🧱 Setting Time of Cement (Vicat)

Construction PN-EN 196-3

Overview

STATUS (as of 28.10.2026). PN-EN 196-3:2016-12 — Polish version, published 12.01.2018, implements EN 196-3:2016 [IDT]; it replaced PN-EN 196-3+A1:2011. The standard is current — no withdrawal note.

SCOPE (clause 1). The standard gives methods for determining the standard consistence, setting times and soundness of cements. It applies to common cements and to other cements and materials whose standards call up this method; it may not apply to cements with, for example, a very short initial setting time. It describes the reference methods and allows — in notes — alternative procedures and equipment provided they have been calibrated against the reference methods; in a dispute only the reference methods are used. Informative Annex A describes an alternative method for setting time.

PRINCIPLES (clause 3). Cement paste of standard consistence has a specified resistance to penetration by a standard plunger; the water required is determined by trial penetrations of pastes with different water contents. The setting time is determined by observing the penetration of a needle into paste of standard consistence until it reaches a specified value. Soundness is assessed from the volume expansion of the paste, indicated by the relative movement of the two needles of the Le Chatelier apparatus.

LABORATORY AND MATERIALS (clause 4). Room temperature (20 ± 2) °C, relative humidity at least 50 %; the air temperature and humidity and the temperature of the water in the storage containers are recorded at least once a day during testing. Cement, water and apparatus are at (20 ± 2) °C. The paste is made with distilled or deionized water; drinking water may be used for storing and boiling specimens. Balance accurate to ± 1 g, graduated cylinder or burette ± 1 ml, mixer according to PN-EN 196-1, timer ± 1 s, measuring device ± 0.5 mm.

VICAT APPARATUS (5.1, Figure 1). Mass of the moving parts (300 ± 1) g, movement truly vertical without appreciable friction. Plunger for standard consistence — a cylinder of (10.00 ± 0.05) mm diameter and at least 45 mm effective length; needle for initial set — diameter (1.13 ± 0.05) mm; needle with an annular attachment for final set, from which the needle protrudes by (0.5 ± 0.1) mm. Mould of hard rubber, plastics or brass, cylindrical or — preferably — truncated conical, (40.0 ± 0.2) mm deep with an internal diameter of (75 ± 10) mm, on a base plate at least 2.5 mm thick of impermeable material, e.g. glass. During the setting time determination the mould with the paste stands in a container with water, and for final set it is inverted.

CRITERIA. Standard consistence — the plunger stops (6 ± 2) mm above the base plate. Initial setting time — the time from zero time after which the needle stops (6 ± 3) mm above the plate. Specimens for the setting time determination are stored immersed in water at (20.0 ± 1.0) °C. Final setting time — the time after which the needle with the attachment penetrates the paste only about 0.5 mm, i.e. only the needle and not the attachment leaves a mark; the result is confirmed at two further positions of the specimen. The final setting time is given in minutes rounded to 5 min. Specimens for the soundness test are stored at a relative humidity of at least 90 %, and the determination is made once.

REQUIREMENTS FOR CEMENT (PN-EN 197-1:2012, Table 2). Initial setting time: at least 75 min for class 32.5, 60 min for class 42.5 and 45 min for class 52.5. Soundness (expansion): not more than 10 mm for all classes. The table gives no requirement for the final setting time.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE HERE. How the mould is filled, the intervals between successive needle drops, the boiling time and the measuring procedure in the soundness test (5.2.2–7.4), the precision data (note to 6.2.2) and the alternative method (Annex A) — we only know the titles of these clauses. The criteria above come from the list of technical changes of the 2005 edition and from Figure 1 of the current edition; the 2016 edition changed the normative references, added precision data and rounding of the final setting time to 5 min compared with the previous one.

Method principle

First the amount of water giving a paste of standard consistence is established: 500 g of cement are mixed with water in a mixer according to a fixed programme (3 minutes of running in total), the Vicat mould is filled and the penetration of the 10 mm plunger is checked — the paste has standard consistence when the plunger stops (6 ± 2) mm above the base plate.

The setting time is determined on paste of standard consistence: the mould stands in water at (20.0 ± 1.0) °C, and the 1.13 mm needle is lowered repeatedly until it stops (6 ± 3) mm above the plate — this is the initial setting time counted from zero time (start of mixing). The final setting time is determined on the inverted mould with the needle with an annular attachment: it is the moment from which the paste is penetrated only about 0.5 mm and the attachment leaves no mark. Soundness is assessed with the Le Chatelier apparatus — the measure is the expansion of the paste shown by the relative movement of two needles.

Applications

• Assessment of the conformity of cement with its specification — for common cements the requirements of PN-EN 197-1 (initial setting time, soundness)
• Cements and materials whose standards call up PN-EN 196-3
• Settling disputes — only with the reference methods and apparatus
• Routine testing with alternative methods (e.g. an automatic apparatus) — after calibration against the reference methods

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 196-3:2016-12

Title (PL)

Metody badania cementu — Część 3: Oznaczanie czasów wiązania i stałości objętości

Title (EN)

Methods of testing cement — Part 3: Determination of setting times and soundness

Step-by-step procedure

1. Test conditions

   Room (20 ± 2) °C, relative humidity at least 50 %; cement, water and apparatus at (20 ± 2) °C. Record the air temperature and humidity and the temperature of the water in the containers at least once a day (4.1).

   🌡 Temperature: 20 ± 2 °C

2. Mixing the paste

   Weigh 500 g of cement (± 1 g) and water, e.g. 125 g (± 1 g or ± 1 ml). Put the water and cement into the bowl within 10 s; immediately start the mixer at low speed and record zero time to the nearest minute. After 90 s stop for 30 s and scrape the paste from the wall and bottom into the middle of the bowl, then mix for a further 90 s at low speed — 3 min of running in total; stage times within ± 2 s (5.2.1).

3. Standard consistence

   Fill the Vicat mould with the paste and lower the 10 mm plunger. The paste has standard consistence when the plunger stops (6 ± 2) mm above the base plate; if not — repeat with a different amount of water. The amount of water is established by trials with pastes of different water contents (clause 3).

4. Initial setting time

   Store the mould with paste of standard consistence immersed in water at (20.0 ± 1.0) °C. Lower the (1.13 ± 0.05) mm needle repeatedly; the initial setting time is the time from zero time after which the needle stops (6 ± 3) mm above the base plate.

   🌡 Temperature: 20.0 ± 1.0 °C

5. Final setting time

   Invert the mould and use the needle with an annular attachment. The final setting time is the time from zero time after which the needle penetrates only about 0.5 mm — the needle and not the attachment leaves a mark; confirm the result at two further positions and give it in minutes rounded to 5 min.

6. Soundness

   With the Le Chatelier apparatus on paste of standard consistence; store the specimens at a relative humidity of at least 90 %, make the determination once. The measure is the expansion of the paste — the relative movement of the two needles of the apparatus, in mm.

7. Assessment and report

   Compare the results with the cement specification — for cements according to PN-EN 197-1: initial setting time at least 75 min (class 32.5), 60 min (42.5) or 45 min (52.5), soundness not more than 10 mm.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• The standard contains no safety requirements — practices are set by the laboratory on the basis of a risk assessment and the cement safety data sheet
• The soundness test requires boiling the specimens — risk of scalding by boiling water and steam

Frequently asked questions