SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

FINENESS OF CEMENT

MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION LABORATORY

LABORATORY EXERCISE NO. 8

Performed by:

MARAVILLA, BENNY Y.
PAGARAN, JOHN HARVEY A.
PALMERA, EARL ROBERT M.

Submitted by:

PAGARAN, JOHN HARVEY A.

Submitted to:

ENGR. ROBERT A. ROMERO

January 29, 2018

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I. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this exercise is to determine the fineness of cement by sieve analysis.

II. EQUIPMENTS

a. Sample of Portland cement

b. Weighing Scale
c. #200 Sieve with lid
d. Pan
e. Rectangular Container

III. PROCEDURE

1. Accurately obtain 300g of cement and place it in the #200 sieve.

2. Before sieving, breakdown first any air-set lumps in the sample with finger. DO NOT RUB IT ON THE
SIEVE. By doing so, the diameter of the sieve will be compromised.

3. Sieve it with a gentle motion of the wrist within 15mins continuously.

4. Weigh the residue. The weight of the residue must be less than or equal to 10% of its original weight.

5. If the obtained weight of the residue is more than 10% of its original weight, repeat the process as
many as possible until the target percentage weight is obtained.

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IV. TABULATION OF DATA, CALCULATIONS, and ANALYSIS

PERCENTAGE WEIGHT OF
TRIAL ORIGINAL WEIGHT (g) WEIGHT OF RESIDUE (g)
RESIDUE
1 300.0 43.00 14.33%
2 300.0 39.00 13.00%
3 300.0 25.00 8.333%
AVERAGE 35.67 11.89%

Weight of Residue
% Weight of Residue= ×100
Original Weight

43.00
% Weight of Residue ( 1 ) = ×100=14.33 %
300.0

39.00
% Weight of Residue ( 2 ) = ×100=13.00 %
300.0

25.00
% Weight of Residue ( 3 )= ×100=8.333 %
300.0

35.67
% Weight of Residue ( Ave ) = ×100=11.89 %
300.0

 It is only in our third trial that we were able to obtain the target % for fineness of cement
because of some factors that we weren’t able to consider in the first 2 trials. But in average, the
cement sample failed to make it in the 10% range for the required fineness of cement.

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V. DOCUMENTARY

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VI. REMARKS

There were some factors that we weren’t able to consider in our first two trials which was the
cause for not being able to obtain the target percentage for the fineness of cement.

The first factor was that we immediately open the sieve after 15mins of sieving. When sieving is
in progress, some of the residue will tend to fly-off inside. Because we weren’t aware of this fact, we
immediately open the lid causing some of the size of the residue to fly-off in mid-air and making an error
on our reading.

The second factor was the gentleness of the sieving process. The instructions given to us were to
sieve in a gentle motion but every one of us have a different understanding on how much force is to be
applied when it comes to sieving in a gentle motion. In our group, it was settled that each one of us will
do the sieving in every 5mins. In the first trial, we applied just a mild force in sieving but the error was
found out to be too much. So in the second trial, we applied a stronger force than in the first trial, the
error was reduced but still the targeted percentage is not obtained. Because each one of us has a
different force applied while sieving, this causes an error on how much of the size would pass through
the sieve.

The last factor was that there were still some air-set of lumps in the cement which we weren’t
able to detect because it was located at the innermost part of the size sample. The air-set of lumps was
greater than we anticipated. This is because the sack of cement where we took our sample was not
properly sealed after it was opened, which became exposed to air, affecting its quality. Because of this,
another error has occurred in our reading.

We corrected these mistakes in our third trial. Before starting the sieving process, we made sure
that there aren’t any more air-set of lumps left. During the sieving process, we applied the most force
we could do so that the particles passing through the sieve will be consistent. And after sieving, we
waited for 3mins for the residue to settle inside. With the corrections made, our error had been reduced
and we were finally able to obtain the target percentage for the fineness of cement.

VII. CONCLUSION

The rate of hydration and hydrolysis and the consequent development of strength in a cement
mortar depend upon the fineness of grinding the cement. The finer the cement, the quicker its reaction
to water when mixed together, which is a great advantage in making mortar. Also, concrete gains early
strength when the cement is in its finest state, though its ultimate strength is not affected. The fineness
of cement also provides cohesiveness and reduces the separation of water during mixture. It was also

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said that the fineness of cement ranges from 10% only. In our experiment, it was found that in average,
our sample cement failed the required fineness percentage of cement. So in conclusion, the cement we
used did not pass the required fineness of cement. But it is worth noting that the quality of the cement
was not in its best since it was already exposed to air before we even started the experiment, making it
a factor for failing the test for its fineness.

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