TIME OF SETTING OF HYDRAULIC CEMENT BY VICUT NEEDLE

(ASTM C 191)
Significance:
To establish whether a cement complies with the specification limit on setting time by means
of Vicut needle.
Apparatus:
1. Weights and Weighing Devices
2. Glass Graduates (200 or 250 ml)
3. Vicat Apparatus
4. Mixer with mixing bowl & paddle
5. Scraper
6. Trowel
Procedure:
1. Place mixing water into the bowl.
2. Add 650 g. of cement (passing sieve #20) to the water and allow 30 seconds for the
absorption of water.
3. Start the mixer, mix at slow speed (140 ± 5 r/min.) for 30 sec.
4. Stop mixer for 15 seconds and during this time scrape down into the batch any paste
that may have collected on the sides of the bowl.
5. Start mixer at medium speed (285 ± 10 r/min.) for 1 minute.
6. Quickly form the cement paste into a ball and toss 6 times from one hand to the other
with 6 inches (152 mm) apart.
7. Press the ball into large end of conical ring, filling the ring with cement paste completely.
Remove the excess at the larger end by a single movement of the palm of the hand.
8. Place the ring on the base plate resting the large end. Cut the excess paste by single
oblique stroke with the sharp edge trowel. Take care not to compress the paste during
cutting.
9. Immediately after molding, place the specimen in the moist closet or moist room and
allow it to remain there except when determination of time setting is being made. The
specimen shall remain in the conical mold and supported by glass plate throughout the
test period.
10. Allow the specimen to remain in moist cabinet for 30 minutes after molding without
being disturbed.
11. Determine the penetration of the 1-mm needle at this time and every 15 min.
thereafter until a penetration of 25 mm or less is obtained. Allow the needle to settle
for 30 seconds then then take the reading to determine penetration.
12. Record the result of all penetration test and by interpolation determine the time when
penetration of 25 mm is obtained which is the initial setting time. The final setting time
is when the needle does not sink visibly into the paste or final setting time is equal to
zero.
Example:
Time Penetration X1 = 0 Y1= 30 mm
8:30 @ MOISTURE CABINET X2=? Y2= 25 mm
9:00 40 mm X3= 55 Y3= 23 mm
9:15 39 mm By Interpolation:
9:30 37 mm X3 – X2 X3 – X1
=
9:45 34 mm Y2 – Y3 Y1 – Y3
10:00 30 mm
IS =? 25 mm (CONSTANT) 55 – X2 55 – 0
=
10:55 23 mm 25 –23 30 - 23
12:30 0 (FINAL SETTING) X2 = 39.28 min. ~ 39 min. 17 s
IS = 10:39:17 (Answer)