Kano C.

Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

April 3

Slump Test
Kano C. Molapisi ID: 200900201

2012
CCB 324 Laboratory 1

Kano C. Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

Objective
To measure the consistency of freshly mixed concrete

Background
Freshly mixed concrete should be such that it can be : Transported Placed Consolidated Finished

without harmful segregation. All aspects to do with mixing through to finishing of concrete are referred to as workability. Workability can be expressed in terms of three mutually independent characteristics: Consistency Mobility Compactibility

Consistency a measure of the concretes wetness or fluidity, which is an important component of workability. The slump test measures consistency. Application of the slump test: The most appropriate application of the slump test is to measure changes in workability, such as may occur between consecutive pre-mix batches being delivered to site. The slump test is most suitable because it is: Cheap apparatus Portable & robust Ease of execution Limitations of the slump test: Not suitable for dry or wet mixes The standard slump apparatus is suitable only for concretes in which the maximum aggregate size does not exceed 40mm.

Apparatus
1. Metal slump cone having bottom diameter of 200mm, top diameter of 100mm & height of 300mm

Kano C. Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

figure 1 2. 16mm diameter & 610mm long tamping rod having one end rounded to a hemispherical tip 3. Pan Type Concrete Mixer

figure 2 4. Electronic Weighing Scale

figure 3

Kano C. Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

5. Portland Cement. 6. River Sand. 7. Crushed stone with a maximum size of 13.2mm 8. Water

Test 1
Procedure
3.3 kg of portland cement, 8.25kg of river sand, 9.9kg of crushed stone and 2.31kg of water were measured on the weighing scale and put on standby for mixing. The crushed stone was poured first into the concrete mixer then the river sand and cement. The mixer was switched on for 30 seconds to mix the components and even out the mixture. Thereafter, water was added and the mixer switched on again for a minute. The concrete was then mixed by hand using a small shovel to achieve optimum mixing capability. The cone was then dampened inside with a wet tissue and placed on a smooth, flat, nonabsorbent surface. The concrete mix was then poured into the cone, with the cone held firmly in place by stepping on the foot pieces. The concrete was poured in three layers and tamped throughout its depth 25 times with the tamping rod at each layer. Then when full, the excess concrete protruding over the cone was striken off with a rolling and screeding motion of the rod paced horizontally. The cone was immediately removed slowly & steadily by raising it vertically, and the depth at which the concrete cone sinks, in millimeters to the nearest 6mm.

Results and Analysis

Height of the concrete cone form the top of the cone: 143mm The slump did not retain its cone shape, and instead it collapse. It had a shear collapse, where the top portion of the concrete shears off and slips sideways. The figure below shows an illustration of the slump after removing the cone.

figure 4

Kano C. Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

Test 2
Procedure
The test was repeated using 2.2kg of water.

Results and Analysis

Height of slump from top of cone: 10mm The slump retained its conical shape and only sunk 10mm. This slump is what is called a true slump and only subsides keeping its shape. The figure below shows an illustration of the second slump after removing the cone.

Item Types of construction No. 1 Footings, caissions, foundation walls & sub-structure walls 2 Beams, columns & walls 3 Pavement & slabs 4 Mass concrete Table 1. Recommended slumps for various types of construction

Maximum slump, mm 75 100 75 50

Minimum slump, mm 25 25 25 25

The 1st slump from test 1 in this case would not be suitable for any of the types of construction shown above in table 1. It exceeds the maximum allowable slump. The second slump would also not be suitable for any of the construction types shown above because it doesnt fall into any range.

Kano C. Molapisi

CCB 324 Lab 1

ID: 200900201

Discussion
The two slumps above are not compatible for any type of construction. This may be untrue due to experimental errors that may have occurred. These errors include: Vibration during removal of the cone Removal of cone not perfectly horizontal Mixing of the concrete not optimum causing change in the water:cementitious materials ratio There are other factors that may have caused the mix to be inaccurate: The inside of the cone may have been dampened too much, causing a change in the water cementitious materials to change. The cement may have reduced in mass when dry mixing, because of particles being lifted by air.

Conclusion
The 1st test failed because of high water:cementitious materials ratio. Water content was too high, thus we reduced it in the second test and got a slump of 10mm. So the 1st batch is consistent with a slump of 143mm. And the second with a 10mm slump.

Reference
www.concrete.org.uk en.wikipedia.org/wiki/concrete _slump_ test