Name: ________________________ Instructor: _____________________

Group No.: ______ Date of Performance: ____________

Laboratory Exercise No. 12

Normal Consistency of Hydraulic Cement

Reference:

AASHTO T 129-01, ASTM C 187-98

Objective:

To determine the normal consistency prior to determining the time setting of

hydraulic cement.

Equipment/Apparatus:

➢ Vicat apparatus
➢ Balance (accurate within 0.1 g)
➢ No. 200 sieve
➢ Graduated cylinder (200- or
250-mL capacity)
➢ Mixing container
➢ Spatula
➢ Timing device (stopwatch)

Figure 11-1: Apparatus for Determining

Normal Consistency of Hydraulic Cement

Procedure:

(1) Prepare a cement paste by mixing 650 g of hydraulic cement and a measured
quantity of water.

(2) Form the cement paste into a ball by tossing six times from one hand to the other
at a distance of about 150 mm (6 in.).

44
 (3) Place the cement ball into the larger opening of the cone and remove the excess
cement paste by a single stroke of the spatula. Invert the cone and flattened the
top of the smaller opening of the cone.

(4) Immediately position the cone in the vicat apparatus, position the plunger just
touching the top of the cement paste, set the marker to zero and determine the
penetration of the plunger in 30 seconds.

(5) The mixture is of normal consistency if the plunger settles 10  1 mm in 30

seconds. Record the amount of water added for normal consistency.

Data/Calculation:

Calculate the amount of water required for normal consistency to the nearest 0.1 percent
and report it to the nearest 0.5 percent of the weight of the dry cement.

Computation:

Discussion/Conclusion:

45