I.

OBJECTIVE

This experimental work is intended to determine the setting time of hydraulic cement in
normal consistency condition using Vicat and Gillmore tool.
II.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
1. Mixer with some leaves mixers that are made out of stainless steel and removable
bowl.
2. Vicat tool (using the end needle of D as shown in the picture A.3)
3. Gillmore tool with low pressure needle (1/12 inch of diameter, lb of weight), and
high pressure needle (1/12 inch of diameter, lb of weight), see Figure A.4
4. Scale with 1,0 gram of sensitivity
5. Scraper that is made out of stiff rubber
6. Measuring cup (capacity 150 or 200 mL)
7. Humid room that can provides a minimum humidity of 90%

III.
MATERIAL
1. Portland cement.
2. Clean water (room temperature)

IV.

PROCEDURE
In vical test, setting time occurs when the small needle of vicat tool, needle (D),
reach the penetration 25 mm into the cement paste after resting 30 seconds.
In gilmore test, first setting time occurs when the low pressure needle does not
make any visible stain on the surface of cement paste. On the other hand, final
setting time occurs when high pressure needle does not make any visible stain on
the surface of cement paste

Testing with vicat tool

1. Set up the blade and the dry bowl into the mixer tool.
2. Fill all the material for one batch into the bowl and mixed as follow:
a. Pour all water solvent which has been determined during the previous experiment
(cement paste preparation for 500 gram of cement)
b. Pour 500 gram of cement into the water, let the absorption occured approximately
30 seconds.
3. Turn the mixer on, use the 140 + 5 rpm and mix the paste around 30 seconds.
4. Turn the mixer off during 15 seconds and sweep the paste on the inner part of bowl.
5. Turn the mixer on with normal speed rotation (285 + 10 rpm) and mix the paste for 1
minute.

6. Take the paste from the bowl and form a ball. Push it into conic ring (G) therefore it
fills properly the ring as well as in the previous experiment.
7. Place the cement paste ball into a humid room, and keep them inside the room unless
the next step performed.
8. After around 30 minutes inside the humid room, place the specimen into vicat tool.
Lower the nedle(D) until it reaches the surface of the paste. Screw the screw E and
slide the needle pointer (F) on the upper layer scale and do initial reading.
9. By turning the key/screw (E) open, we release the shaft (B), and at the same time
needle (C) will penetrate into the cement paste. Leave it until 30 seconds. Read the
scale to decide the penetration depth. If the paste is too soft, slower the releasing of
the shaft (B) to avoid the needle buckled (by touching directly to the glass base).
10. The penetration distance in a paste cannot be less than 6 mm. For each type I cement
specimen; the experiment should be performed as soon as taken from the humid room
every 15 minutes until it reaches 25 mm or less of penetration. For each type III
cement specimen; the experiment should be performed as soon as taken from the
humid room every 10 minutes until it reaches 25 mm or less penetration.
11. Plot the (graph) penetration of vicats needle as a function of time for type I and III of
cement.
Testing with Gillmore tool
1. Set up the blade and the dry bowl into the mixer tool.
2. Fill all the material for one batch into the bowl and mixed as follow:
a. Pour all water solvent which has been determined during the previous
experiment(cement paste preparation for 500 gram of cement)
b. Pour 500 gram of cement into the water; let the absorption occured
approximately 30 seconds.
3. Turn the mixer on, use the 140 + 5 rpm and mix the paste around 30 seconds.
4. Turn th mixer off during 15 seconds and sweep the paste on the inner part of the bowl.
5. Form the cement paste into a flat circle formed with 75 mm of diameter and 12 mm of
thickness. In the center of the specimen, it should be flat and thinning to outside part
(truncated conic formed). See figure A.5. Use a neat, flat glasses + 10x10 cm2
dimension in order to make the flat circle cement paste.
6. Place the specimen and the glasses into the humid room.
7. Take needles into a vertical position above the paste; put its end gently to the paste
surface.
8. If the low pressure needle does not make any visible stain on the surface of cement
paste, the initial setting time has been reached. If the high pressure needle does not
make any visible stain on the surface of cement paste, the final setting time has been
reached.
9. Record the initial and final setting times.
10. Set up a table to show the difference condition for each type of cement (type I and
III).

V.

RESULTS

Table A. 1. Examination of Setting of portland cement Using Vicat tool.

Initial number of settlement
1
2
3
4

Time (minute)
60
75
90
105

Settlement (mm)
38.5 mm
32.5 mm
32 mm
22.5 mm

Setting Time of Cement

45
40
35
30
Y-Values

25
20
15
10
5
0
50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Setting time of cement

50
40
f(x) = - 0.32x + 58.05
R = 0.9

30
Settlement 20

y
Linear (y)

10
0
50

60

70

80

90

100 110

Time

If we calculate the ideal time until we get to 25 mm , we put 25 becomes y into the formula.
We get x = 102 .

VI.

EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
Data Analysis
As in the procedure above we did step by step what we had to do to
complete this experiment , we weighed the cement we need and also added water ,
we mixed water and cement in the mixer to get cement paste ,after all the mixing

process had been done we made a shape which was the same shape as the mold.
We used this cement for two experiment, the previous module and for this module.
After the cement used in the previous experiment, we started to use it for this
experiment. The normal consistency is until we reach 25 mm or less. First we had
to wait 1 hour and then we released the needle. The first experiment, we got 38.5
mm and then we waited another 15 minutes we got 32.5 mm. we still hadnt got
the normal consistency we waited another 15 minutes we got 32 mm. This time,
for the last experiment after we waited for 15 minutes we finally got the normal
consistency which was 22.5 mm. In the procedure written that the ideal
consistency is 25 mm and below it. After we calculated the data and got the
equation , we can know the precious time when the vicat tools get the depth of 25
mm is 102 minutes.
Result Analysis
In the Calculation above we can see we get the normal consistency for
cement in 105 minutes with 22.5 mm , that the ideal value is 25 mm and below it.
When we calculate using the ideal value 25 mm with the equation below ,the time
taken is 102 minutes.
Error Analysis

VII.

When we waited for the predetermined time to release the needle , we

might have released the needle several minutes later than we should and we didnt
succeed the first time when we made the cement paste to put into the mold that the
water content was not enough to mix with the cement.
CONCLUSION
Other than the time that we have to concern , we have to prepare the
ideal cement and water content before placing the cement paste into the mold and
testing it with the vicat tool . Finally we get the normal consistency of the cement
in 105 minutes with 22.5 mm. When we use 25 mm , the time taken is 102 minutes.
We can conclude that the cement paste we use is at its best quality
because the standardization for the time taken is between 1-3 hours.

VIII. REFERENCES
American Society for Testing and Materials. standards Test Method for Time of Setting of
Hydraulic Cement by Vicat Needle, No. ASTM C 191 04b. Annual Book of ASTM
Standards. Vol. 04. 01.

IX.

APPENDIX

X.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS

This experimental uses some chemical materials (liquid and powder). Pay attention in
pouring the materials into the bottle. Use safety glasses during the experiment if necessary.
Clean hands properly after finished doing the experiment!

PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS EXPERIMENTAL REPORT

DETERMINATION OF TIME OF SETTING OF HYDRAULIC CEMENT BY VICAT
AND GILMORE NEEDLE
MODULE A.3

GROUP 29
Fajar Surya Muhammad

1306437170

Muhammad Alif Maggalatta

1306388906

Raihan Alisha Nabila

1306437126

R.A Tamara R F Iskandar

1306388894

Zain Zahran Azzaino

1306437044

Date of Experimental

: October 30th 2013

Experimental Assistant

: Putri Marastuti

Date of Approval

Score

Assistants Signature

LABORATORY OF STRUCTURE AND MATERIAL

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTEMENT
ENGINEERING FACULTY
UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA
DEPOK 2013