Time Setting of Cement By Vicat Apparatus

Abstract

The Vicat Apparatus is used in the experiment to determine the start and ultimate setting times of the
cement sample. The needle penetration test will determine if the cement has been initially and
eventually set. The cement paste should have the proper consistency and not be too runny. We added an
accelerator to speed up the process. After the cement paste has reached the proper consistency, the first
penetration test should take about 15 minutes after water has been added to the cement. Continue the
penetration tests while lowering the gap between them until the initial setting condition is achieved. For
the initial and final setting times, the experiment employs two different needles. If the needle point
barely penetrates the sample, the cement is considered to have fully set. This experiment will assist
students in precisely determining the start and ultimate setting times of the cement. In conclusion, the
consistency of cement is difficult to predict, but it may still be attained by trial and error. The first setup
time is 1 hour and 17 minutes, and the complete setup time is 4 hours and 18 minutes.

Introduction
Cement is one of the most important construction materials in the construction industry. It is a building
chemical that hardens, sets, and attaches to other substances to bond them together. When water is
added to cement, it hardens and sets. This time can vary depending on the fineness of the cement, the
cement-to-water ratio, the chemical content, and the admixtures. When utilized in a building, cement
should take some time to set up at start and then set up quickly towards the end. As a result, we
measure two different setting times: the first and final settings. The significance of determining the
cement setting time is to establish the degree of workability and to identify a link between time and
strength growth of concrete. This experiment will assist students in precisely determining the start and
ultimate setting times of the cement.

Materials and Equipment:

Vicat Apparatus with the following accessories:
Standard plunger
Needle for initial setting Needle for final setting
Conical ring (cement paste container)
Glass plate
Disc Balance
Graduated Cylinder
Spatula
Mixing Pan
Mixing Spoon

Methods
A consistency test should be ready for the device. Equipment must be readied for a consistency test. Set
the hydraulic regulator so that it takes six to seven seconds for a 40-mm drop. Place the common
plunger in. The sliding rod should be lowered until the base's glass plate is touched by the standard
plunger. Set the indicator to read zero. Grease is used to secure the conical ring to the glass plate.

400g of cement sample should be weighed on the mixing pan to make the sample. Prepare the water
required to get the desired cement consistency. By the weight of the cement, add 27–30% water. Keep
track of the moment water is applied. Mix the cement for three minutes after it has absorbed the water.
Insert the conical ring with the cement paste. without putting pressure on the cement mixture, flattens
the surface. The sample should be placed on the Vicat base. You may adjust the plunger speed by raising
and lowering the hydraulic regulator. If the plunger stops 6 mm above the glass plate, the cement is
uniform. If not, prepare a new sample using less water, then do the test once more until the desired
consistency is obtained.

Use the glass plate to zero the indicator and set the needle when measuring the first setup time. Test the
sample's penetration of the needle by placing the disc on the plunger. Utilize the hydraulic regulator to
control the needle's fall rate. When the needle stops 1mm above the glass plate, the cement is
considered set. 15 minutes after the cement has been mixed with water, do the first penetration test.
Once the initial setting condition is met, shorten the penetration test interval and note the time.

Change the needle to the final setting needle to calculate the final setting time. Utilize the glass plate to
zero the indicator. Test the sample's penetration using a needle. Use a hydraulic regulator to control the
needle's rate of descent. If the needle barely pierces the sample and the connected ringlet doesn't leave
an imprint, the cement has set. Perform the first final setting penetration test after 15 minutes. Shorter
intervals between penetration testing should be used until the desired setting is obtained.

There are safety measures that must be implemented. During the entire test, the plunger fall must
remain constant. Vibrations must not be present in the device. Needles must be oil-free and clean for
each test. The conical ring cement paste has to be disturbed as little as possible. Only cement paste with
a uniform consistency should be applied. The distance between the testing points and the inner conical
ring should be 10mm.

Results
Tables
INITIAL SETTING TIME: Reading (mm)
TRIAL 1 3:19 pm - 0
TRIAL 2 3:33 pm - 0
TRIAL 3 3:50 pm - 0.5
TRIAL 4 4:11 pm - 0.7
TRIAL 5 4:28 om - 1

FINAL SETTING TIME Reading(mm)

TRIAL 1 4:44 pm – 23
TRIAL 2 5:08pm - 29
TRIAL 3 6:13pm - 35
TRIAL 4 6:30pm - 36
TRIAL 5 7:29pm – 40
INITIAL SETTING TIME: 77 minutes
FINAL SETTING TIME: 258 minutes

The major conclusion of the experiment is that the water-cement ratio should be reached appropriately
to conduct the experiment. The calculated starting setting time is 1 hour, 17 minutes (77mins), and the
calculated final setting time is 4 hours, 18 minutes (258)mins. If you want the cement to build up more
quickly, it has to be the proper consistency and you can use an accelerator.

Illustration

Discussion
Determining the degree of workability and defining a correlation between time and strength growth of
concrete are relevant for determining the setting time of cement. The amount of time between adding
water to the cement and when it first sets is known as the first setting time. The cement has significantly
toughened by the time it reaches the early setting stage. The total setting time is the amount of time it
takes, starting when water is introduced to the cement and ending when the cement has sufficiently
hardened to support a weight. It took 4 hours for the little cement paste sample to fully harden. The
total setting time will exceed 4 hours if no accelerator is applied. The cement paste had the right
consistency, so we could conduct the experiment based on the findings.

Conclusion

The experiment will only be carried out if the cement paste is of standard consistency, that is, if it is not
watery or contains an adequate amount of water. Determining the degree of workability and defining a
correlation between time and strength growth of concrete are relevant for determining the setting time
of cement. Students will be able to precisely determine and identify the cement's starting and final
setting times with the use of this experiment.