibly ‘zero’ penetration of needle of Vicat on the test
specimen. Report the elapsed time as final setting time of cement rounded to the
nearest 5 min.

CE 202: Materials Sessional 3

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