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Experiment No. 4 Initial and Final Setting Time of Cement

The document describes procedures for determining the initial and final setting time of cement using a Vicat needle apparatus according to ASTM C191 standards, noting that initial set is reached when the needle penetrates 25mm or less and final set is reached when the needle makes no impression; the experiment found initial set at 1 hour and 45 minutes and final set at 4 hours and 4 minutes.

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John Paul Gutierez
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165 views

Experiment No. 4 Initial and Final Setting Time of Cement

The document describes procedures for determining the initial and final setting time of cement using a Vicat needle apparatus according to ASTM C191 standards, noting that initial set is reached when the needle penetrates 25mm or less and final set is reached when the needle makes no impression; the experiment found initial set at 1 hour and 45 minutes and final set at 4 hours and 4 minutes.

Uploaded by

John Paul Gutierez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Group No: Group Leader: RATING:

Name: Date Performed:


Year and Section: Date Submitted:

EXPERIMENT NO. 4
INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME OF CEMENT
(ASTM C191 Time of Setting of Hydraulic Cement by Vicat Needle)

OBJECTIVE:
To determine the initial and final setting time of cement using vicat apparatus

SCOPE OF THE TEST:


The test covers determination of the time of setting of cement by means of the vicat
needle. Setting means the change from a fluid to a rigid state. The time of initial set test is the
time required for a cement paste to stiffen considerably represented by the 1mm needle
penetration of 25 mm at less. The time of final set is the time required for the cement to harden
until it can sustain some load.

APPARATUS AND MATERIAL:


 Semi-Automatic Vicat Apparatus with the following accessories:
o Standard plunger
o Needle for initial setting
o Needle for final setting
o Plane non-absorptive plate
o Conical ring
o Disc
 Weighing scale
 Graduated Cylinder
 Flat trowel
 Mixing Bowl
 Timer
 Cement
 Potable Water
PRECAUTION:
 Maintain the temperature of the air in the vicinity of the mixing slab, the dry cement,
molds, and base plates at 23.0 ± 3.0°C.
 Maintain the temperature of the mixing water at 23.0 ± 2.0ºC.
 The relative humidity of the mixing room shall be not less than 50 %
 After a minute from the instant adding of water it should be thoroughly mixed for at least
one minute.
 For each repetition of experiment fresh cement is to be taken
 Plunger should be cleaned during every repetition and make sure it moves freely and that
there is no vibration.

THEORY:
In the setting process, very little chemical reaction takes place. It only includes the shape
acquisition due to evaporation of water. During the setting process, the cement remains in the
fluid or the semi-fluid state and there is very little or no gain in strength. Finer the cement
particles more will be the hydration and therefore it will lead to fast settlement. The hardening of
cement is actually a continuation of the chemical reaction which began with setting. If the
cement is placed in the mold after initial setting time, the cement mold can be detached and after
final setting time the vicat’s apparatus plunger gives no impression.

TEST PROCEDURES:
Calibration of Vicat apparatus
1. Adjust the hydraulic regulator such that the falling for 40mm distance 6-7 seconds
2. Install the standard plunger in the apparatus
3. Place the glass plate top the base and lower down sliding rod until the standard
plunger touches the glass plate
4. Adjust the indicator to zero reading
5. Place a thin film of grease on the bottom of the conical ring and attached it to the
glass plate.
Molding of test Specimen
Prepare a 650g of cement and place on the mixing plate.
1. Turn the cement paste into a ball using glove hands.
2. Toss the cement paste (ball) into the other hand about 6 times and 6 inches apart.

3. Press the ball into the larger or bousing the palm with another palm with a conical ring
held in the other hand.
4. Place the ring in a non-absorptive plate and slice of the excess paste at a single stroke
of the trowel (with a slight angle on the top of the ring).
5. With one or two touches using the pointed end of the trowel smoothen the specimen
(make sure that it wouldn’t compress the paste).
6. Place the specimen in a non-absorptive cabinet or room.
Procedure of Initial time setting
 In the moist room or cabinet allow the specimen to stay for 30 minutes. Without any
vibration, and disturbance in the surrounding
 For determining the initial setting time of cement paste, set the 1mm diameter needle on
the lower end of the rod.
 Place the conical ring with the cement paste sample in at the top of non-absorptive plate
and set the one 1mm needle in touch with the cement paste.
 Take the first penetration of the specimen after 30 minutes in moist cabinet, for 30
seconds allow. It too freely penetrate. (Note: record the time when penetration starts, end
and how deep it goes.)
 Before taking another penetration, clean the needle and place it in touch of the cement
paste.
 After 15 minutes take another penetration at the sample 6 mm away from the previous
penetration.
 After a series of penetration. Take the initial setting when the needle penetrates 25mm or
less
(Note: take the 25 mm penetration by interpolating when given a less than 25 mm
reading)
 Record the initial setting time.

Procedure of Final Setting time


 Replace 1mm needle use in the initial setting time by 5mm needle for final setting time.
 Place the 5mm diameter needle in touch of the specimen.
 After 15 minutes of taking the initial setting time, take the first penetration of final setting
time.
 Before taking another penetration, clean the needle and place it in touch of the cement
paste.
 After 15 minutes take another penetration at the sample 6 mm away from the previous
penetration.
 The cement sample reached the final setting time when the needle doesn’t penetrate of
leave a mark in the sample.
 Record the final setting time.
FIGURES AND DIAGRAMS:

DATA SHEET:
Time water is added to cement: 3:01 pm

Initial Time Setting


Final Time Setting
Trial Penetration Reading (mm)
Time Trial Penetration Reading
1 3:16 pm 0 Time (mm)
2 3:31 pm 0 1 6:20 pm 15
3 3:46 pm 0
4 4:01 pm 0.5 2 6:37 pm 31
5 4:16 pm 0.5 3 6:54 pm 31
6 4:31 pm 0.5 4 7:05 pm 33
7 4:46 pm 1
CALCULATIONS AND RESULTS:
Initial setting time (Ti) = Time of Initial Setting (Ti´) – Time water was added to cement (To)
Final setting time (Tf) = Time of Final Setting (Tf´) – Time water added to cement (To)

Initial Time Setting (Ti) = 4:46 pm (1mm reading) – 3:01 pm (water was added)
Initial Time Setting (Ti) = 1 hour and 45 minutes

Final Time Setting (Tf) = 7:05 pm (0 penetration) – 3:01pm (water was added)
Final Time Setting (Tf) = 4 hours and 4 minutes

DISCUSSION:
It began with the precaution that the room temperature must be 23+or – 3 ° C and the water
temperature should be 23+or-2 ° C but it is not followed because who knows the laboratory temperature.
Some of the cement is still not fully new, since the cement bag stays open. Setting time is the time needed
for cement paste stiffening to know its consistency, meaning the initial setting time is the time when the
cement paste begins to lose its plasticity condition. Since the final setting time is, for example, when the
cement paste hardens enough and the necessary mold accomplished is to eliminate scaffolding, the
cement paste must lose its paste entirely.

CONCLUSION:
We also concluded after the given experiment that the initial setting time of cement is 3 hours and
the final setting time of cement paste is 5 hours and 14 minutes after the initial setting test. The initial
setting time is 45 minutes minimum and the final setting time is 10 hrs maximum. When the initial and
final setting time within the specified range is approaching, it means the perform experiment is
appropriate. Temperature and humidity requirements were not taken into account in the experiment.
Usually in fields a longer initial setting time is preferred so that we can easily mix, transport and place the
concrete as sometimes concrete mixers have to transport concrete to places that are not very close to the
concrete plant and at the same time a lower value of the final setting time is always preferred so as to
avoid large expenditure on the shape work or shuttering as it plays a vital part in the construction project
economy.

REFERENCE:

(ASTM C191 Time of Setting of Hydraulic Cement by Vicat Needle)

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