Standard Method of Test for

Slump of Hydraulic Cement

Concrete

AASHTO Designation: T 119M/T 119-13

ASTM Designation: C 143/C 143M-12

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

444 North Capitol Street N.W., Suite 249
Washington, D.C. 20001
Standard Method of Test for

Slump of Hydraulic Cement Concrete

AASHTO Designation: T 119M/T 119-13

ASTM Designation: C 143/C 143M-12

1. SCOPE
1.1. This test method covers determination of slump of concrete, both in the laboratory and in the field.

1.2. The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard.
Within the text, the inch-pound units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are
not exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining
values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.

1.3. The text of the standard reference notes and footnotes provide explanatory material. These notes
and footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered as requirements of the
standard.

1.4. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns associated with its use. It is
the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices
and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
Warning—Fresh hydraulic cementitious mixtures are caustic and may cause chemical burns to
skin and tissue upon prolonged exposure.

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
2.1. AASHTO Standards:
 R 60, Sampling Freshly Mixed Concrete
 T 23, Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field
 T 121M/T 121, Density (Unit Weight), Yield, and Air Content (Gravimetric) of Concrete
 T 152, Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Pressure Method
 T 196M/T 196, Air Content of Freshly Mixed Concrete by the Volumetric Method

2.2. ASTM Standards:

 C 150/C 150M, Standard Specification for Portland Cement
 C 670, Standard Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for
Construction Materials

3. SUMMARY OF TEST METHOD

3.1. A sample of freshly mixed concrete is placed and compacted by rodding in a mold shaped as the
frustum of a cone. The mold is raised and the concrete allowed to subside. The vertical distance
between the original and the displaced position of the center of the top surface of the concrete is
measured and reported as the slump of the concrete.

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-1 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
4. SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1. This test method is intended to provide the user with a procedure to determine the slump of plastic
hydraulic cement concretes.
Note 1—This test method was originally developed to provide a technique to monitor the
consistency of unhardened concrete. Under laboratory conditions, with strict control of all
concrete materials, the slump is generally found to increase proportionally with the water content
of a given concrete mixture, and thus to be inversely related to concrete strength. Under field
conditions, however, such a strength relationship is not clearly and consistently shown. Care
should therefore be taken in relating slump results obtained under field conditions to strength.

4.2. This test method is considered applicable to plastic concrete having coarse aggregate up to
37.5 mm [1.5 in.]. If the coarse aggregate is larger than 37.5 mm [1.5 in.] in size, the test method
is applicable when it is performed on the fraction of concrete passing a 37.5-mm [1.5-in.] sieve,
with the larger aggregate being removed in accordance with the section titled “Additional
Procedures for Large Maximum Size Aggregate Concrete” in R 60.

4.3. This test method is not considered applicable to nonplastic and noncohesive concrete.
Note 2—Concretes having slumps less than 15 mm [0.5 in.] may not be adequately plastic and
concretes having slumps greater than about 230 mm [9 in.] may not be adequately cohesive for
this test to have significance. Caution should be exercised in interpreting such results.

5. APPARATUS
5.1. Mold—The test specimen shall be formed in a mold made of metal not readily attacked by the
cement paste. The metal shall not be thinner than 1.5 mm [0.060 in.] and if formed by the
spinning process, there shall be no point on the mold at which the thickness is less than 1.15 mm
[0.045 in.]. The mold shall be in the form of the lateral surface of the frustum of a cone with the
base 203 mm [8 in.] in diameter, the top 102 mm [4 in.] in diameter, and the height 305 mm
[12 in.]. Individual diameters and heights shall be within ±3.2 mm [0.125 in.] of the prescribed
dimensions. The base and the top shall be open and parallel to each other and at right angles to the
axis of the cone. The mold shall be provided with foot pieces and handles similar to those shown
in Figure 1. The mold shall be constructed without a seam. The interior of the mold shall be
relatively smooth and free from projections. A mold that clamps to a nonabsorbent base plate is
acceptable instead of the one illustrated, provided the clamping arrangement is such that it can be
fully released without movement of the mold and the base is large enough to contain all of the
slumped concrete in an acceptable test.

5.1.1. Check and record conformance to the mold’s specified dimensions when it is purchased or first
placed in service and at least annually thereafter.

5.1.2. Mold with Alternative Materials:

5.1.2.1. Molds other than metal are permitted if the following requirements are met: The mold shall meet
the shape, height, and internal dimensional requirements of Section 5.1. The mold shall be
sufficiently rigid to maintain the specified dimensions and tolerances during use, resistant to
impact forces, and shall be nonabsorbent. The mold shall be demonstrated to provide test results
comparable to those obtained when using a metal mold meeting the requirements of Section 5.1.
Comparability shall be demonstrated on behalf of the manufacturer by an independent testing
laboratory. Test for comparability shall consist of not less than 10 consecutive pairs of
comparisons performed at each of three different slumps ranging from 50 to 200 mm [2 to 8 in.].
No individual test results shall vary by more than 15 mm [0.50 in.] from that obtained using the
metal mold. The average test results of each slump range obtained using the mold constructed of
alternative material shall not vary by more than 6 mm [0.25 in.] from the average of test results

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-2 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 obtained using the metal mold. Manufacturer comparability test data shall be available to users
and laboratory inspection authorities (see Note 4). If any changes in material or method of
manufacture are made, tests for comparability shall be repeated.
Note 3—The phrase “consecutive pairs of comparisons” does not mean without interruption or all
in 1 day. At a schedule selected by the testing entity, the pairs of tests leading to 10 consecutive
pairs may be accomplished in small groups. The word consecutive prevents ignoring pairs of tests
that may not meet criteria.
Note 4—Because the slump of concrete decreases with time and higher temperatures, it will be
advantageous for the comparability tests to be performed by alternating the use of metal cones and
alternative material cones, to utilize several technicians, and to minimize the time between test
procedures.

5.1.2.2. If the condition of any individual mold is suspected of being out of tolerance from the as
manufactured condition, a single comparative test shall be performed. If the test results differ by
more than 15 mm [0.50 in.] from that obtained using the metal mold, the mold shall be removed
from service.

5.2. Tamping Rod—A round, straight steel rod, with a 16 ± 2-mm [5⁄8 ± 1⁄16-in.] diameter. The length of
the tamping rod shall be at least 100 mm [4 in.] greater than the depth of the measure in which
rodding is being performed, but not greater than 600 mm [24 in.] in overall length (see Note 5).
The length tolerance for the tamping rod shall be ±4 mm [±1⁄8 in.]. The rod shall have the tamping
end or both ends rounded to a hemispherical tip of the same diameter as the rod.
Note 5—A rod length of 400 mm. [16 in.] to 600 mm [24 in.] meets the requirements of the
following AASHTO Test Methods: T 23, T 119M/T 119, T 121M/T 121, T 152, and
T 196M/T 196.

5.3. Measuring Device—A ruler, metal roll-up measuring tape, or similar rigid or semirigid length
measuring instrument marked in increments of 5 mm [0.25 in.] or smaller. The instrument length
shall be at least 300 mm [12 in.].

5.4. Scoop—A scoop of a size large enough so each amount of concrete obtained from the sampling
receptacle is representative and small enough so it is not spilled during placement in the mold.

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-3 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
Dimensional Units
mm 2 3 15 25 75 80 100 200 300
in. [0.0625] [0.125] [0.5] [1] [3] [3.128] [4] [8] [12]

Figure 1—Mold for Slump Test

6. SAMPLE
6.1. The sample of concrete from which test specimens are made shall be representative of the entire
batch. It shall be obtained in accordance with R 60.

7. PROCEDURE
7.1. Dampen the mold and place it on a flat, level, moist, nonabsorbent (rigid) surface such as a pre-
moistened concrete floor or a base plate. It shall be held firmly in place during filling and
perimeter cleaning by the operator standing on the two foot pieces, or by clamping arrangements
to a base plate as described in Section 5.1. From the sample of concrete obtained in accordance
with Section 6, immediately fill the mold in three layers, each approximately one third of the
volume of the mold. Place the concrete in the mold using the scoop described in Section 5.4.

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-4 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 Move the scoop around the perimeter of the mold opening to ensure an even distribution of the
concrete with minimal segregation.
Note 6—One third of the volume of the slump mold fills it to a depth of 67 mm [2.625 in.];
two-thirds of the volume fills it to a depth of 155 mm [6.125 in.].

7.2. Rod each layer with 25 strokes of the tamping rod. Uniformly distribute the strokes over the
cross section of each layer. For the bottom layer, this will necessitate inclining the rod slightly and
making approximately half of the strokes near the perimeter, and then progressing with vertical
strokes spirally toward the center. Rod the bottom layer throughout its depth. Rod the second
layer and the top layer each throughout its depth, so that the strokes penetrate approximately
25 mm [1 in.] into the underlying layer.

7.3. In filling and rodding the top layer, heap the concrete above the mold before rodding is started. If
the rodding operation results in subsidence of the concrete below the top edge of the mold, add
additional concrete to keep an excess of concrete above the top of the mold at all times. After the
top layer has been rodded, strike off the surface of the concrete by means of a screeding and
rolling motion of the tamping rod. Continue to hold the mold down firmly and remove concrete
from the area surrounding the base of the mold to preclude interface with the movement of
slumping concrete. Remove the mold immediately from the concrete by raising it carefully in a
vertical direction. Raise the mold a distance of 300 mm [12 in.] in 5 ± 2 s by a steady upward lift
with no lateral or torsional motion. Complete the entire test from the start of the filling through
removal of the mold without interruption and complete it within an elapsed time of 2.5 min.

7.4. Immediately measure the slump by determining the vertical difference between the top of the mold
and the displaced original center of the top surface of the specimen. If a decided falling away or
shearing off of concrete from one side or portion of the mass occurs (Note 7), disregard the test
and make a new test on another portion of the sample.
Note 7—If two consecutive tests on a sample of concrete show a falling away or shearing off of a
portion of the concrete from the mass of the specimen, the concrete probably lacks necessary
plasticity and cohesiveness for the slump test to be applicable.

8. REPORT
8.1. Record the slump in terms of millimeters [inches] to the nearest 5 mm [0.25 in.] of subsidence of
the specimen during the test.

9. PRECISION AND BIAS

9.1. Precision—The estimates of precision for this test method are based upon results from tests
conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, by 15 technicians from 14 laboratories representing three
states. All tests at three different slump ranges, from 25 mm [1.0 in.] to 160 mm [6.5 in.], were
performed using one load of truck-mixed concrete. The concrete was delivered and tested at a low
slump, with water then being added and mixed into the remaining concrete to independently
produce moderate and finally high-slump concrete. The concrete mixture that used a No. 67
crushed limestone aggregate and a washed river sand contained 297 kg of cementitious material
per cubic meter [500 lb of cementitious materials per cubic yard]. The 297 kg of cementitious
material [500 lb] were equally divided between an ASTM C 150, Type I/II cement and a Class C
fly ash. A double dosage of a chemical retarder was used in an attempt to minimize slump losses
and maintain workability of the concrete. Concrete temperatures ranged from 30 to 34°C [86 to
93°F]. Slump losses averaged 17 mm [0.68 in.] during the 20 min required to perform a series of
six tests at one slump range. Testing was performed alternately using metal and plastic molds,
which were determined to produce comparable results. Precision data thus applies to both metal
and plastic molds. A total of 270 slump tests were performed.

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-5 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
9.1.1. SI [Inch-Pound]—The data used to develop the precision statement were obtained using metric
units (millimeters). The precision values shown in inch-pound units are conversions from the
millimeter measurements, which were recorded to the nearest 1 mm.

9.1.2. Measure of Variability—The standard deviation was determined to be the most consistent measure
of variability and was found to vary with the slump value.

9.1.3. Single-Operator Precision—The single-operator standard deviation represented by (1s) is shown

in Table 1 by average slump values. The reported results for the replicate readings apply to tests
conducted by the same operator performing successive tests, one immediately following the other.
Acceptable results of two properly conducted tests by the same operator on the same material
(Note 8) will not differ from each other by more than the (d2s) value of the last column of Table 1
for the appropriate slump value and single-operator precision.

Table 1—Precison
Standard Acceptable Range of
Deviation (1s)a Two Results (d2s)a
Slump and Type Index mm [in.] mm [in.]
Single-operator precision:
Slump 30 mm [1.2 in.] 6 [0.23] 17 [0.65]
Slump 85 mm [3.4 in.] 9 [0.38] 25 [1.07]
Slump 160 mm [6.5 in.] 10 [0.39] 28 [1.10]

Multilaboratory precision:
Slump 30 mm [1.2 in.] 7 [0.29] 20 [0.82]
Slump 85 mm [3.4 in.] 10 [0.39] 28 [1.10]
Slump 160 mm [6.5 in.] 13 [0.53] 37 [1.50]
a
These numbers represent, respectively, the (1s) and (d2s) limits as described in ASTM C 670.

9.1.4. Multilaboratory Precision—The multilaboratory standard deviation represented by (1s) is shown

in Table 1 by average slump values. The reported results for the replicate readings apply to tests
conducted by different operators from different laboratories performing tests less than 4 min apart.
Therefore, acceptable results of two properly conducted slump tests on the same material (Note 8)
by two different laboratories will not differ from each other by more than the (d2s) value of the
last column of Table 1 for the appropriate slump value and multilaboratory precision.
Note 8—“Same materials” is used to mean freshly mixed concrete from one batch.

9.2. Bias—This test method has no bias because slump is defined in terms of this test method.

10. KEYWORDS
10.1. Concrete; cone; consistency; plasticity; slump; workability.

TS-3b T 119M/T 119-6 AASHTO

© 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.