SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF CEMENT
Specific Gravity Test on Cement
Content
What Is the Specific Gravity of Cement
Different Tests of Cement
Use of Cement Specific Gravity
Specific Gravity of Cement Test
o Apparatus
Specific Gravity of Cement Procedure
o Observations and Calculations
o Result
Why is Kerosene used for the Specific Gravity Test of Cement?
FAQs:
o What Is the Specific Gravity of Cement?
o How do you calculate the specific gravity of cement?
o Why specific gravity test is done?
o What is the Standard-Specific Gravity of Cement?
o What is the use of specific gravity of cement?
o What is the Specific Gravity of Kerosine?
o Specific Gravity of Cement
o sp. gravity of cement
o Specific Gravity of OPC
o Specific Gravity of Cement IS Code
o Specific Gravity of PPC Cement
o Specific Gravity of Concrete
Watch Video: Specific Gravity Test of Cement
What Is the Specific Gravity of Cement?
The specific gravity of cement is defined as the mass of cement of a specified volume to the mass of
water of the same volume of cement.
It can also be defined as the density of cement to the density of water for the same volume.
In both, the definitions of the volume of cement must be the same. If the volume does not remain the
same then the specific gravity value may be accurate.
Because the mass and density of cement and water are liable to change with respect to their volume.
Specific gravity is the comparison of the mass or density of any substance with the mass or density of
the standard substance. Generally, water is considered the standard substance.
The best method to determine the specific gravity of cement is by using a liquid such as water-free
kerosene, which does not react with cement.
For conducting this test, a standard Le Chatelier specific gravity flask or specific gravity bottle may be
employed.
The Le Chatelier specific gravity flask is also utilized to determine the specific gravity of dust, sand,
and other fine materials.
This specific gravity of cement is an essential parameter in concrete mix design material
quantity calculations.
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This specific gravity of portland cement is about 3.15 and can be measured using ASTM C188.
Different Tests of Cement
The following tests are conducted on cement,
1. Fineness Test of Cement
2. Consistency Test of Cement
3. Setting Time Test of Cement
4. Soundness Test of Cement
5. The Heat of Hydration Test
6. Specific Gravity Test of Cement
7. Tensile Strength Test
8. Chemical Composition Test
Use of Cement Specific Gravity
The specific gravity value of any substance gives the idea of how heavy or light is the substance
compared to the standard substance. From the value, we can judge whether it will float or sink into
another substance.
All-natural material and substance have their own specific gravity value. It generally ranges from 1 to
100.
Water has a specific gravity of around 1and If the specific gravity of other material is greater than 1,
then it sinks in water.
If the specific gravity of the material is less than 1 it floats in water. Therefore, the specific gravity of
any material is an important property to know. So that we can use it in a proper way.
Generally, the specific gravity of cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16 g/cc. From this, we can say that the
specific gravity of cement is more than the specific gravity of water is 1.
It means cement will sink in water if we put it in the water. Also, we can say that cement is heavier
than water.
Cement particle has pore in them and they can absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Considering this
behavior of cement particles, the specific gravity can either increase or decrease.
While we are calculating cement for mix design we consider the specific gravity of cement as standard
3.14.
So, any change in cement-specific gravity will affect the mix design. Hence, it is essential to test the
specific gravity of the cement procured before the mixing process.
This is the main reason behind we reject the old stored cement. Old cement has more liable to store
external moisture which results in increased specific gravity of cement.
Specific Gravity of Cement Test
IS code for the Specific gravity test is IS 2720- Part 3
Apparatus
The following apparatus is used in specific gravity tests of cement,
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Specific Gravity of Cement Apparatus
1.
Specific Gravity of Cement Procedure
Specific Gravity of Cement
Clean the Lechatlier flask before use. It should be free from moisture.
Now, Take the weight of the empty flask as W1.
Take around 50 gm of cement and fill in the flask.
Fix the stopper on the flask and weigh the flask with cement as W2.
Now fill the kerosene in the flask up to the neck of the bottle.
Thoroughly mix cement and kerosene in the flask taking care no air bubble is left in it. Record
this weight as W3.
Empty the flask and clean it. Now fill the kerosene in it up to the neck of the bottle and record
the weight as W4.
Observations and Calculations
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The specific gravity of the cement formula is as follows,
= (W2 – W1) / ((W2 – W1) – (W3 – W4) X 0.79)
Where,
W1 = Weight of Empty Flask.
W2 = Weight of Flask + Cement.
W3 = Weight of Flask + Cement + Kerosene.
W4 = Weight of Flask + Kerosene.
Here, the specific gravity of kerosene is 0.79g/cc
Note:
Conduct tests at least 3 times for accurate results.
Clean the flask before using it again.
Result
The specific gravity of a sample of cement = 3.15
Why is Kerosene used for the Specific Gravity Test of Cement?
If we use water instead of kerosene, water will mix with cement and make a paste. As we know when
cement is mixed with water, cement starts its heat of the hydration process. So, water can’t be used for
cement-specific gravity tests.
Kerosene is a very well-known polar liquid so it will not react with cement while doing the test. The
specific gravity of kerosene is 0.79g/cc.
FAQs:
What Is the Specific Gravity of Cement?
The specific gravity of cement is defined as the mass of cement of a specified volume to the mass of
water of the same volume of cement. OPC cement has a specific gravity of 3.15.
How do you calculate the specific gravity of cement?
1. Clean the Lechatlier flask before use. It should be free from moisture.
2. Now, Take the weight of the empty flask as W1.
3. Take around 50 gm of cement and fill in the flask.
4. Fix the stopper on the flask and weigh the flask with cement as W2.
5. Now fill the kerosene in the flask up to the neck of the bottle.
6. Thoroughly mix cement and kerosene in the flask taking care of no air bubbles left in it. Record this
weight as W3.
7. Empty the flask and clean it. Now fill the kerosene in it up to the neck of the bottle and record the
weight as W4.
Why specific gravity test is done?
The specific gravity value of any substance gives the idea of how heavy or light is the substance
compared to the standard substance. From the value, we can judge whether it will float or sink into
another substance.
What is the Standard-Specific Gravity of Cement?
Generally, the specific gravity of cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16 g/cc.
What is the use of specific gravity of cement?
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Cement particle has pore in them and they can absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Considering this
behavior of cement particles, the specific gravity can either increase or decrease. While we are
calculating cement for mix design we consider the specific gravity of cement as standard 3.14. So, any
change in cement-specific gravity will affect the mix design. Hence, it is essential to test the specific
gravity of the cement procured before the mixing process.
What is the Specific Gravity of Kerosine?
The specific gravity of kerosene is 0.79g/cc.
Specific Gravity of Cement
Specific gravity is defined as the mass of cement of a specified volume to the mass of water of the
same volume of cement. The specific gravity of cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16 g/cc.
sp. gravity of cement
3.15 g/cc
Limit: Specific gravity of cement = 3.15 g/cc.
Specific Gravity of OPC
The OPC cement specific gravity is 3.1 to 3.16 g/cc which means cement is heavier than water of the
same volume and it sinks in water.
Specific Gravity of Cement IS Code
IS code for the Specific gravity test of cement is IS 2720- Part 3
Specific Gravity of PPC Cement
3.08 gr/cm3
As per the study, the specific gravity of PPC is found to be 3.06 to 3.08 gr/cm3
Specific Gravity of Concrete
The specific gravity of cement is defined as the mass of cement of a specified volume to the mass of
water of the same volume of cement. It can also be defined as the density of cement to the density of
water for the same volume. The specific gravity of cement ranges from 3.1 to 3.16 g/cc
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