Determination of Initial and Final Setting Times
When water is added to cement,
the resulting paste starts to stiffen and gain strength and lose the
consistency simultaneously. The term setting implies solidification of the
plastic cement paste. Initial and final setting times may be regarded as the
two stiffening states of the cement. The beginning of solidification, called
the initial set, marks the point in time when the paste has become unworkable.
The time taken to solidify completely marks the final set, which should not be
too long in order to resume construction activity within a reasonable time
after the placement of concrete. Vicat's apparatus used for the purpose is
shown in Fig.. The initial setting time may be defined as the time taken by the
paste to stiffen to such an extent that the Vicat's needle is not permitted to
move down through the paste to within 5 ± 0.5 mm measured from the bottom of
the mould. The final setting time is the time after which the paste becomes so
hard that the angular attachment to the needle, under standard weight, fails to
leave any mark on the hardened concrete. Initial and final setting times are
the rheological properties of cement.
Importance: It is important to
know the initial setting time, because of loss of useful properties of cement
if the cement mortar or concrete is placed in moulds after this time. The
importance of final setting time lies in the fact that the moulds can be
removed after this time. The former defines the limit of handling and the
latter defines the beginning of development of machanical strength.
Conditions Affecting Setting
Time: The factors influencing the setting properties of cement are its
composition, the percentage of retardant, degree of calcination, fineness of
grinding, aeration subsequent to grinding clinker, percentage of water used to
make cement paste, the temperature of the mixing water, cement and the
atmosphere where the cement paste is placed, and the amount of manipulation the
paste receives.The effect of lime, silica and alumina in controlling the set have
been discussed in Sec. 5.3. The effect of gypsum is to increase the setting
time of freshly ground cement. It is usually mixed with the clinker before
final grinding, or just after the clinker has received preliminary grinding.
The addition of gypsum before calcination causes it to decompose into lime and
sulphur trioxide. Since the latter is liberated in the kiln, there is resulting
effect on the setting time. Often, an underlimed cement becomes quick setting
after seasoning. This can be avoided by adding to the cement 1 or 2 per cent of
hydrated lime or the fraction of a per cent of Plaster of Paris. Setting time
of cement is rapid with the increase in the fineness of cement. When the mixing
water used in testing cement paste is increased by 1 per cent above that
required for normal consistency, an increase of about 30 minutes or more is
observed in the initial or final set.
Cements stored in warm rooms
will, in general, be quick setting than those stored in cold places. Cold
mixing water retards set while warm water accelerates it. Cement exposed to
thoroughly saturated atmosphere will set much more slowly than those exposed to
a dry atmosphere. If, however, a considerable proportion of moist CO2
is present in the air, the setting time is found to reduce greatly. By
lengthening the time of mixing and by prolonged troweling of the surface
mortars, it is also possible to considerably delay the setting time.
Test Procedure: A neat cement
paste is prepared by gauging cement with 0.85 times the water required to give
a paste of standard consistency. The stop watch is started at the instant water
is added to the cement. The mould resting on a nonporous plate is filled
completely with cement
paste and the surface of filled
paste is levelled smooth with the top of the mould. The test is conducted
at room temperature of 27± 2 o C. The mould with the cement paste is placed in
the Vicat's
apparatus as shown in Fig. 5.9
and the needle is lowered gently in contact with the test block and is then
quickly released. The needle thus penetrates the test block and the reading on
the Vicat's
apparatus graduated scale is
recorded. The procedure is repeated until the needle fails to pierce the block
by about 5 mm measured from the bottom of the mould. The stop watch is pushed off
and the time is recorded which gives the initial setting time.
The
cement is considered to be finally set when upon applying the needle gently to
the surface of test block, the needle makes an impression, but the attachment
fails to do so.
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