Cement Testing

Compressive Strength Test

• Purpose:
  To determine the ability of cement mortar to withstand compressive forces, helping in quality control.
• Procedure:
  1. Prepare a 1:3 mix of cement and standard sand (by weight).
  2. Add water (P/4 + 3% of the total mix), where P is the standard consistency obtained from the consistency test.
  3. Fill the prepared mix into cube molds (size 70.6 mm x 70.6 mm).
  4. Vibrate or tamp the molds to remove air bubbles and achieve proper compaction.
  5. Allow the cubes to set for 24 hours in molds.
  6. After demolding, cure the cubes in water at 27 ± 2°C for 28 days.
  7. Test the cured cubes in a compression testing machine by applying load gradually until failure.
• Calculation Formula:

Example Calculation:

Standard Reference: IS 4031 (Part 6)

Soundness Test

• Purpose:
  To ensure that cement does not undergo significant expansion after setting, preventing cracks.
• Procedure:
  1. Prepare cement paste and place it in the Le Chatelier mold.
  2. Immerse the mold in water and allow it to set.
  3. Boil the setup for 3 hours.
  4. Measure the distance between the indicator points before and after boiling.
• Acceptable Limit:
  Expansion ≤ 10 mm (for ordinary Portland cement).
• Standard Reference: IS 4031 (Part 3)