TESTING OF CEMENT

LECTURE 3
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"Trust yourself. You know more than you

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 Tazkirah Pagi

Baik & Hormat

 Why do we have to conduct the tests?

• To ensure the quality of cement

• To determine the properties of cement

– Chemical properties
– Physical properties
• Test should be conducted according to the relevant
standard
• MS 522 Pt. 1, 2, 3 – OPC
• BS 12
 Tests of Cement

• Chemical composition
• Fineness
• Setting time
• Soundness
• Strength
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

• To determine the amount of C3S, C2S, C3A, C4AF

• Conducted at the cement factory

• For research work – need to be conducted

 FINENESS

• Rate of hydration depends on the fineness

of cement

• Specific surface (m2/kg)

• Can be determined by the air permeability

Lea and Nurse or Blaine methods
 SETTING TIME

• Describing the stiffening of cement paste OR the change

from fluid to a rigid state

• Cement paste = cement + water

• Setting is mainly caused hydration of C3A and C3S together

with C2S

• Accompanied by increase in temperature (heat)

 Type of Setting

• Initial set – corresponds to rapid rise of temperature

• Final set – corresponds to the peak temperature/strength

• False set – sometimes occurs within a few minutes of

mixing with water, no heat is evolved, concrete can be
remixed
 Cont.

• Flash set – caused by the rapid reaction between C3A and

water

• Prevented by the addition of gypsum

 Setting Time

• For OPC and RHPC:

– Initial setting time – not less than 45 minutes
– Final setting time – Not more than 600 minutes

• Setting time is affected by: temperature and

relative humidity
 SOUNDNESS

• It is important that the cement paste, after setting, does

not undergo a large change in volume i.e. expansion

• Expansion may occur due to reactions of free lime,

magnesia, and calcium sulphate

• Cement exhibits expansion is classified as unsound

• Can be determined by Le Chattelier test

 STRENGTH - compression

• Strength test is not made on

neat cement
• Two methods:
– Mortar test
– Concrete test
 Mortar Test

• Mortar = cement + sand = water

• Mass of water = 10% of the mass of the dry
materials
• Sand – standard sand, one size, spherical shape
• Cube size of 71 mm
• Materials are mixed and compacted using
vibrating table
Steel Mould
Testing of Sample
 Cont.

• After 24 hours demould the mortar cubes and cure in water until
the day of test

• Average of three samples

• According to MS 522: Pt. 1

– OPC – 23 MPa at 3 days
41 MPa at 28 days

– RHPC – 29 MPa at 3 days

46 MPa at 28 days
Curing Tank
 CONCRETE CUBE

• Concrete = cement + aggregates + water

• W/C ratio : 0.6, 0.55, 0.45

• Cube size of 100 mm

• Preparation procedures are the same as mortar test

– OPC – 11.5 MPa at 3 days
26 MPa at 28 days
– RHPC – 18 MPa at 3 days
33 MPa at 28 days
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