SOUNDNESS

1.4 SOUNDNESS

AIM

To determine the soundness of cement by Le-Chatelier method

as per IS: 4031 (Part 3) - 1988.

APPARATUS

FIG. 3 : LE-CHATELIER'S TEST APPARATUS

i) The apparatus for conducting the Le-Chatelier test should

conform to IS: 5514 - 1969

ii) Balance, whose pemissible variation at a load of 1000 g

should be +1.0 g

iii) Water bath

PROCEDURE

i) Place the mould on a glass sheet and fill it with the cement

paste formed by gauging cement with 0.78 times the water

required to give a paste of standard consistency (see

Para 1.2).

ii) Cover the mould with another piece of glass sheet, place a

small weight on this covering glass sheet and immediately

submerge the whole assembly in water at a temperature of

27 ± 2 °C and keep it there for 24 hrs.

iii) Measure the distance separating the indicator points to the

nearest 0.5 mm (say d l).

iv) Submerge the mould again in water at the temperature

prescribed above. Bring the water to boiling point in 25 to 30

minutes and keep it boiling for 3 hrs.

v) Remove the mould from the water, allow it to cool and

measure the distance between the indicator points (say d 2).

vi) (d 2 – d l) represents the expansion of cement.

REPORTING OF RESULTS

Calculate the mean of the two values to the nearest 0.5 mm to

represent the expansion of cement.