THIS PDF IS ABOUT TESTS ON FRESH CONCRETE USED ON FIELD AND IN LABS. IT INCLUDES TEST METHODOLOGY TEST DATA INTERPRETATION AND PICTURES OF APPRATUS USED

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Tests on Fresh Concrete
Advances in Concrete Technology
(1724906)
0
S ITARAMBHAI
N ARANJIBHAI
P ATEL
I NSTITUTE OF
T ECHNOLOGY &
R ESEARCH
C ENTRE,UMRAKH,BARDOLI
Presented under Subject:
Gujarat Technological University
Nisarg Mahendrabhai Mistry
Enrolment No.- 130490749011
ME Construction Management
Contents
1. Workability Test Methods for Concrete.
2. Definitions.
3. Classes of Workability Measurements.
4. Compaction Factor Test
5. Slump Test
6. Kelly Ball Test
7. Vebe Consistometer Test
8. Flow Table Test
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Workability Test Methods for
Concrete
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Definitions
• Workability:
It is that property of freshly mixed concrete or mortar that determines the ease
with which it can be mixed, placed, consolidated, and finished to a
homogenous condition.
• Confined Flow Tests:
The material flows under its own weight or under an applied pressure through a
narrow orifice.
• Free Flow Tests:
The material either flows under its own weight, without any confinement or an
object penetrates the material by gravitational settling.
• Vibration Tests:
The material flows under the influence of applied vibration. The vibration is
applied by using a vibrating table, dropping the base supporting the material, an
external vibrator, or an internal vibrator.
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Classes of Workability Measurements
• The multitude of workability test methods can be divided into categories
based on several different classification schemes.
• Generally the assessment of workability can be classified into three classes, as
shown in Table .
• The majority of workability test methods fall into Class II and Class III
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Compaction Factor
Test
• Apparatus - Consist of a rigid frame
that supports two conical hoppers
vertically aligned and mounted
above a cylinder,
• Top hopper is slightly larger than
the bottom hopper & the cylinder is
smaller in volume than both
hoppers.
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Apparatus for max. aggregate size 20 mm

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Compaction Factor
Test MethodologyTop hopper is
filled with
concrete (Not
Compacted)
door on the
bottom of the
top hopper is
opened
concrete is
allowed to
drop into the
lower hopper
All concrete
fallen from
top hopper
Lower
hopper
door
opened
All Concrete
from lower
hopper to
cylinder
Mass of
Concrete in
cylinder is
recorded
& it is
compared to
mass of fully
compacted
conc.
(vibrated)
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Interpretation
• A larger apparatus is available for concretes with maximum aggregate sizes
of up to 40 mm. The results of the compaction factor test can be correlated to
slump, although the relationship is not linear.
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Slump Test
• The slump test is the
– most well-known
– widely used test method to characterize the workability of fresh
concrete.
– inexpensive test
– used on job sites to determine rapidly whether a concrete batch should
be accepted or rejected.
– widely standardized throughout the world
• Apparatus:
– Mold in the shape of a frustum of a cone
– Base diameter of 8 inches, Top diameter of 4 inches, Height of 12
inches.
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Methodology
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Mold Filled
with conc.
(3 layers of
equal vol.)
Each layer
compacted
with 25
strokes of
temping
Rod
slump cone
mold is
lifted
vertically
upward
change in
height of
the
concrete is
measured
Type of
slump is
Recorded
(One from
4)
All Concrete
from lower
hopper to
cylinder
Mass of
Concrete in
cylinder is
recorded
& it is
compared to
mass of fully
compacted
conc.
(vibrated)

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Types of Slump
Procedure
Interpretation
• The only type of slump permissible is the “true” slump, where the concrete
remains intact and retains a symmetric shape.
• The slump test is not considered applicable for concretes with a maximum
coarse aggregate size greater than 1.5 inches. For concrete with aggregate
greater than 1.5 inches in size, such larger particles can be removed by wet
sieving.
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Consistency Grade Slump (in mm) Recommended method of Compaction
Stiff (K1) 0-60 Mechanical compaction like vibration
Plastic(K2) 60-130 Mechanical or Hand compaction(Rodding
,Tampering )
Flowing (K3) 130-200 Hand Compaction
Self Compacting (K4) >200 No Compaction

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Kelly Ball Test
• The Kelly ball test was formerly
standardized in ASTM (American
Standards for Testing and Materials) C360-
92: “Standard Test Method for Ball
Penetration in Freshly Mixed Cement
Concrete.”
• The ASTM standard was discontinued in
1999 due to lack of use. The test has never
been used widely outside the United States
(1992).
• The Kelly ball test provides an indication
of yield stress, as the test essentially
measures whether the stress applied by the
weight of the ball is greater than the yield
stress of the concrete.
• Dimensions are as shown in fig. & weight
= 30 pounds 12
Apparatus Dimensions
Procedure for Kelly Ball Test
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Interpretation
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• The value of slump is 1.10 to 2.00 times the Kelly
ball test reading. It has been claimed that the Kelly
ball test is more accurate in determiningconsistency
than the slump test
• Advantages:
– The test is faster than the slump test and can be
preformed on in-place concrete to obtain a direct
result quickly.
– It has been claimed that the Kelly ball test
provides more accurate results than the slump
test.
• Disadvantages:
– Like the slump test, the Kelly ball test is a static
test.
– The test must be performed on a level concrete
surface.
– The test is no longer widely used.
– Large aggregate can influence the results.
Vebe Consistometer Test
• The equipment for the test, as shown in
the above figure, was developed by
Swedish engineer V. Bahrner.
• The Vebe Consistometer measures the
remolding ability of concrete under
vibration.
• Vebe test – like slump test measures only
the consistency but more meaningful for
mixtures of concrete with low consistency.
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Procedure
• Vebe test equipment consists
of a
• vibrating table,
• cylindrical pan,
• a slump cone,
• glass or plastic disk
attached to a free-moving
rod,
• The time required to remold the
concrete, from the conical to the
cylindrical shape until the disk is
completely covered with
concrete,
is reported as the Vebe time in
seconds
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• The flow table test
measures the
horizontal spread
of a concrete cone
specimen after
being subjected to
jolting.
• Introduced in
Germany in the
1930s.
• The frustum of a
cone used to mold
the concrete is
shorter than the
slump cone
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Flow Table Test

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Cone mold is
placed in the
center of the
plate
Filled in two
layers
Each layer compacted
with temping rod
Plate is lifted with
attached handle (40
mm)
Lifted and dropped
15 times
Horizontal
spread of the
concrete is
Measured
Procedure
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Flow Table Test
• This method is appropriate for appropriate for highly fluid mixes that exhibit a
collapsed slump.
• The results of the test can be correlated to slump, at the initial horizontal spread,
prior to jolting,.
• Advantages:
– The test is simple and can be used in the field.
– The test quickly provides a direct result.
– The test is dynamic, making it especially appropriate for highly thixotropic
concrete mixtures.
• Disadvantages:
– The test procedure does not represent actual placement conditions—concrete is
typically vibrated, not jolted.
– The test results tend to converge as the number of drops is increased. Near the
end of the test, the properties of the thin layer of concrete do reflect the bulk
properties of the concrete. The results are not given in terms of fundamental
units.An analytical treatment of the test would be difficult.
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References
i. www.aboutcivil.org/Properties-of-concrete-factors-affecting
ii. up.edu.ps/ocw/repositories/PDF
iii. www.ce.berkeley.edu/~paulmont/CE60New/fresh_concrete
iv. 1.bp.blogspot.com
v. www.humboldtmfg.com/product-images/H-3655_lg.jpg
vi. www.xypex.com.au/images/Downloads/test_reports/chloride_resistance/
Dr_Wee_Tiong_HuanStudy_on_Fresh_and_Hardened_Properties_of_Co
ncrete
vii. blog.kryton.com/2013/08/concrete-workability-measurements-the-
slump-test
viii. www.icar.utexas.edu/publications/105/105_1.pdf
ix. elearning.vtu.ac.in/16/ENotes/ConcreteTechnology/unit3-NS.pdf
x. www.concreteplants.com/Images/CPIdocs/ACIGuidelinesForCement.pdf
xi. static.splashnology.com/articles/Texture_Packs_may_2012/Grunge_Con
crete_Textures.jpg
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