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Consistency of Concrete by Vee-Bee Consistometer Test: 1. Objective

The Vee-Bee consistometer test measures the workability of fresh concrete by determining the time required for a sample to change shape from a conical mold to a cylindrical shape through vibration. A shorter time indicates higher workability. The test is useful for studying how water-cement ratio and aggregate grading affect mobility. It is best suited for dry concrete with slumps less than 50mm, as more workable mixes change shape too quickly to time. The Vee-Bee degree in seconds corresponds to classifications from very dry to fluid workability.

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Himanku Bora
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371 views

Consistency of Concrete by Vee-Bee Consistometer Test: 1. Objective

The Vee-Bee consistometer test measures the workability of fresh concrete by determining the time required for a sample to change shape from a conical mold to a cylindrical shape through vibration. A shorter time indicates higher workability. The test is useful for studying how water-cement ratio and aggregate grading affect mobility. It is best suited for dry concrete with slumps less than 50mm, as more workable mixes change shape too quickly to time. The Vee-Bee degree in seconds corresponds to classifications from very dry to fluid workability.

Uploaded by

Himanku Bora
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONSISTENCY OF CONCRETE BY VEE-BEE CONSISTOMETER

TEST
1. Objective
The workability of fresh concrete is a composite property, which includes the diverse requirements of
stability, mobility, compactability, placeability and finishability. There are different methods for
measuring the workability. Each of them measures only a particular aspect of it and there is really no
unique test, which measures workability of concrete in its totality. This test gives an indication of the
mobility and to some extent of the compactibility of freshly mixed concrete. The test measures the
relative effort required to change a mass of concrete from one definite shape to another (i.e., from
conical to cylindrical) by means of vibration. The amount of effort (called remoulding effort) is taken as
the time in seconds, required to complete the change. The results of this test are of value when
studying the mobility of the masses of concrete made with varying amounts of water, cement and with
various types of grading of aggregate. The time required for complete remoulding in seconds is
considered as a measure of workability and is expressed as the number of Vee-Bee seconds. The
method is suitable for dry concrete. For concrete of slump in excess of 50mm, the remoulding is so
quick that the time cannot measured.

2. Apparatus Required

Fig. 1: Vee-Bee Consistometer

a) A vibrator table resting upon elastic supports

b) A metal pot

c) A sheet metal cone, open at both ends

d) A standard iron rod, Tamper (20 mm in diameter and 500 mm length)

Fig. 2: Balance

Balance should be able to weigh upto 1 g accuracy.

3. Reference
IS 1199:1959 Methods of Sampling and Analysis of Concrete (Eleventh revision). Reaffirmed- Dec
2013.

4. Procedure
1. Slump test as described in "IS 1199:1959 Specifications for Concrete Slump Test Apparatus
(Fourth revision). Reaffirmed- Dec 2013". is performed, placing the slump cone inside the sheet
metal cylindrical pot of the consistometer.
2. The glass disc attached to the swivel arm shall be moved and placed just on the top of the slump
cone in the pot and before the cone is lifted up, the position of the concrete cone shall be noted by
adjusting the glass disc attached to the swivel arm. The cone shall then be lifted up and the slump
noted on the graduated rod by lowering the glass disc on top of the concrete cone. The electrical
vibrator shall then be switched on and the concrete shall be allowed to spread out in the pot.
3. The vibration is continued till such a time as the conical shape of the concrete disappears and the
concrete assumes a cylindrical shape. This can be judged by observing the glass disc from the top
for disappearance of transparency.
4. Immediately when the concrete fully assumes a cylindrical shape, the stop watch is switched off.
The time required for the shape of concrete to change from slump cone shape to cylindrical shape
in seconds is known as Vee Bee Degree.
5. This method is very suitable for very dry concrete whose slump value cannot be measured by
Slump Test, but the vibration is too vigorous for concrete with a slump greater than about 50 mm.

5. Observation And Recording


The time required for the shape of concrete to change from slump cone shape to cylindrical shape in
seconds is known as Vee Bee Degree
6. Result
The Vee Bee Degree of concrete ......... second(s) indicate Low/ Medium/ High Degree of workability

Workability
Work Measurement Vee-Bee time
Description Slump Compaction (seconds)
(mm) Factor
Moist earth - - 40 to 25-20
Very Dry - 0.70 20 to 15-10
Dry 0 - 25 0.75 10 to 7-5
Plastic 25 - 50 0.85 5 to 4-3
Semi Fluid 75 - 100 0.90 3 to 2-1
150 -
Fluid 0.95 More Fluid than 1
175

Table 1 : Workability of Concrete based on Vee-Bee Test

7. Video
Vee-Bee Test on Concrete

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