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Tests and Testing Apparatus

IS 6461 (Part 10) — Cement Concrete: Glossary of Terms (First Revision, October 2024) · 2024 definitions.

Glossary Part 10 — Tests and Testing Apparatus reference illustration
Part 9Part 11Definitions quoted verbatim from the BIS standard
Absorbed Moisture Cl 3.1
Moisture that has entered a solid material by absorption and has physical properties not substantially different from ordinary water at the same temperature and pressure.
Accidential Air Cl 3.2
Air voids in concrete which are not purposely entrained.
Adsorbed Water Cl 3.3
Water held on surfaces, of a material by electrochemical forces and having physical properties substantially different from those of absorbed water or chemically combined water at the same temperature and pressure.
Adsorption Cl 3.4
Development at the surface of a liquid or solid of a higher concentration of a substance than exist in the bulk of the medium; especially formation of one or more layers of molecules of gases, of dissolved substances, or of liquids at the surface of a solid, such as cement, cement paste, or aggregate, or of air -entraining agents at the air-water interfaces; also the process by which a substance is adsorbed.
Air Content Cl 3.5
The volume of air voids in cemen t paste, mortar, or concrete, exclusive of pore space fine aggregate particles, usually expressed as a percentage, of total volume of the paste, mortar, or concrete.
Air Meter Cl 3.6
A device for measuring the air conten t of concrete and mortar.
Air Permeability Test Cl 3.7
A procedure for measuring the fineness of powdered materials, such as Portland cement.
Air Void Cl 3.8
A space in cement paste, mortar, or concr ete filled with air; an entrapped air void is characteristically 1 mm or more in size and irregular in shape; an entrained air void is typically between 10 microns and 1 000 microns in diameter and spherical or nearly so.
Ball Test Cl 3.9
A test to determine the consistency of freshly mixed concrete by measuring the depth of penetration of a cylindrical metal weight with a hemisp herical bottom.
Beam Test Cl 3.10
A method of measuring the flexu ral strength (modulus of rupture) of concrete by testing a standard unreinforced beam.
Blaine Apparatus Cl 3.11
Air-permeability apparatus for measuring the surface area of a finely ground cement, raw material, or other product.
Blaine Fineness Cl 3.12
The fineness of powdered materials , such as cement and pozzolana, expressed as surface area usually in square centimeters per gram, determined by the Blaine apparatus. 1 IS 6461 (Part 10) : 2024 To access Indian Standards click on the link below: https://www.services.bis.gov.in/php/BIS_2.0/bisconnect/knowyourstandards/Indian_standards/isdetails/
Blaine Test Cl 3.13
A method for determining the fineness of cement or other fine material on the basis of the permeability to air of a sample prepared under specified conditions.
Briquette Cl 3.14
A moulded specimen of mortar with enlarged extremities and reduced centre having a cross section of definite area, used for measurement of tensile strength.
Calorimeter Cl 3.15
An instrument for measuring heat exchange during a chemical reaction, such as the quantities of heat liberated by the combustion of a fuel or hydration of a cement.
Calorimetric Value Cl 3.16
An indication of the amount of organic impurities present in fine aggregate.
Cap Cl 3.17
A smooth, plane surface of suitable material bonded to the bearing surfaces of test specimens to ensure uniform distribution of load during strength testing.
Compacting Factor Cl 3.18
The ratio obtained by dividing the observed weight of concrete which fills a container of standard size and shape when allowed to fall into it under standard conditions of test, by the weight of fully compacted concrete by a standard procedure of rodding (see IS 1199) which fills the same container.
Compression Test Cl 3.19
Test made on a test specimen of mortar or concrete to determine the compressive strength.
Consistency Cl 3.20
The relative mobility or ability of freshly mixed concrete or mortar to flow; the usual measurements are slump for concrete and flow for mortar, cement paste, or grout.
Consistency Factor Cl 3.21
A measure of grout fluidity roughly analogous to viscosity, which described the case with which grout may be pumped into pores or fissures; usually a laboratory measurement in which consistency is reported in degrees of rotation of a torque viscometer in a specimen of grout.
Consistometer Cl 3.22
An apparatus for measuring the con sistency of cement paste, mortar, grout, or concrete.
Cored Beam Cl 3.23
A beam whose cross section is partially hollow, or a beam from which cored samples of concrete have been taken.
Coring Cl 3.24
The act of obtaining cores from concrete structures or rock foundations.
Cube Strength Cl 3.25
The load per unit area at which a standard cube fails when tested in a specified manner.
Decant Cl 3.26
To pour off a liquid without disturbing a sediment or precipitate.
Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA ) Cl 3.28
Indication of thermal reaction by differential thermocouple recording of temperature changes in a sample under investigation compared with those of a thermally passive control sample, that is heated uniformly and simultaneously.
Dry Cl 3.29
Volume Measurement — Measurement of the ingredients of grout, mortar, or concrete by their bulk-volume.
Dunagan Analysis Cl 3.30
A method of separating the ingredients of freshly mixed concrete or mortar to determine the proportions of the mixture.
False Set Cl 3.31
The rapid development of rigidity in a freshly mixed Portland cement paste, mortar, or concrete without the evolution of much heat, which rigidity can be dispelled and plasticity regained by further mixing without addition of water; premature stiffening, hesitation set, early stiffening, and rubber set are terms referring to the same phenomenon, but false set is the preferred designation.
Field Cl 3.32
Cured Cylinders — Test cylinders cured as nearly as practicable in the same manner as the concrete in the structure to indicate when supporting forms may be removed, additional construction loads may be imposed or the structure may be placed in service.
Final Set Cl 3.33
A degree of stiffening of a mixture of cement and water greater than initial set, generally stated as an empirical value indicating the time in hours and minutes required for a cement paste to stiffen sufficiently to resist to an established degree, the penetration of a weighted test needle; also applicable to concrete and mortar mixtures with use of suitable test procedures (see 3.42).
Final Setting Time Cl 3.34
The time required for a freshly mixed cement paste, mortar, or concrete to achieve final set.
Flame Photometer Cl 3.35
An instrument used to determine elements (especially sodium and potassium in Portland cement) by the colour intensity of their unique flame spectra resulting from introducing a solution of a compound of the element 2 IS 6461 (Part 10) : 2024 into a flame (also known as flame spectrophotometer).
Flash Set Cl 3.36
The rapid development of rigidity in a freshly m ixed Portland cement paste, mortar, or concrete, usually with the evolution of considerable heat, which rigidity cannot be dispelled, nor can the plasticity be regained by further mixing without addition of water; also referred to as quick set or grab set.
Flow Cone Cl 3.38
A device for measurement of grou t consistency in which a predetermined volume of grout is permitted to escape through a precisely sized orifice, the time of efflux (flow factor) being used as the indication of consistency; also, the mou ld used to prepare a specimen for the flow test.
Flow Table Cl 3.39
A jigging device used in making flow tests for consistency of cement paste, mortar, or concrete.
Gillmore Nee dle Cl 3.40
A device used in determining time of setting of hydraulic cement.
Infrared Spectroscopy Cl 3.41
The use of a spectrophot ometer for determination of infrared absorption spectra (3.5 micron to 18 micron wave lengths) of materials, used for detection, determination, and identification especially of organic materials.
Initial Set Cl 3.42
A degree of stiffening of a mixture of ce ment and water less than final set, generally stated as an empirical value indicating the time in hours and minutes required for cement paste to stiffen sufficiently to resist to an established degree, the penetration of a weighted test needle; also applicable to concrete or mortar with use of suitable test procedures.
Initial Setting Time Cl 3.43
The time required for a freshly mixed cement paste, mortar or concrete to achieve initial set.
Kelly Ball Cl 3.44
An apparatus used for indicating the consistency of fresh concrete, consisting of a cylinder with a hemispherically shaped bottom and handle and a stirrup to guide the handle and serve as a reference for measuring depth of penetration (see 3 .9).
Kelly Ball Test Cl 3.45
See 3.9 and 3.44.
Liquid Cl 3.46
Volume Measurement — Measurement of grout on the basis of the total volume of solid and liquid constituents.
Loss on Ignition Cl 3.47
The percentage loss in weight of a sample of cement mortar or concrete ignited to constant weight at a specified temperature, usually 900 °C to 1 000 °C.
Moist Room Cl 3.48
A room in which the atmosphere is maintained at a selected temperature (usually 23.0 °C ± 1.7 °C or 73.4 °F ± 3.0 °F) and a relative humidity of at least 98 percent, for the purpose of c uring and storing cementi tious test specimens.
Neat Cement Paste Cl 3.50
A mixture of hydraulic cement and water, both before and after setting and hardening.
See alsoMix Design MRR
Ovendry Cl 3.52
The condition resulting from having been dried to essentially constant weight, in an oven the temperature of which has been previously fixed, usually between 105 °C and 110 °C; also the process of producing this condition.
Penetration Resistance Cl 3.53
The resistance, usually expressed in kg/mm 2 of mortar or cement paste to penetra te by a plunger or needle under standardized conditions.
Permanent Set Cl 3.54
Inelastic elongation or shortening. 3 IS 6461 (Part 10) : 2024
Permeability to Water, Coefficient of Cl 3.55
The rate of discharge of water under laminar flow conditions through a unit cross-sectional area of a porous medium under a unit hydraulic gradient and standard temperature conditions usually 20 °C.
Polarizing Microscope Cl 3.57
A microscope equipped with elements permitting observations and determinations to be made using polarized light.
Proving Ring Cl 3.58
A device for calibrating load indicators of testing machines, consisting of a calibrated elastic ring and a mechanism or device for indicating the magnitude of deformation under load.
Relative Humidity Cl 3.60
The ratio of the quantity of water vapour actually present to amount present in a saturated atmosphere at a given temperature; expressed as a percentage.
Remoulding Test Cl 3.61
A test to measure remouldability.
Schmidt Hammer (Trade Name) Cl 3.62
A device for the non-destructive testing of hardened concrete based on the principle that the rebound of a steel hammer, after impact against the concrete, is proportional to the compressive strength of the concrete.
Screen (or Sieve) Cl 3.63
A metallic plate or sheet, a woven wire cloth, or other similar device, with regularly spaced apertures of uniform size, mounted in a suitable frame or holder for use in separating material according to size; in mechanical analysis an apparatus with square openings is a sieve.
Sieve Analysis Cl 3.66
Determination of the proportions of particles lying within certain size ranges in a granular material by separation on sieves of different size openings.
Sieve Correction Cl 3.67
Correction of a sieve analysis to adjust for deviation of sieve performance from that of standard calibrated sieves.
Slump Cone Cl 3.68
A mould in the form of a truncated cone with a base diameter of 20 cm, top diameter 10 cm, and height 30 cm, used to fabricate a specimen of freshly mixed concrete for the slump test.
Slump Test Cl 3.69
The procedure for measuring slump.
Spectrophotometer Cl 3.70
Instrument for measuring intensity of radiant energy of desired frequencies absorbed by atoms of molecules; substances are analyzed by converting the absorbed energy to electrical signals, proportional to the intensity of radiation.
Splitting Tensile Test Cl 3.71
A test for tensile strength in which a cylindrical specimen is loaded to failure in diametral compression.
Standard Curing Cl 3.72
Exposure of test sp ecimens to specified conditions of moisture or humidity and of temperature.
Test Cl 3.73
A decisive trial, such as a controlled load ing to failure of a specimen or a specified number of similar specimens.
Testing Machine Cl 3.74
A device for applying test conditions and accurately measuring results.
Torque Viscometer Cl 3.75
A viscometer used for measuring consistency of slurries in which rotation of a device suspended in a rotating cup is the measure of viscosity.
Turbidimeter Cl 3.76
A device for measuring the par ticle size distribution of a finely divided material by taking successive measurements of the turbidity of a suspension in a fluid.
Turbidimeter Fineness Cl 3.77
The fineness of a material, such as Portland cement, usually expressed as total surface area in square centimetres per gram, as determined with the turbidimeter.
Vee Cl 3.78
bee Apparatus — A device for the measurement of the consistency of freshly mixed concrete; the measure of consistency is the time of vibration in seconds; required to transform the concrete sample from a truncated cone (remaining after removal of the slump cone) into a right cylinder; the time is assumed directly proportional to the energy used in compacting the sample.
Vicat Apparatus Cl 3.79
A penetration device used in the testing of hydraulic cements and similar materials. 4 IS 6461 (Part 10) : 2024
Vicat Needle Cl 3.80
A weighed needle for determining setting time of hydraulic cements.
Viscometer Cl 3.81
Instrument for determining viscosity of slurries including fresh concrete.
Wagner Fineness Cl 3.82
The fineness of materials, such as Portland cement expressed as total surface area in square centimeters per gram determined by the Wagner turbidimeter apparatus and procedure.
Wet Screening Cl 3.83
Screening to remove from fresh concrete all aggregate particles larger than a certain size.
Wet Sieving Cl 3.84
See 3.83.
Rights & fair use. All definitions on this page are the property of the Bureau of Indian Standards (© BIS 2024), reproduced from IS 6461 (Part 10) : 2024, Cement Concrete — Glossary of Terms (First Revision). They are shared here in good faith, solely as technical reference for individual members of the civil engineering fraternity; this is not a BIS publication and no ownership is claimed. For authoritative or contractual use, purchase the official PDF at bis.gov.in. The printed standard prevails over any text-extraction artefact.