7th Activity - CECMAT1L

MARCH 04,
NAME MIRANDA, CHARLAMAGNE F. DATE SUBMITTED
2021
SECTION CIVP46 ACTIVITY No. 7

ASTM C191 – Standard Method of Test for Time of Setting of

Hydraulic Cement Paste by Vicat Needle
Reaction Paper for Activity No.7
There are two divisions in Setting time of Cement. It is important to know the difference in
these two in doing the procedures for the Standard Method of Test for Time of Setting of Hydraulic
Cement. The first division that I have learned from the first video is the Initial Setting Time. Initial
setting time is said to be the time elapsed between the moments that the water is added to the cement
to the time that the paste starts losing its plasticity. The other one is the Final Setting Time which is
the time elapsed between the moment the water is added to the cement and the time when the paste
has completely lost its plasticity. As you can see, the difference between these two setting times is the
ability of the cement to lose its plasticity.

From the previous activity wherein, we test the compressive strength of a hydraulic cement,
we have mentioned the use of Vicat’s apparatus. Here in this method of testing, Vicat’s apparatus is
going to be used in the procedures. Vicat’s apparatus with attached needle will be used to find the
time the cement needs to react or hydrate completely with water. As shown in the second video, the
materials needed for this apparatus are Vicat’s apparatus, two needles, thin and thick, mixer, timer, a
sample of 650 grams of cement, and a defined amount of water which is determined by the Standard
Normal Consistency Test method from previous activity. The first procedure is to mix the cement and
water in a mixing bowl. Set the time at exactly when you added the water to the cement. Attach the
needle to your Vicat’s apparatus and set the scale to zero. Adjust the needle until it creates a contact to
the base surface. Release the needle and allow it to penetrate the sample cement mixture and repeat
the procedure every after 2 minutes until it penetrates the sample shown in the indicator of 5mm plus
or minus 0.5mm. the time elapsed between the time when water was added to the cement and the time
the sample reached the depth equal to 5mm ± 0.5mm will be indicated as the initial setting time of the
cement. Next is to replace the needle with a thick one and repeat the procedure. It is important to take
down the exact time when the water is added and when the needle fails to penetrate the sample
cement. The failure of needle to penetrate the cement paste will indicate the final setting time of the
cement.

In this method of testing, the first testing done in a cement specifically the test for normal
consistency of water in a cement is an important procedure for this testing. The amount of the water
ratio added in a cement affects the setting time of cement that is indicated in this method.