ASSIGNMENT IV

SLUMP TEST, BULK DENSITY, SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND FINENESS MODULUS

SUBMITTED TO

ENGR. USAMA KHAN

SUBMITTED BY

UZAIR MUKHTATR

BSCET01183135

SEMESTER 2ND

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

THE UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE

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Slump test
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. 
Test procedure
The test is carried out using a metal mould in the shape of a conical frustum known as a slump cone
or Abrams cone, that is open at both ends and has attached handles. The tool typically has an internal diameter
of 100 millimetres (3.9 in) at the top and of 200 millimetres (7.9 in) at the bottom with a height of 305
millimetres (12.0 in).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 2 ft (600 mm)-long bullet-nosed metal rod
measuring 5/8 in (16 mm) in diameter. At the end of the third stage, the concrete is struck off flush with the top
of the mould. The mould is carefully lifted vertically upwards, so as not to disturb the concrete cone.
The concrete then slumps (subsides). The slump of the concrete is measured by measuring the distance from the
top of the slumped concrete to the level of the top of the slump cone.
Types of slump test
1. Collapse

In a collapse slump the concrete collapses completely.

2. Shear

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

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3. True

In a true slump the concrete simply subsides, keeping more or less to shape.

4. Zero slump

If concrete maintains the actual shape of the mould, it is called zero slump which represents stiff, consistent and
almost no workability.
The true slump is the only reliable condition to get an idea about the workability of concrete. If other types
occur, the test should be repeated.
Different values of slump test
The slump test is suitable for slumps of medium to low 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).

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 BULK DENSITY

Bulk density
The bulk density of bagged GP cement (General Purpose Cement (or GP Cement) is straight cement. GP
cement is  manufactured from Portland cement clinker, gypsum and limestone.  GP  cement is used in all
types of building and construction) is approximately 1000-1300kg/m3 and
Builders cement (Builders Cement (or General Purpose Blended (GB) cement) contains both  GP cement
and a nominal mass of fly ash. Concrete made with Builders  Cement delivers improved workability, later-
age strength, enhances the  durability performance of concrete and provides a lower carbon  footprint) is
approximately 1000-1250kg/m3.
The relative density or specific gravity is the weight of the  material particles themselves and for cement,
this density is typically  3.11.
When used in concrete, the space around the cement particles is  taken up by water so there is no air
around the particles and the bulk  density is not important.
The weight of the particles and their volume  is important so the relative density value is used in concrete
mix  calculations.

Density = mass of substance /volume of solids

Bulk density = mass of substance/Vsolid + Vpores

Bulk density of coarse aggregate 10mm 

1600Kg/m3

Bulk Density of coarse aggregate 20mm

1560 Kg/M3

Bulk density of concrete

2,400 kg per cubic meter, or 145 lbs. per cubic foot.

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 Sand, wet 1922
Sand, wet packed 2082
Sand, dry 1602
Sand, loose 1442
Sand, rammed 1682
Sand, water filled 1922
Sand, with gravel, dry 1650
Sand, with gravel, wet 2020
Sandstone, solid 2323
Sandstone, broken 1370-1450

SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance; equivalently, it
is the ratio of the mass of a substance to the mass of a reference substance for the same given
volume. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an

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equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance for liquids is nearly always water at its
densest (at 4 °C or 39.2 °F); for gases it is air at room temperature (20 °C or 68 °F). Nonetheless, the
temperature and Material Specific gravity pressure must
be specified for Water 1 both the sample
and the Cement 3.15 reference.
Pressure is Oak wood 0.75 nearly always
Air 1.18
1 atm (101.325  kPa).
Sand 2.65-2.67
Silty sand 2.67-2.70
 Most Inorganic clay 2.70-2.80 aggregates have
a relative Brick, common red 1.75 density
between 2.4- Brick, fire clay 2.4 2.9 with
Brick, hard 2.0 corresponding
particle Brickwork, in cement 1.8 (mass) density
of 2400- Brickwork, in mortar 1.6 2900
3 Concrete, stone 2.2
kg/m  (150- 181 lb/ft3).
Aluminum 2.7
 Here, for Iron
coarse
7.87
aggregates, Balsa wood the standard test
0.2
method has been explained
in ASTM C 127(AASHTO) and for fine aggregates, the standard test method has been explained in ASTM
C 128 (AASHTO). 
 The relative density of an aggregate can be determined on an oven-dry basis or a saturated surface-dry
(SSD) basis.

Sp. Gravity = density of aggregate/density of water

Types of specific gravity

1. Oven dried Sp. Gravity

It is the ratio of oven dried density of aggregate to density of water at standard temperature.

2. SSD Sp. Gravity

It is the ratio of saturated surface dry density of aggregate to density of water at standard temperature.

3. Apparent Sp. Gravity

It is the ratio of apparent density of aggregate to density of water at standard temperature.

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 FINENESS MODULUS

Fineness Modulus of Coarse and Fine aggregate

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The Fineness modulus (FM) is an empirical figure obtained by adding the total percentage of the sample of
an aggregate retained on each of a specified series of sieves, and dividing the sum by 100. The sieve sizes are
0.15 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 1.18 mm, 2.36 mm, 4.75 mm, 9.5 mm, 19.0 mm, 38.1 mm and larger increasing in
the ratio of 2:1. The same value of fineness modulus may therefore be obtained from several different particle
size distributions. In general, however, a smaller value indicates a finer aggregate. Fine aggregates range from a
FM of 2.00 to 4.00, and coarse aggregates smaller than 38.1 mm range from 6.50 to 8.00. Combinations of fine
and coarse aggregates have intermediate values.

Fine Aggregate

Weight of sample = 500g Time of shaking = 5min

Sieve # Sieve size Mass retained % retained Cumulative % passing

% retained
(mm) (g)

#4 4.76mm

#8 2.36mm

#16 1.18mm

#30 600µm

#50 300µm

#100 150µm

Pan Pan

F.M = Cumulative % retained/100

F.M =

F.M =

Coarse aggregate

Weight of sample = 2kg Time of shaking = 5min

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 Sieve # Sieve size Mass retained % retained Cumulative % passing
% retained
(mm) (g)

3/4 19

1/2 12.5

3/8 9.5

#4 4.75

#8 2.36

#16 1.18

#30 600µm

#50 300µm

#100 150µm

Pan Pan

F.M = Cumulative % retained/100

F.M =

F.M =

Concrete Mix Design Numerical

Given data:

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Specific strength =

Required slump =

Cement type 1 = Ordinary Portland Cement (O.P.C)

Size of aggregate =

Fineness modulus (F.M) of Coarse aggregate (C.A) =

Fineness modulus (F.M) of Fine aggregate (F.A) =

Bulk density of (C.A) =

Bulk density of (F.A) =

Specific gravity of cement =

Specific gravity of (F.A) =

Specific gravity of (C.A) =

Water absorption of (C.A) =

Water absorption of (F.A) =

Solution:
Step #1

Target strength =

ƒ'c = ƒc +

ƒ'c = =

Step #2

Type cement = Ordinary Portland Cement

Step #3

w/c ratio corresponding to ƒ'c

Non air entrained

x=

Step #4

Amount of cement

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Step #4.1

From table,

Amount of water =

Amount of air =

Slump =

Size of aggregate =

Step #4.2

Amount of water/w/c =

Step #5

Amount of Coarse aggregate

Step #5.1

Dry bulk volume of Coarse aggregate, from table

Size of aggregate =

Fineness Modulus of F.A (Sand) =

Dry bulk volume of Coarse aggregate =

Step #5.2

Amount of Coarse aggregate = Dry bulk volume × bulk density of cement

Amount of Coarse aggregate =

Amount of Coarse aggregate =

Step #6

Amount of Fine aggregate

Mass of F.A =

Mass of F.A =

Mass of F.A =

Step #7
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Amount of total water

Total water = Absorption of C.A × Mass of C.A + Absorption of F.A × Mass of F.A

Total water =

Total water =

Total water = Amount of water +

Total water =

Step #8

Ratio between Cement, Fine and Coarse aggregate

Cement : Fine : Coarse

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