Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(Reaffirmed 2000)
Edition 2.1
(1993-03)
Indian Standard
METHODS OF
PHYSICAL TESTS FOR HYDRAULIC CEMENT
PART 3 DETERMINATION OF SOUNDNESS
( First Revision )
(Incorporating Amendment No. 1)
© BIS 2002
Price Group 2
IS : 4031 (Part 3) - 1988
Indian Standard
METHODS OF
PHYSICAL TESTS FOR HYDRAULIC CEMENT
PART 3 DETERMINATION OF SOUNDNESS
( First Revision )
0. FOREWORD
0.1 This Indian Standard (Part 3) (First different equipment used for testing of cement,
Revision) was adopted by the Bureau of Indian a brief description of which was also covered in
Standards on 24 February 1988, after the draft the standard, had been published. In this
finalized by the Cement and Concrete Sectional revision, therefore, reference is given to
Committee had been approved by the Civil different instrument specifications deleting the
Engineering Division Council. description of the instruments, as it has been
0.2 Standard methods of testing cement are recognized that reproducible and repeatable
essential adjunct to the cement specifications. test results can be obtained only with standard
This standard in different parts lays down the testing equipment capable of giving desired
procedure for the tests to evaluate physical level of accuracy. This part covers
properties of different types of hydraulic determination of soundness by Le-Chatelier
cements. The procedure for conducting method and autoclave test.
chemical tests of hydraulic cement is covered in 0.4 This edition 2.1 incorporates Amendment
IS : 4032-1985*. No. 1 (March 1993). Side bar indicates
0.3 Originally all the tests to evaluate the modification of the text as the result of
physical properties of hydraulic cements were incorporation of the amendment.
covered in one standard but for facilitating the 0.5 For the purpose of deciding whether a
use of this standard and future revisions it has particular requirement of this standard is
been decided to print the different tests as complied with, the final value, observed or
different parts of the standard and, accordingly calculated, expressing the result of a test or
this revised standard has been brought out in analysis, shall be rounded off in accordance
thirteen parts. This will also facilitate updating with IS : 2-1960*. The number of significant
of individual tests. Further, since publication of places retained in the rounded off value should
the original standard in 1968, a number of be the same as that of the specified value in
standards covering the requirements of this standard.
*Method of chemical analysis of hydraulic cement ( first *Rules for rounding off numerical values ( revised ).
revision ).
1
IS : 4031 (Part 3) - 1988
5.1.2 Balance — The balance shall conform to mould gently together while this operation is
the following requirements: being performed. Cover the mould with another
On balance in use, the permissible variation piece of lightly oiled glass sheet, place a small
at a load of 1 000 g shall be plus or minus 1.0 weight on this covering glass sheet and
g. The permissible variation on new balance immediately submerge the whole assembly in
shall be one-half of this value. The water at a temperature of 27 ± 2°C and keep
sensibility reciprocal shall be not greater there for 24 hours.
than twice the permissible variation. 5.2.2 Measure the distance separating the
NOTE 1 — The sensibility ‘reciprocal is generally indicator points to the nearest 0.5 mm.
defined as the change in load required to change the Submerge the mould again in water at the
position of rest of the indicating element or elements of
a non-automatic indicating scale a definite amount at
temperature prescribed above. Bring the water
any load. to boiling, with the mould kept submerged, in
NOTE 2 — Self-indicating balance with equivalent 25 to 30 minutes, and keep it boiling for three
accuracy may also be used. hours. Remove the mould from the water, allow
5.1.3 Weights — The permissible variations on it to cool and measure the distance between the
indicator points. The difference between these
weights in use in weighing the cement shall be
two measurements indicates the expansion of
as prescribed in Table 1.
the cement.
TABLE 1 PERMISSIBLE VARIATIONS ON 5.3 Calculation — Calculate the mean of two
WEIGHTS
values to the nearest 0.5 mm to represent the
WEIGHT PERMISSIBLE expansion of cement.
VARIATION ON
WEIGHTS IN 5.4 Retest — In the event of cement failing to
USE, P LUS OR meet the test for soundness, a retest may be
MINUS
made after aeration. For this purpose, spread
g g out the cement in a layer of 75 mm thickness
(1) (2) and store it for 7 days in an atmosphere
500 0.35 maintained at 27 ± 2°C and relative humidity of
50 to 80 percent. Retest this cement as
300 0.30
described in 5.2.
250 0.25
6. AUTOCLAVE METHOD
200 0.20
6.1 Apparatus
100 0.15
6.1.1 Balance — Same as 5.1.2.
50 0.10
20 0.05
6.1.2 Weights — Same as 5.1.3.
10 0.04 6.1.3 Graduated Glass Cylinders — Graduated
glass cylinders of 150 ml capacity shall be used.
5 0.03
The permissible variation on these cylinders
2 0.02 shall be plus or minus one millilitre. The main
1 0.01 graduation lines of the cylinders shall be in
circles and shall be numbered. The least
5.1.4 Water Bath — Water bath with means of graduations shall extend at least one-seventh
heating, capable of containing immersed of the way around, and intermediate
Le-Chatelier moulds with specimens and of graduations shall extend at least one-fifth of
raising their temperature from 27 ± 2°C to the way around the cylinder. The graduation
boiling in 27 ± 3 minutes. lines may be omitted for the lowest 5 ml.
5.2 Procedure 6.1.4 Moulds — Moulds of 25 × 25 mm size and
5.2.1 Place the lightly oiled mould on a lightly 282 mm internal length and other accessories
oiled glass sheet and fill it with cement paste conforming to IS : 10086-1982*.
formed by gauging cement with 0.78 times the 6.1.5 Autoclave — The autoclave shall consist
water required to give a paste of standard of a high pressure steam boiler equipped with
consistency [ see IS : 4031 (Part 4)-1988* ]. The suitable safety device. The capacity of heating
paste shall be gauged in the manner and under unit shall be such that with maximum load
the conditions prescribed in IS : 4031 (Part 4)- (water plus specimens) the pressure of the
1988*, taking care to keep the edges of the saturated steam in the autoclave may be raised
*Methods of physical tests for hydrualic cement: Part 4
Determination of consistency of standard cement paste *Specification for moulds for use in tests of cement and
( first revision ). concrete.
2
IS : 4031 (Part 3) - 1988
3
IS : 4031 (Part 3) - 1988
6.4.4 The safety valve shall be set so as to 6.4.6 It shall be remembered that for many of
relieve the pressure at about 6 to 10 percent the autoclave pressure gauges now in use, the
above the maximum of 2.1 MPa specified, that return of the gauge hand to the initial rest or
is at about 2.3 MPa. The safety valve shall be starting point does not necessarily indicate zero
tested at least twice a year, either with a pressure within the autoclave; there may then
gauge-testing device or by adjusting the still remain an appreciable pressure.
automatic controls so as to allow the autoclave
to reach a pressure of about 2.3 MPa at which 6.4.7 A few drops of kerosene placed in the vent
pressure the safety valve shall either open or be valve about once a week will aid in keeping the
adjusted to open. The safety valve discharge needle clean and in good-working condition.
shall be directed away from the operator. 6.5 Calculations — The difference in lengths
NOTE — Unexpected combinations of conditions may of the test specimen before and after
really occur. For example, in one case the automatic autoclaving shall be calculated to the nearest
control had failed, the safety valve had stuck, and the 0.01 percent of the effective gauge length which
gauge hand, which at first glance appeared to be at
about zero, had really passed the maximum graduation is the length between the innermost points of
and had come to stop on the wrong side of the pin. This the metal inserts used as reference points and
condition of the gauge was finally detected and the shall be reported as the autoclave expansion of
pressure, then of an unknown magnitude, was released the cement. A contraction (negative expansion)
before failure could occur in the apparatus.
shall be indicated by prefixing a minus sign to
6.4.5 Heavy leather work gloves shall be worn the percentage expansion reported.
to prevent burning of the hands when removing
the top of the autoclave at the end of the test. 6.6 Retests — In the event of cement failing to
The vent valve shall be directed away from the meet the test for soundness, a retest may be
operator. When removing the autoclave lid, the made after aeration. For this purpose, spread
lid shall be so tilted that any steam escaping out the sample in a layer of 75 mm thickness
from beneath the lid may be discharged away and store it for 7 days in an atmosphere
from the operator. Care shall be taken to avoid maintained at 27 ± 2°C and relative humidity of
scalding by any liquid that may have been used 50 to 80 percent. Retest this cement as
in the autoclave well. described in 6.2 and 6.3.
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