Faculty of Engineering Concrete Tech.

/Practical
Civil Department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year
__________________________________________________________________________________

Test#10 Standard test method for

Workability Tests of Fresh Concrete

1-1 References:
1. ASTM C143/C143M – 00
2. BS EN 1 2350--2: 2000

1-2 Introduction:
The strict definition of workability is the amount of useful internal work necessary to produce
full compaction.
Workability is the most important method property of freshly mixed concrete. There is no
single test method that can simultaneously measure all the properties involved in workability.
Most common methods to measure workability or consistency of concrete are:
1. Slump test.
2. Compacting factor test.
3. Vebe test.
4. Flow table test.
5. Ball penetration test.

1-3 Purpose:
This test method is intended to provide the student with a procedure to determine slump and
compacting factor of plastic hydraulic-cement concretes.

1-4 Materials:
1. O.P.C.
2. Water.
3. Sand (fine aggregate).
4. Gravel (coarse aggregate)

1-5 Equipment:
1. Standard slump cone (is a frustum of a cone having dimensions 300mm height, 200mm
base diameter, and 100mm top diameter).
2. Compacting factor apparatus consists essentially of two hoppers, each in the shape of
frustum of a cone, and one cylinder, the three being above one another.
3. Tamping rod: a round straight rod, 16mm in diameter and approximately 600mm in
length, having one end rounded to a hemispherical tip of the same diameter as the rod.
4. Scope.
5. Measuring devise (ruler).
6. Slump plate (500×500) mm.
7. Balance.
8. Trowel and Scoop and Plastic hand covers.
Faculty of Engineering Concrete Tech. /Practical
Civil Department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year
__________________________________________________________________________________

1.6 Procedures:
A. Slump Test Procedures:

1-Prepare a mix with a proportion 1:2:4 and w/c 0.5 and 0.6 for two groups.

2- Dampen the mold and place it with its larger base at the bottom, on a flat moist rigid
surface (or slump plate if any).

3- Hold the mold firmly in place by standing on the two foot pieces.

4- Fill the mold with the concrete in three layers, each layer is tamped 25 times with a
standard tamping rod.

5- Remove the excess concrete on the surface of the mold by rolling the rod.

6- Slowly remove the mold by raising it up carefully.

7- Measure the slump by determining the vertical distance between the top of the mold and
the displaced original center of the top of the specimen.

B. Compacting Factor Procedures:

1-Prepare A mix with a proportion 1:2:4 and W/C 0.5 and 0.6 for two groups.
2- Weight the empty cylinder, let be (W1).
3- Damper the inside surfaces of the hoppers.
4- Fill the upper hopper with concrete.
5-The bottom door of the hopper is released and the concrete falls into the lower hopper.
6- The bottom door of the lower hopper is released and the concrete falls into the cylinder.
7- Remove the excess concrete on the surface of the cylinder by rolling the tamping rod.
8- Weight the cylinder filled by concrete, let be (W2).
9- Fill the cylinder with concrete in four layers, each layer is tamped 20 times with a standard
tamping rod.
10- Weight the cylinder with fully compacted concrete, let be (W3).
11- Determine the compacting factor as follows:
  


 

  
Faculty of Engineering Concrete Tech. /Practical
Civil Department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year
__________________________________________________________________________________

1.7 Notes:
The slump test is the most well-known and widely used test method to characterize
the workability of fresh concrete. The inexpensive test, which measures consistency, is used
on job sites to determine rapidly whether a concrete batch should be accepted or rejected.

Four types of slumps are commonly encountered, as shown in figure below. The only
type of slump permissible under ASTM C143 is frequently referred as the “True” slump,
where the concrete remains intact and retains a symmetric shape. A zero slump and a
collapsed slump are both outside the range of workability that can be measured with the
slump test.

Specifically, ASTM C143 advises caution in interpreting test results less than (12.5
mm) and greater than (225 mm). If part of the concrete shears from the mass, the test must be
repeated with a different sample of concrete. A concrete that exhibits a shear slump in a
second test is not sufficiently cohesive and should be rejected.
Faculty of Engineering Concrete Tech. /Practical
Civil Department 2014-2015
Concrete Lab. 2nd year
__________________________________________________________________________________

The following Table indicates the degree of workability, slump and compacting factor for
suitable applications of concrete.

1.8 Questions:
1. Conclude the degree of workability and the shape of slump for your group depending
up on the slump and compacting factor test results?
2. Based on your answer in question above, for which type of application this mix is
suited?
3. What are the main factors that affect the degree of workability of concrete?