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Concrete Slump Test

Definition
Slump is a measurement of concrete's workability, or fluidity.
It's an indirect measurement of concrete consistency or stiffness.

A slump test is a method used to determine the consistency of concrete. The

consistency, or stiffness, indicates how much water has been used in the mix. The
stiffness of the concrete mix should be matched to the requirements for the finished
product quality

Concrete Slump Test

The concrete slump test is used for the measurement of a property of fresh
concrete. The test is an empirical test that measures the workability of fresh
concrete. More specifically, it measures consistency between batches. The test is
popular due to the simplicity of apparatus used and simple procedure.

Principle
The slump test result is a measure of the behavior of a compacted inverted cone of
concrete under the action of gravity. It measures the consistency or the wetness of
concrete.

Apparatus
Slump cone,
Scale for measurement,
Temping rod (steel)
Procedure of Concrete Slump test:

The mold for the slump test is a frustum of a cone, 300 mm (12 in) of height. The
base is 200 mm (8in) in diameter and it has a smaller opening at the top of 100 mm
(4 in).
The base is placed on a smooth surface and the container is filled with concrete in
three layers, whose workability is to be tested .
Each layer is temped 25 times with a standard 16 mm (5/8 in) diameter steel rod,
rounded at the end.
When the mold is completely filled with concrete, the top surface is struck off
(leveled with mould top opening) by means of screening and rolling motion of the
temping rod.
The mould must be firmly held against its base during the entire operation so that
it could not move due to the pouring of concrete and this can be done by means of
handles or foot - rests brazed to the mould.
Immediately after filling is completed and the concrete is leveled, the cone is slowly
and carefully lifted vertically, an unsupported concrete will now slump.
The decrease in the height of the center of the slumped concrete is called slump.
The slump is measured by placing the cone just besides the slump concrete and
the temping rod is placed over the cone so that it should also come over the area of
slumped concrete.
The decrease in height of concrete to that of mould is noted with scale. (usually
measured to the nearest 5 mm (1/4 in).

Precautions

In order to reduce the influence on slump of the variation in the surface friction, the
inside of the mould and its base should be moistened at the beginning of every test,
and prior to lifting of the mould the area immediately around the base of the cone
should be cleaned from concrete which may have dropped accidentally.
Types Of Slump

The slumped concrete takes various shapes, and according to the profile of slumped
concrete, the slump is termed as;

Collapse Slump
Shear Slump
True Slump

Collapse Slump

In a collapse slump the concrete collapses completely. A collapse slump will

generally mean that the mix is too wet or that it is a high workability mix, for which
slump test is not appropriate.

Shear Slump

In a shear slump the top portion of the concrete shears off and slips sideways. OR

If one-half of the cone slides down an inclined plane, the slump is said to be a shear
slump.
If a shear or collapse slump is achieved, a fresh sample should be taken and the
test is repeated.
If the shear slump persists, as may the case with harsh mixes, this is an indication
of lack of cohesion of the mix.

True Slump
In a true slump the concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less to shape
This is the only slump which is used in various tests.
Mixes of stiff consistence have a Zero slump, so that in the rather dry range no
variation can be detected between mixes of different workability.

However , in a lean mix with a tendency to harshness, a true slump can easily
change to the shear slump type or even to collapse, and widely different values of
slump can be obtained in different samples from the same mix; thus, the slump test
is unreliable for lean mixes.
Applications of Slump Test
The slump test is used to ensure uniformity for different batches of similar concrete
under field conditions and to ascertain the effects of plasticizers on their
introduction.

This test is very useful on site as a check on the day-to-day or hour- to-hour
variation in the materials being fed into the mixer. An increase in slump may mean,
for instance, that the moisture content of aggregate has unexpectedly increases.
Other cause would be a change in the grading of the aggregate, such as a
deficiency of sand.
Too high or too low a slump gives immediate warning and enables the mixer
operator to remedy the situation.
This application of slump test as well as its simplicity, is responsible for its
widespread use.

Table : Workability, Slump and Compacting Factor of concrete with 19 or 38 mm (3/4

or 11/2 in) maximum size of aggregate.

Difference in Standards
The slump test is referred to in several testing and building code, with minor
differences in the details of performing the test.

United States

In the United States, engineers use the ASTM standards and AASHTO specifications
when referring to the concrete slump test. The American standards explicitly state
that the slump cone should have a height of 12-in, a bottom diameter of 8-in and an
upper diameter of 4-in. The ASTM standards also state in the procedure that when
the cone is removed, it should be lifted up vertically, without any rotational
movement at allThe concrete slump test is known as "Standard Test Method for
Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete" and carries the code (ASTM C 143) or
(AASHTO T 119).
United Kingdom & Europe

In the United Kingdom, the Standards specify a slump cone height of 300-mm, a
bottom diameter of 200-mm and a top diameter of 100-mm. The British Standards
do not explicitly specify that the cone should only be lifted vertically. The slump test
in the British standards was first (BS 1881-102) and is now replaced by the
European Standard (BS EN 12350-2)
Questions and Answers:

Ques : 1

What is the ideal value of slump?

Answer: 1

In case of a dry sample, slump will be in the range of 25-50 mm that is 1-2 inches.
But in case of a wet concrete, the slump may vary from 150-175 mm or say 6-7

inches. So the value of slump is specifically mentioned along the mix design and
thus it should be checked as per your location.

Slump depends on many factors like properties of concrete ingredients - aggregates

etc. Also temperature has its effect on slump value. So all these parameters should
be kept in mind when deciding the ideal slump

Ques: 2

How does a super plasticizer effect the slump of concrete?

Answer: 2

Value of Slump can be increased by the addition of chemical admixtures like midrange or high-range water reducing agents (super-plasticizers) without changing the
water/cement ratio.

Ques: 3.

How much time one should take to raise the cone?

Answer: 3

Once the cone is filled and topped off [excessive concrete from top is cleared] raise
the cone within 5-10 seconds.

What are the dimensions of the cone used in Slump Test?

Answer: 4

The dimensions are:

Top Diameter - 10cm

Bottom Diameter - 20cm
Height - 30cm

http://www.concrete.org.uk/fingertips-nuggets.asp?cmd=display&id=559
Slump test
Description
The slump test is a means of assessing the consistency of fresh concrete. It is used,
indirectly, as a means of checking that the correct amount of water has been added
to the mix. The test is carried out in accordance with BS EN 12350-2, Testing fresh
concrete. Slump test. This replaces BS 1881: Part 102.

The steel slump cone is placed on a solid, impermeable, level base and filled with
the fresh concrete in three equal layers. Each layer is rodded 25 times to ensure
compaction. The third layer is finished off level with the top of the cone. The cone is
carefully lifted up, leaving a heap of concrete that settles or slumps slightly. The
upturned slump cone is placed on the base to act as a reference, and the difference
in level between its top and the top of the concrete is measured and recorded to the
nearest 5 mm to give the slump of the concrete.

When the cone is removed, the slump may take one of three forms. In a true slump
the concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less to shape. In a shear slump the
top portion of the concrete shears off and slips sideways. In a collapse slump the
concrete collapses completely. Only a true slump is of any use in the test. If a shear
or collapse slump is achieved, a fresh sample should be taken and the test
repeated. A collapse slump will generally mean that the mix is too wet or that it is a
high workability mix, for which the flow test (see separate entry) is more
appropriate.

http://www.engineeringcivil.com/workability-of-fresh-concrete-by-slump-test.html
Workability of Fresh Concrete by Slump Test

WORKABILITY
Slump test is used to determine the workability of fresh concrete. Slump test as per
IS: 1199 1959 is followed.The apparatus used for doing slump test are Slump cone
and Tamping rod.

Procedure to determine workability of fresh concrete by slump test.

i) The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and applied with a light
coat of oil.
ii) The mould is placed on a smooth, horizontal, rigid and nonabsorbent surface.
iii) The mould is then filled in four layers with freshly mixed concrete, each
approximately to one-fourth of the height of the mould.
iv) Each layer is tamped 25 times by the rounded end of the tamping rod (strokes
are distributed evenly over the cross section).
v) After the top layer is rodded, the concrete is struck off the level with a trowel.
vi) The mould is removed from the concrete immediately by raising it slowly in the
vertical direction.
vii) The difference in level between the height of the mould and that of the highest
point of the subsided concrete is measured.
viii) This difference in height in mm is the slump of the concrete.

Reporting of Results
The slump measured should be recorded in mm of subsidence of the specimen
during the test. Any slump specimen, which collapses or shears off laterally gives
incorrect result and if this occurs, the test should be repeated with another sample.
If, in the repeat test also, the specimen shears, the slump should be measured and
the fact that the specimen sheared, should be recorded.

Typical Questions
Ques 1. What is the ideal value of slump?

Answer 1 In case of a dry sample, slump will be in the range of 25-50 mm that is 12 inches. But in case of a wet concrete, the slump may vary from 150-175 mm or
say 6-7 inches. So the value of slump is specifically mentioned along the mix design
and thus it should be checked as per your location.

Slump depends on many factors like properties of concrete ingredients aggregates

etc. Also temperature has its effect on slump value. So all these parameters should
be kept in mind when deciding the ideal slump

Ques 2. How does a superplasticizer effect the slump of concrete?

Answer 2 Value of Slump can be increased by the addition of chemical admixtures
like mid-range or high-range water reducing agents (super-plasticizers) without
changing the water/cement ratio.

Ques 3. How much time one should take to raise the cone?
Answer 3 Once the cone is filled and topped off [ excessive concrete from top is
cleared ] raise the cone within 5-10 seconds.

Ques 4. What are the dimensions of the cone used in Slump Test?
Answer 3 The dimensions are
Top Diameter 10cm
Bottom Diameter 20cm
Height 30cm

http://www.aboutcivil.org/aggregates-types-uses-definition.html

Aggregate - Types of aggregates

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Definition:

Aggregate is a granular material, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, crushed

hydraulic-cement concrete, or iron blast-furnace slag, used with a hydraulic
cementing medium to produce either concrete or mortar.
Coarse Aggregate

Those particles that are predominantly retained on the 4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve, are
called coarse aggregate
Fine Aggregate

Those particles passing the 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) sieve, almost entirely passing the 4.75
mm (No. 4) sieve, and predominantly retained on the 75 m (No. 200) sieve are
called fine aggregate.

Purpose & Uses

Increases the volume of concrete, thus reduces the cost
Provide dimensional stability
Influence hardness, abrasion resistance, elastic modulus and other properties of
concrete to make it more durable, strong and cheaper.

http://civilblog.org/2015/06/10/slump-test-of-fresh-concrete-to-measure-workabilityis-1199-1959/
Slump Cone Test of Fresh Concrete
Object

This test is performed to measure consistency or workability of fresh concrete,

where the nominal maximum size of aggregate does not exceed 38 mm using slump
test apparatus.
Reference Standards

IS : 1199 1959 Method of sampling and analysis of concrete.

Equipment & Apparatus

Slump cone (Height = 30 cm, Base dia = 20 cm, Top dia = 10 cm)
Tamping rod (Length = 60 cm, Dia = 16 mm)

Procedure
The internal surface of the mould is thoroughly cleaned and freed from superfluous
moisture before commencing the test. And if the cone is in completely dry condition
then dampen it using a damp cloth.
The mould is then placed on a smooth, horizontally leveled rigid and non-absorbent
surface such as a rigid plate. It is held firmly in place during filling by the operator
by standing on the two foot pieces provided in the slump cone.
The mould is filled by concrete in four layers, each approximately one-quarter of
height of the mould, and each layer is tamped down with 25 strokes of tamping rod
with pointed end in a uniform manner.

After tamping the top layer, the concrete is struck off level with a trowel and any
mortar leaked out between the mould and base plate is cleaned away.
The mould is then removed from the concrete immediately by raising it slowly and
carefully in a vertical direction.
Calculation

The slump is measured immediately by determining the difference between the

height of the mould and that of the highest point of specimen.
Report

Report the slump in terms of millimeters to the nearest 5 mm of subsidence of the

specimen during the test.
Notes to Remember
If concrete consists of aggregates of size larger than 38 mm, then that concrete
should be first sieved on a 38 mm sieve. Concrete passing the 38 mm sieve is then
tested for workability using the slump cone apparatus of above mentioned
dimension.
If the slump test shows shearing of the concrete mass or become completely
collapsed, then the test results are invalid and the slump test is repeated.(see the
figure below)

After completion of the slump test, to get an idea on cohesiveness of concrete, tap
slightly the outer perimeter of the slumped concrete. If it subsides further, then it is
an indication of good quality concrete having required cohesiveness. But if it gets

collapsed or shears away then the concrete lacks cohesiveness and this is an
indication of poor quality concrete.
Safety & Precautions
Use hand gloves & shoes while testing.
Equipment should be cleaned thoroughly before testing & after testing.
The apparatus should remain free from vibrations during the test.
Petroleum jelly should be applied to the mould.

http://www.lmcc.com/concrete_news/0801/5-minute-classroom-slump.asp
Slump: What Does it Mean?

The first question that must be asked is, "What is slump?" Simply defined, slump is
a measure of the consistency of fresh concrete.

The slump test is a very simple test. The slump cone is a right circular cone that is
12 inches high. The base of the cone is 8 inches in diameter and the top of the cone
is 4 inches in diameter. The cone is filled with fresh concrete in three layers of equal
volume. Each layer is stroked 25 times with a rod that is inch in diameter. The
end of the rod is bullet shaped. After the cone has been filled with concrete and the
concrete has been cut off level with the top of the cone, the cone is raised vertically
allowing the concrete to fall or slump. The distance that the concrete falls or slumps
from the original height is the slump of the concrete. Slump is measured in inches
and is reported to the nearest inch.

In the early days of concreting when concrete was composed of cement, aggregate
and water, the coarse aggregates determined the water content and the water
determined the slump. During this time a lower slump value meant a lower water
content, which also meant a higher quality of concrete.

Today, concrete is not only a blend of the three primary ingredients. Today's typical
concrete may also contain admixtures, fibers and polymers. Therefore, the coarse
aggregate may not be the lone factor determining the water content of today's
concrete. That means a high or low slump may not be a clear indication of the

quality of the concrete. In other words, the slump cannot be used to directly
determine the water content of a concrete mix.

Using modern technologies, a traditional concrete mix design with a natural 2-inch
slump may actually have a higher water content than that of a modern concrete mix
design with a 9-inch slump that contains a chemical superplasticizer. (A
superplasticizer is a chemical that is added to a concrete in order to increase the
slump without adding additional water.)

A mixture of stone, sand and water without cement will not flow like concrete, no
matter how much water you add. The reason for this is that it is the cement that
gives concrete its flowing properties. By chemically dispersing the cement grains a
superplasticizer enables cement to become a more effective lubricant, thereby
increasing the slump without adding additional water.

With the advent of chemical admixtures, slump can now be seen as either a water
slump or as a plasticized slump. If the slump is determined only by the water
content, it is said that the slump is a water slump. If the slump is determined by the
water content and the effects of a chemical admixture, it is said to be a plasticized
slump.

Almost everything that we put into concrete can affect the slump. As the air
content of concrete is increased, the slump will also increase. Placing fibers into
concrete will decrease the slump. All factors have to be taken into account when
designing a concrete mix in order to produce concrete with a workable slump. The
best slump from the standpoint of workability and consolidation is 4 to 5 inches.
Slump values in the 1 to 2-inch range are not only hard to place, they are also hard
to consolidate. On the other hand, slump values above 6 inches may be prone to
segregate and produce excessive bleed water.

It should be pointed out that the slump test can only be used to determine the
quality of concrete from batch to batch within a given mix design. It cannot be used
to determine the quality of concrete from mix design to mix design. The slump does
not determine the strength of the concrete. That determination is made by the
water-to-cement ratio.

With the use of modern admixtures in the mix designs of today, we can set the
slump of the concrete at any practical range we choose and still have good quality
concrete.

Concrete slump test

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A tester performing a concrete slump test.

The concrete slump test is an empirical test that measures workability of fresh
concrete.

The test measures consistency of concrete in that specific batch. It is performed to

check consistency of freshly made concrete. Consistency refers to the ease with
which concrete flows. It is used to indicate degree of wetness.

Consistency affects workability of concrete. That is, wetter mixes are more workable
than drier mixes, but concrete of the same consistency may vary in workability. The
test is also used to determine consistency between individual batches.

The test is popular due to the simplicity of apparatus used and simple procedure.
Unfortunately, the simplicity of the test often allows a wide variability in the manner

in which the test is performed. The slump test is used to ensure uniformity for
different batches of concrete under field condition,[1]:127,128 and to ascertain the
effects of plasticizers on their introduction.[1]:134 In India, this test is conducted as
per IS specification.
Contents [hide]
1

Principle

Apparatus

Procedure

Interpretation of results

4.1

European classes of slump

Limitations of the slump test

Differences in standards

6.1

United States

6.2

United Kingdom and mainland Europe

Other tests

See also

References

Principle[edit]

The slump is test result is a slump of the behaviour of a compacted inverted cone of
concrete under the action of gravity. It measures consistency or wetness of
concrete.[1]:128
Apparatus[edit]

Metal mould, in the shape of the frustum of a cone, open at both ends, and provided
with the handle, top internal diameter 4 in (102 mm), and bottom internal diameter
8 in (203 mm) with a height of 1 ft (305 mm). A 2 ft (610 mm) long bullet nosed
metal rod, 5
/
8 in (16 mm) in diameter.[2]
Procedure[edit]

Slump cone

Tamping procedure

Removing cone

Height measurement

The test is carried out using a mould known as a slump cone or Abrams cone. The
cone is placed on a hard non-absorbent surface. This cone is filled with fresh
concrete in three stages. Each time, each layer is tamped 25 times with a rod of
standard dimensions. At the end of the third stage, concrete is struck off flush to the
top of the mould. The mould is carefully lifted vertically upwards, so as not to
disturb the concrete cone.

Concrete subsides. This subsidence is termed as slump, and is measured to the

nearest 5 mm if the slump is <100 mm and measured to the nearest 10 mm if the
slump is >100 mm.[1]:128[3]
Interpretation of results[edit]

The slumped concrete takes various shapes, and according to the profile of slumped
concrete, the slump is termed as true slump, shear slump or collapse slump. If a
shear or collapse slump is achieved, a fresh sample should be taken and the test
repeated. A collapse slump is an indication of too wet a mix.

Only a true slump is of any use in the test. A collapse slump will generally mean
that the mix is too wet or that it is a high workability mix, for which the slump test is
not appropriate.[1]:128[3] Very dry mixes; having slump 0 25 mm are used in road
making, low workability mixes; having slump 10 40 mm are used for foundations
with light reinforcement, medium workability mixes; 50 - 90 for normal reinforced
concrete placed with vibration, high workability concrete; > 100 mm.[4]:68
Collapse

Shear True

In a collapse slump the concrete collapses completely.[3] In a shear slump the top
portion of the concrete shears off and slips sideways.[3] In a true slump the
concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less to shape.[3]

European classes of slump[edit]

According to European Standard EN 206-1:2000 five classes of slump have been

designated, as tabulated below.[4]:69Slump class Slump in mm
S1

10 - 40

S2

50 - 90

S3

100 - 150

S4

160-210

S5

220

Limitations of the slump test[edit]

The slump test is suitable for slumps of medium to high workability, slump in the
range of 5 260 mm, the test fails to determine the difference in workability in stiff
mixes which have zero slump, or for wet mixes that give a collapse slump. It is
limited to concrete formed of aggregates of less than 38 mm (1.5 inch).[1]:128
Differences in standards[edit]

The slump test is referred to in several testing and building codes, with minor
differences in the details of performing the test.
United States[edit]

In the United States, engineers use the ASTM standards and AASHTO specifications
when referring to the concrete slump test. The American standards explicitly state
that the slump cone should have a height of 12-in, a bottom diameter of 8-in and an
upper diameter of 4-in. The ASTM standards also state in the procedure that when
the cone is removed, it should be lifted up vertically, without any rotational
movement at all.[5] The concrete slump test is known as "Standard Test Method for
Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete" and carries the code (ASTM C 143) or
(AASHTO T 119).
United Kingdom and mainland Europe[edit]

In the United Kingdom, the standards specify a slump cone height of 300 mm, a
bottom diameter of 200 mm and a top diameter of 100 mm. The British Standards
do not explicitly specify that the cone should only be lifted vertically. The slump test
in the British standards was first (BS 1881102) and is now replaced by the
European Standard (BS EN 12350-2).[6] The test should be carried out by filling the
slump cone in three equal layers with the mixture being tamped down 25 times for
each layer...
Other tests[edit]

There are many tests for evaluating slump in concrete: one example is the K-Slump
Test (ASTM International C1362-09 Standard Test Method for Flow of Freshly Mixed
Hydraulic Cement Concrete).[7] Other tests evaluating consistency are the British
compacting factor test,[8] the Vebe consistometer for roller-compacted concrete
(ASTM C1170),[9] and the flow table test (DIN 1048-1).[10]

Another way of determining slump is to use an automated slump meter. Sensors

and controls enable the meters to measure and display slump. Their reliability has
by now earned them acceptance in various standard codes such as ASTM
International. Some automated slump meters, such as the one by Verifi also can add
water to the concrete mix in the delivery truck while in transit. In 2013 ASTM
C94/C94M was revised to allow water additions during transit for trucks equipped
with automated slump monitoring and measurement systems.