DETERMINATION OF

NORMAL CONSISTENCY OF HYDRAULIC CEMENT

I.

OBJECTIVES
This experimental work is intended to determine normal consistency of
hydraulic cement in order to know the initial setting time (determining

II.

volume of water needed to prepare hydraulic cement past).

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
1. Mixer, with some leaves mixers that are made out of stainless steel

III.

and removable bowl

2. Vicat cement (using the end of C as shown in the picture A.2
3. Scale with 1.0 gram of sensitivity
4. Scraper that is made out of stiff rubber
5. Measuring cup (capacity 150 or 200 mL)
6. Trowel
7. Rubber gloves
MATERIAL
1. Portland cement 3.5 kg (for approximately six experiments)
2. Clean water (room temperature)
PROCEDURE
Hydraulic cement past
1. Set the leave, mixer, and its bowl.
2. Fill all the materials into the bowl and mix as follows:
a. Pour water (155-125 cc for Cement Type I and 130 140 cc

IV.

for Cement Type II).

b. Pour 500 grams of cement into the water; let the absorption
occur for approximately 30 seconds.
3. Turn the mixer on, use the 1405 rpm and mix the paste around for
around 30 seconds.
4. Turn the mixer off during 15 seconds and sweep the paste on the
inner part of bowl
5. Turn the mixer on with normal speed rotation (28510 rpm) and mix
the paste for 1 minute.
Testing with vicat tool
1. take the paste from the bowl and form a ball. Throw the cement
paste ball from one hand to another at around 15 cm of distance
several times. Place it into a vicat tool (see Figure A.2). Push it into
the conic ring (G) therefore it fills properly into the ring.

2. Place the ring to a plate of glass (H) and pour the rest of the cement
paste into the ring from two directions. Equalize the cement paste
using spatula but do not push the cement paste.
3. Place the ring containing cement paste under the shaft (B) so that
the needle of the vicat tool can contact/touch the surface of the
cement paste. Lock the shaft by turning the key (K).
4. Place the indicator (F) precisely to zero point (upper layer). By
turning the key (K) open, we release the shaft (B), and at the same
time needle (C) will penetrate into the cement pate.
5. If in thirty seconds the depth of needle is around 101 mm from
the surface, the consistency of cement paste is normal.
6. If the normal consistency is unreached, repeat step 1 until 1 so that
the condition is reached.
7. Record the volume of water that was used to reach normal
consistency.
8. Plot the (graph) relationship of the depth of needle penetration and
water content (in percentage) in cement paste

V.

NOTE

VI.

CALCULATIONS

Constant: 500 grams of cement

Depth of Needle

Water Content (%)

Penetration (mm)
24
9

23.07
20.00

Depth of Needle Penetration with Different Water Content

24
23
22
Water Content (%)

21

Water Content

20
19
18
24

Depth of Needle Penetration (mm)

VII.

EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
1. Analysis of the Experiment:
In order to start testing with the vicat tool, we first needed to make
several samples of cement paste. We gathered the leave, mixer,
and a bowl. We then poured water and 500 grams of cement into
the water, leaving 30 seconds for water absorption, before mixing
using a speed of 140 5 rpm for 30 seconds. We the turn off the
mixer, sweep the paste off the inner part of the bowl to ensure an
even mixture, and then turned the mixer on with a rotational speed
of 285 10 rpm for one minute.
After the sample of cement paste was ready, we took the entire
sample and made it into a ball. We then threw the cement paste ball
back and forth between each hand, with a distance of 15 cm, for
several times, before placing inside the conic ring of the vicat tool.
Afterwards, we placed the ring onto a plate a glass and poured the
remaining amount of cement paste into the ring from two directions.

We also made sure that the surface of the conic ring is smooth,
without compressing the cement paste. After these preparations
were completed, we placed the needle of the vicat tool just so it
barely contacts the surface of the cement paste and then locked the
shaft. Afterwards, we placed the indicator to the zero point and
released the shaft, causing the needle to penetrate the cement.
After thirty seconds, we measure the depth of the needle. If the
depth is not around 10 1 mm from the surface, we repeat the
experiment using different water contents.
2. Analysis of the Results:
It was necessary to repeat this experiment once. In the first text, we
used 500 grams of cement and 150 grams of water. This means that
the resultant cement paste had a weight of 650 grams and a water
content of 23.07%. However, the consistency of this cement paste
was not considered normal. With this cement paste, the needle
penetrated, within 30 seconds, to the depth of 24 mm, which is
greater than the normal consistency by 240%.
With the first result having a very high depth of needle penetration,
we reduced the water content of the cement paste in the second
test. The result cement paste had 500 grams of cement and 125
grams of water. This means that the cement paste now possessed a
weight of 625 grams and a water content of 20%. After testing with
the vicat tool, we gained a depth of needle penetration of 9 mm,
after thirty seconds. As this depth of needle penetration is within
the acceptable limits of 10 1 mm, it was determined that this
mixture of cement and water possesses the normal consistency of
hydraulic cement paste.
3. Error Analysis:
During the multiple weightings to obtain the constant weight of
cement and the needed weight of water for each cement paste
sample, an offset error may occur due to improper reading of the
scale. Additionally, as the scale has a random error of .1%, the

weight of each sample of aggregates may not be completely

accurate. An error may also occur during the uniform distribution of
the top of each cement paste sample in the conic ring. Finally, an
error may also occur from reading the indicator of the vicat tool.
However, all these errors are extremely minor, and do not have a
significant effect on the results of this experiment.
VIII. CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the purpose of this experiment is to determine the normal
consistency of hydraulic dement in order to know its initial setting
time. This is done by determining the volume of water needed to
prepare hydraulic cement paste. In the end, the result is that in order
to obtain the normal consistency of hydraulic cement paste, a water
IX.

content of 20% is required.

REFERENCES
American Society for Testing and materials. Standards Test method for
Normal Consistency of Hydraulic Cement, No. ASTM C 187 98

X.

(Reapproved 2003). Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 04. 01.

APPENDIX

PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS EXPERIMENTAL REPORT

DETERMINATION OF NORMAL CONSISTENCY OF HYDRAULIC CEMENT
MODULE A.2

GROUP 29
Fajar Surya Muhammad

1306437170

Muhammad Alif Maggalatta

1306388906

Raihan Alisha Nabila

1306437126

R.A Tamara R F Iskandar

1306388894

Zain Zahran Azzaino

1306437044

Date of Experimental

: October 30th 2013

Experimental Assistant

: Putri Marastuti

Date of Approval

Score

Assistants Signature

:
LABORATORY OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTEMENT
ENGINEERING FACULTY
UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA