1.

0 INTRODUCTON
Workability was defined as the property of the concrete which determines its ability to be placed, compacted and finished. It is the most term relating to fresh concrete of these three operations, the greatest emphasis should be placed on compaction to eliminate of air voids, since the consequences of inadequate compaction are serious. It also can be independently characteristic as follows: Consistency Is the firmness of form of a substance or the ease with which it will flow It is measure of wetness or fluidity Mobility The ease which concrete mix design can flow into and completely fill the formwork or mould Compactibility The ease with which a given concrete mix can be fully compacted to remove all trapped air To achieve maximum possible density The increase in compressive strength with an increase in the density

There are three test that are being used widely to measure the workability. Workability may be measured by the slump test, compacting factor test and Vebe test. These methods have found universal acceptance and their merit is due to the simplicity of operation with and ability to detect variations in the uniformity of a mix of given nominal proportions. Workability categories and its application shown in Table 1.0

Table 1.0: Workability categories and applications Slump(mm) Workability Vebe category time(mm) Extremely Low 0 Over 20

Compacting factor 0.65-0.7

Applications Lean mix concrete for roads( compacted by vibrating roller). Precast paving slabs. Roads compacted by power operated machines. High quality structural concrete. Mass concrete compacted by vibration Normal purposes reinforced concrete compacted by vibrating poker or manually Areas with congested reinforcement, concrete for placing underwater

Very Low

0-10

12-20

0.7-0.75

Low

30-60

6-12

0.75-0.85

Medium

30-60

3-6

0.85-0.95

High

60-180

0-3

0.95-1.0

2.0 OBJECTIVE The main objective of this experiment is to determine the slump of cohesive concrete of low to high workability and measure the workability of concrete. The end of this experiment, the students will be able to: i. ii. iii. iv. Explain and define workability Measure workability Describe factors affecting workability Explain the slump, vebe and compacting factor test.

3.0 WORKABILITY TEST

3.1.1 SLUMP TEST The workability of a concrete mix is defined as the case with which it can be mixed, transported, placed and compacted in position. Slump test is carried out to measures the consistency of plastic concrete. It is suitable for detecting changes in workability. This test is

being used extensively on site. There are three type of slumps which is true slump, shear slump and collapse slump. Figure 1.0 shows the method to measure the slump.

Figure 1.0 Method of measuring slump in slump test together with types of slump: a) true slump; b) shear slump; c) collapse slump