Standard Practice for Mechanical Mixing of

Cement Pastes
(Required for determining Normal Consistency & Setting Time)

ASTM Standard C305 – 14

1. Place the dry paddle and the dry bowl in the mixer.

2. Place all the mixing water in the bowl.

3. Add the cement to the water and allow 30 s for the absorption
of the water.

4. Start the mixer and mix at slow speed for 30 s.

5. Stop the mixer for 15 s and during this time scrape down into
the batch any paste that may have collected on sides of the
bowl.

6. Start the mixer at medium speed and mix for 60 s.

Note:
• Wash the paddle and mixing bowl immediately after usage.
• Wash the Vicat accessories (conical ring, needles / plunger, glass plate).
• Wash the scoop, spatula, measurement buckets and graduated cylinder.
• Clean your work place.
 Data Sheet
(a) Normal Consistency, (b) Initial Setting Time & (c) Final Setting Time

Steps for filling Vicat’s Conical ring:

1. Prepare mixture.
2. Make approx. shape of paste ball with gloved-hands.
3. Toss 6 times by keeping 6 in apart both hands.
4. Press the ball, resting in the palm of one hand, into the larger end of the conical ring such that ring is
completely filled with paste.
5. Remove the excess at the larger end by a single movement of the palm of the hand.
6. 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 stroke of trowel.

(a) Normal Consistency:

Diameter of Plunger = 30 mm

Target: Penetration of 10 ± 1 mm (allow to penetrate for 10 sec).

Group Water Content Cement Penetration

Water Content (ml)
No. (%) Content (g) (mm)
(25 x 650) / 100
1 25 650
= 162.5
2 26 169 650

3 27 175.5 650

Note:

Draw the graph (water content % on x-axis and penetration on y-axis) to show the effect of water on normal
consistency.
(b) Initial Setting Time:
Diameter of Needle = 1 mm

Target: First find Normal Consistency. Then Change the needle. Then find Penetration of 25 mm or less (every time
allow to penetrate for 10 sec) with 15 min of interval.

Take readings at different location (approx. 5 – 10 mm away from previous point or edge of the ring).

Normal consistency = ____________________ mm

Time (min) Penetration (mm)

0 40
15
30
45
60
75
90
105
120

Note:

Draw the graph (time on x-axis and penetration on y-axis) to find the exact initial setting time.
(c) Final Setting Time:
Diameter of Needle = 1 mm & Circular ring at the bottom.

Target: First find Normal Consistency & Initial Setting Time. Then Change the needle. Then find Penetration until
complete circular impression is NOT VISIBLE (every time allow to penetrate for 10 sec) with 5 min of interval.

Take readings at different location (approx. 5 – 10 mm away from previous point or edge of the ring).

Normal consistency = ____________________ mm

Initial setting time = ____________________ min

Time (min) Impression

5 Yes
10
15
20
25