1.0.

Abstract
Consistency is determined with the help of a Vicat apparatus and standard consistency
is defined as that consistency which allows the Vicat plunger to penetrate to a point 5
mm to 7 mm measured from the bottom of the mould. It is expressed as amount of
water as a percentage of dry cement. In this test, a weighed amount of cement is mixed
with a weighed quantity of cement and the duration observed from the time water is
added to the cement for producing cement paste till commencing filling the mould
should be around 4 minutes. Then the mould is filled with the cement paste and leveled
with a trowel. The plunger is lowered gently till it touches the cement paste and is
released allowing it to sink into the paste. The reading on the gauge is noted and the
experiment is repeated using different amount of fresh cement samples and different
quantities of water. Then a graph of penetration against percentage of water used is
plotted and standard consistency is found from the graph.