DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

Experiment No. 2

Method for the determination of The Initial and Final Setting Time of The Hydraulic Cement
by Vicat Needle Apparatus.

Code: (ASTM C191)

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this test is to determine the initial and final setting time of hydraulic cement
by Vicat needle apparatus.

2.2 Significance and Use

1) According to weather we define setting time by adding retarder or accelerator.

2) We arrange the formwork according to setting time.
3) It is helpful in deciding the mixing time duration of concrete.
4) The knowledge of setting time is helpful in deciding the time to transport, place and
compact the concrete effectively.

2.3 Apparatus

2.3.1 Vicat Apparatus

Vicat apparatus for this method shall have a moveable rod of mass 300 ± 0.5 g . The
end of the rod used for measuring penetration shall have a removable needle with a diameter of
1 ± 0.05mm and length no less than 50mm.

2.3.2 Glass graduate

A cylinder of 200 or 250ml capacity.

2.3.3 Plate

Plane non absorptive plate, 100 ± 5mm square of similar planeness, corrosivity and
absorptivity to that of glass.

2.3.4 Trowel

Flat trowel having a sharpened straight edged steel blade 100 to 150mm in length.

2.3.5 Conical Ring

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

The conical ring made of rigid, non-corroding, non-absorbent material and shall have a
height of 40mm, an inside diameter at the bottom of 70mm and an inside diameter at the top of
60mm.

2.3.6 Mixer, bowl and paddle

2.4 Related Theory

2.4.1 Setting

In the setting process very little chemical reaction takes place. It only includes the shape
acquisition due to evaporation of water. During the setting process the cement remains in the fluid
or the semi-fluid state and there is very little or no gain in strength. Finer the cement particles more
will be the hydration and therefore it will lead to quick settlement.

2.4.2 Hardening

Hardening is the rate of gain of strength due to the chemical reaction. It also refers to the
strength of the concrete after a specified interval of time.

2.4.3 Initial Setting Time

The time elapsed between the initial contact of cement and water and the time when
penetration of Vicat needle is 25mm is called as the initial setting time of cement.

2.4.4 Final Setting Time

It is the time elapsed between the initial contact of cement and water and the time when
the needle does not sink visibly into the paste is called as the final setting time of cement.

2.4.5 Factors affecting the Setting Time

The setting time of cement is affected by the following factors:

1) Percentage of water used.

2) Temperature of water used.
3) The amount of kneading the paste received.
4) The temperature of mixing room air.
5) The humidity of mixing room air.

2.4.6 Vicat Needle Apparatus

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

The Vicat apparatus consists of a frame A (Fig.) bearing a movable rod B, weighing 300g,
one end C, the plunger end, being 10 mm in diameter for a distance of at least 50 mm, and the
other end have a removable needle D, 1 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length. This rod B is
reversible, and can be held in any desired position by a set screw E, and has an adjustable indicator
F, which moves over a scale (graduated in millimeters) attached to the frame A. The paste is held
in a rigid conical ring G, resting on a plane non-absorptive square base plate H, about 100 mm on

each side.

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

The rod B is made of stainless steel having a hardness of not less than 35 HRC and shall
be straight with the plunger end which is perpendicular to the rod axis. The ring is made of a non-
corroding, nonabsorbent material, and have an inside diameter of 70 mm at the base and 60 mm at
the top, and a height of 40 mm. In addition to the above, the Vicat apparatus shall conform to the
following requirements:

Specifications Dimensions Limits

Weight of moveable rod 300 ± 0.5 g

Diameter of the plunger end of the rod 10 ± 0.05 mm

Diameter of the needle 1 ± 0.05 mm

Inside diameter of the ring at the bottom 70 ± 3 mm

Inside diameter of the ring at the top 60 ± 3 mm

Height of the ring 40 ± 1mm

Graduated Scale The Scale accurate to within 0.1 mm

2.5 Test Conditions

1) Maintain the temperature of the air in the vicinity of the mixing slab, the dry cement and
the base plates at 23 ± 30 C.
2) Maintain the temperature of the mixing water at 23 ± 2.00 C.
3) The relative humidity of the mixing room shall be not less than 50%.
4) The moist cabinet and moist room shall be in accordance with specification C 511.

2.6 Procedure

1) Mix 500g of cement with the measured quantity of water that is 29% of weight of cement
equals to 145ml so as to produce the paste of normal consistency.
2) Mix the paste for 4 minutes so as to produce a nearly spherical mass that may be easily
inserted into the Vicat ring with the minimum amount of additional manipulation.
3) Fill the ring with the paste.

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

4) Place the ring on its larger end on the base plate and slice off the excess paste at the smaller
end at the top of the ring by a single oblique stroke of sharp edged trowel held at a slight
angle with the top of the ring and smooth the top.
5) Centre the paste confined in the ring, resting on the plate under the rod, the needle end of
which should be brought in contact with the surface of paste and tighten the set screw.
6) Set the moveable indicator to upper zero mark of the scale.
7) Release the rod immediately and take the reading of scale after some intervals.
8) Determine the time after mixing at which the penetration reading of the needle is 25mm
that is the initial setting time of the cement.
9) Record the time when the needle does not sink visibly into the paste.

2.7 Observations and Calculations

Weight of Sample= 500gm

Weight of Water= 140ml

Time Penetrations (mm) Remarks

0 50 Start of test

5 minutes 37 ------------

5 hours 29 ------------

7 hours 25 Initial Setting Time

12 hours 0 Final Setting Time

2.8 Results

Initial Setting time = 7 hours

Final Setting Time= 12 hours

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

2.9 Precautions

1) Keep all the apparatus free from the vibrations during

NOTE:
Make each penetration test
at least 5mm away from
any previous penetration
and at least 10mm away
from the inner side of the
mold.
. conditions.
the penetration test.
2) Keep the 1mm needle straight and clean.
3) The needle must be kept clean to prevent cement from
adhering to the sides of needle and decreasing
penetration, and to prevent cement from adhering to
point and increasing penetration.
4) Position of mold should be shifted slightly after each
penetration to avoid the penetration at the same place.
5) Test should be performed at specified environmental
6) During cutting and smoothening, take care not to
compress cement pste.

2.10 Conclusion

We always prefer a larger setting time so that we can mix, transport and place the concrete
easily. According to ASTM specifications, the initial setting time shall not be less than 30min but
in the field we prefer setting time not less than 45min.

A smaller value of the final setting time is always preferred in order to avoid large
expenditures on the formwork. According to most of the specifications, the final setting time shall
not be greater than 10hrs.

2.11 Precision and Bias

2.11.1 within Laboratory

The results of two properly conducted tests by the same operator on Vicat Initial time of
setting of similar paste should not differ from each other by more than 34 min and on Vicat final
time setting of similar pastes should not differ from each other by more than 56 min.

2.11.2 Between Laboratories

The results of two properly conducted tests from two different laboratories on Vicat Initial
time of setting of similar paste should not differ from each other by more than 45 min and on Vicat
final time setting of similar pastes should not differ from each other by more than 122 min.

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
THEREINFORCEDCONCRETE.COM
EXPERIMENT NO. 2 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

2.12 Comments

In our experiment initial setting is coming out to be 7 hours that is very large. The main
reason for this is the temperature difference. According to standard the temperature should be in
the range of23 ± 3𝑜 𝐶 , but in experiment room temperature was almost 14𝑜 𝐶. Therefore the
cement paste took more time to settle.

Further we did not prepare the paste of normal consistency, we suppose the water
percentage to be 29% that may not be the actual one and after-math we got the scattered results.

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