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.