Normal Consistency of Cement

The standard consistency is that consistency, which will permit the Vicat
plunger to penetrate to a point 5 to 7mm from the bottom of the Vicat mould
when tested.
VICAT APPARATUS
The vicat apparatus consists of a frame having a movable rod with a cap at
one end and at the other end any one of the following attachment, which are
interchangeable.
i) Needle for determining the initial setting time
ii) Needle for determining the final setting time
iii) Plunger for determining the standard consistency
The Vicat frame consists essentially of a metal stand with a sliding rod. An
adjustable indicator moves over a graduated scale. The needle or plunger is
attached to the bottom end of the rod to make up the test weight of 300 g.
The frame 63-L0028/1 is supplied without accessories, which have to be
ordered separately depending on the requirement. It is also proposed with
basic EN accessories (63-L028) or ASTM/AASHTO accessories (63-L0028/A).
Weight approx.: 4 kg
This test helps to determine water content for other tests like initial and final
setting time, soundness & compressive strength.
NAME OF TEST

AMOUNT OF WATER REQUIRED

Soundness (Le-chatelier method)

cement paste)

0.78 P (P=Consistency of standard

Setting time
cement paste)

0.85 P (P=Consistency of standard

Compressive strength

cement consistency of combined mass of

cement and sand.

Consistency refers to the relative mobility of a freshly mixed cement paste or

mortar or its ability to flow. The thickness or the viscosity of the cement
paste is called consistency. For a mortar the standard consistency is
measured by flow table test. It is the amount of water needed to prepare a
plastic mix. It is the thickness or the viscosity of the standard paste and is
expressed as the percentage of weight of water.

Generally the normal consistency for OPC ranges from 26 to 33% but is
generally less than 30%
Consistency test is used to find the amount of water to be mixed with
cement. It is necessary to find the consistency because amount of water
present in the cement paste may affect the setting time.standard
consistency is indicated by the vicat plunger reading (5 to 7) from the
bottom of mould. To determine initial and final setting time, the amount of
water needed to make standard paste is required. So the significance of
consistency test comes into play as it helps to determine the amount of
water used to make standard paste. Cement consistency also affects
workability of concrete (slump) and the workability of cement is affected by
cement paste.
Also strength of cement classes (32.5/42.5/52.5) and other properties of
cement are measured at specified consistency rather than at specified watercement ratio.
Factors affecting consistency of cement
1. Fineness of cement
2. Temperature
3. Method of mixing water
4. % of admixtures in cement (flyash in case of PPC)
5. Water - cement ratio
Cement Paste
The viscous mass obtained by mixing cement with water is known as cement
paste. Standard Cement Paste. 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.
Workability
It is one of the physical parameters of concrete which affects the strength
and durability as well as the cost of labor and appearance of the finished
product. Concrete is said to be workable when it is easily placed and
compacted homogeneously i.e without bleeding or Segregation. Unworkable
concrete needs more work or effort to be compacted in place, also
honeycombs &/or pockets may also be visible in finished concrete.
Definition of Workability

The property of fresh concrete which is indicated by the amount of useful

internal work required to fully compact the concrete without bleeding or
segregation in the finished product.

Factors affecting workability:

Water content in the concrete mix

Amount of cement & its Properties
Aggregate Grading (Size Distribution)
Nature of Aggregate Particles (Shape, Surface Texture, Porosity etc.)
Temperature of the concrete mix
Humidity of the environment
Mode of compaction
Method of placement of concrete
Method of transmission of concrete

How To improve the workability of concrete

Increase water/cement ratio

Increase size of aggregate
Use well-rounded and smooth aggregate instead of irregular shape
Increase the mixing time
Increase the mixing temperature
Use non-porous and saturated aggregate
With addition of air-entraining mixtures

Sources:
http://civilblog.org/2013/05/04/consistency-of-standard-cement-paste-is4031-part4-1988/
http://www.aboutcivil.org/concrete-workability-factors.html
http://civilengineerspk.com/plain-reinforced-concrete-experiments/exp-1consistency-of-cement/

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1. Take 400 g of cement and place it in the enameled tray.

2. Mix about 25% water by weight of dry cement thoroughly to get a
cement paste. Total time taken to obtain thoroughly mixed water
cement paste i.e. Gauging time should not be more than 3 to 5
minutes.
3. Fill the vicat mould, resting upon a glass plate, with this cement paste.
4. After filling the mould completely, smoothen the surface of the paste,
making it level with top of the mould.
5. Place the whole assembly(i.e. mould + cement paste + glass plate)
under the rod bearing plunger.

6. Lower the plunger gently so as to touch the surface of the test block
and quickly release the plunger allowing it to sink into the paste.
7. Measure the depth of penetration and record it.