EN 196-1:2016 (E) 4 European foreword This document (EN 196-1:2016) has been prepared by

Technical Committee CEN/TC 51 “Cement and building limes”, the secretariat of which is held
by NBN. This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by
publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2016, and conflicting
national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by October 2016. Attention is drawn to the
possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. This document
supersedes EN 196-1:2005. In comparison to EN 196-1:2005, the following changes have been
made: —
In Clause 2, the normative references have been updated. —

In 10.2.3 estimates of the precisions for compressive strength testing have been revised with an
indication of repeatability and reproducibility at 2 d and 7 d. —
In 6.2 the mixing procedure has been revised with an indication of a maximum timing for the
addition in the bowl. —
The standard has been editorially revised. EN 196 consists of the following parts, under the
general title Methods of testing cement: — Part 1: Determination of strength; — Part 2:
Chemical analysis of cement; — Part 3: Determination of setting times and soundness; — Part 4:
Quantitative determination of constituents (CEN/TR 196-4); — Part 5: Pozzolanicity test for
pozzolanic cement; — Part 6: Determination of fineness; — Part 7: Methods of taking and
preparing samples of cement; — Part 8: Heat of hydration - Solution method; — Part 9: Heat of
hydration - Semi-adiabatic method; — Part 10: Determination of the water-soluble chromium
(VI) content of cement. According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national
standards organizations of the following countries are bound to implement this European
Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 5 1 Scope This part of EN 196 describes the method for the determination of
the compressive and, optionally, the flexural strength of cement mortar. The method applies to
common cements and to other cements and materials, the standards for which call up this
method. It may not apply to other cement types that have, for example, a very short initial setting
time. The method is used for assessing whether the compressive strength of cement is in
conformity with its specification and for validation testing of a CEN Standard sand, EN 196-1, or
alternative compaction equipment. This part of EN 196 describes the reference equipment and
procedure and
allows alternative compaction equipment and procedures to be used provided that they have been
validated in accordance with the appropriate provisions in this document. In the event of a
dispute, only the reference equipment and procedure are used. 2 Normative references The
following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 196-7, Methods of testing cement - Part 7: Methods of taking and preparing samples of
cement EN 197-1, Cement - Part 1: Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for
common cements EN ISO 1101, Geometrical product specifications (GPS) - Geometrical
tolerance - Tolerances of form, orientation, location and run-out (ISO 1101) EN ISO 1302,
Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) - Indication of surface texture in technical product
documentation (ISO 1302) EN ISO 7500-1, Metallic materials - Verification of static uniaxial
testing machines - Part 1: Tension/compression testing machines - Verification and calibration of
the force-measuring system (ISO 7500-1) ISO 565, Test sieves — Metal wire cloth, perforated
metal plate and electroformed sheet — Nominal sizes of openings ISO 3310-1, Test sieves -
Technical requirements and testing - Part 1: Test sieves of metal wire cloth ISO 4200, Plain end
steel tubes, welded and seamless — General tables of dimensions and masses per unit length 3
Principle The method comprises the determination of the compressive, and optionally the
flexural, strength of prismatic test specimens 40 mm × 40 mm × 160 mm in size. These
specimens are cast from a batch of plastic mortar containing one part by mass of cement, three
parts by mass of CEN Standard sand and one half part of water (water/cement ratio 0,50). CEN
Standard sands from various sources and countries may be used provided that they have been
shown to give cement strength results which do not differ significantly from those obtained using
the CEN Reference sand (see Clause 11). SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 6 In the reference procedure the mortar is prepared by mechanical mixing
and is compacted in a mould using a jolting apparatus. Alternative compaction equipment and
procedures may be used provided that they have been shown to give cement strength results
which do not differ significantly from those obtained using the reference jolting apparatus and
procedure (see Clause 11 and Annex A). The specimens are stored in the mould in a moist
atmosphere for 24 h and, after demoulding, specimens are stored under water until strength
testing. At the required age, the specimens are taken from their wet storage, broken in flexure,
determining the flexural strength where required, or broken using other suitable means which do
not subject the prism halves to harmful stresses, and each half tested for strength in compression.
4 Laboratory and equipment 4.1 Laboratory The laboratory where preparation of specimens
takes place shall be maintained at a temperature of (20 ± 2) °C and a relative humidity of not less
than 50 %. The moist air room or the large cabinet for storage of the specimens in the mould
shall be maintained at a temperature of (20,0 ± 1,0) °C and a relative humidity of not less than 90
%. The storage containers for curing the specimens in water, and the grates with which they are
fitted, shall be of material which does not react with cement. The temperature of the water shall
be maintained at (20,0 ± 1,0) °C. The temperature and relative humidity of the air in the
laboratory and the temperature of the water in the storage containers shall be recorded at least
once a day during working hours. The temperature and relative humidity of the moist air room or
cabinet shall be recorded at least every 4 h. Cement, CEN Standard sand (see 5.1.3), water and
apparatus used to make and test specimens shall be at a temperature of (20 ± 2) °C. Where
temperature ranges are given, the target temperature at which the controls are set shall be the
middle value of the range. 4.2 General requirements for the equipment The tolerances shown in
Figures 1 to 5 are important for correct operation of the equipment in the testing procedure.
When regular control measurements show that the tolerances are not met, the equipment shall be
rejected, adjusted or repaired. Records of control measurements shall be kept. Acceptance
measurements on new equipment shall cover mass, volume, and dimensions to the extent that
these are indicated in this document paying particular attention to those critical dimensions for
which tolerances are specified. In those cases, where the material of the equipment can influence
the results, the material is specified and shall be used. The approximate dimensions shown in the
figures are provided as guidance to equipment manufacturers or operators. Dimensions, which
include tolerances, are obligatory. SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 7 4.3 Test sieves Wire cloth test sieves conforming to ISO 3310-1 shall be of
the sizes from ISO 565 given in Table 1 (series R 20). Table 1 — Aperture of test sieves Square
mesh size (mm) 2,00 1,60 1,00 0,50 0,16 0,08 4.4 Mixer The mixer shall consist essentially of: a)
a stainless steel bowl with a capacity of about 5 l of the typical shape and size shown in Figure 1,
provided with means by which it can be fixed securely to the mixer frame during mixing and by
which the height of the bowl in relation to the blade and, to some extent, the gap between blade
and bowl can be finely adjusted and fixed; b) a stainless steel blade of the typical shape, size and
tolerances shown in Figure 1, revolving about its own axis as it is driven in a planetary
movement around the axis of the bowl at controlled speeds by an electric motor. The two
directions of rotation shall be opposite and the ratio between the two speeds shall not be a whole
number. Blades and bowls shall form sets which shall always be used together. The gap of (3 ±
1) mm refers to the situation when the blade in the empty bowl shown in Figure 1 is brought as
close as possible to the wall. This gap shall be checked regularly applying minimal pressure to
the blade and assuring that there is no perceptible clearance between the joint of the blade and
the axis of the motor. NOTE 1
Simple tolerance gauges (feeler gauges) are useful where direct measurement is difficult. NOTE
2 The dimensions marked as approximate on Figure 1 are for the guidance of manufacturers. The
mixer shall operate at the speeds given in Table 2 when mixing the mortar. Table 2 — Speeds of
mixer blade
Rotation Planetary movement min 1 min 1 Low speed 140 ± 5 62 ± 5 High speed 285 ± 10 125 ±
10 SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 8 Dimensions in millimeters

Key 1 bowl 2 blade Figure 1 — Typical bowl and blade 4.5 Moulds The mould shall consist of
three horizontal compartments so that three prismatic specimens 40 mm × 40 mm in cross
section and 160 mm in length can be prepared simultaneously. A typical design is shown in
Figure 2. The mould shall be made of steel with walls approximately 10 mm thick. Each internal
side face of the mould shall be case hardened to a Vickers hardness of at least HV 200, as
supplied. A minimum Vickers hardness value of HV 400 is recommended. The mould shall be
constructed in such a manner as to facilitate the removal of moulded specimens without damage.
Each mould shall be provided with a machined steel or cast iron baseplate. The mould, when
assembled, shall be positively and rigidly held together and fixed to the baseplate. The assembly
shall be such that there is no distortion or visible leakage during operation. The baseplate shall
make adequate contact with the table of the compacting apparatus and be rigid enough not to
induce secondary vibrations. NOTE 1 Moulds and jolting apparatus from different manufacturers
may have unrelated external dimensions and masses, so their compatibility needs to be ensured
by the purchaser. SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 9 Each part of the mould shall be stamped with identifying marks to facilitate
assembly and to ensure conformity to the specified tolerances. Similar parts of separate mould
assemblies shall not be interchanged. The assembled mould shall conform to the following
requirements. a) The internal dimensions and tolerances of each mould compartment shall be as
follows: 1) length: (160 ± 1) mm; 2) width: (40,0 ± 0,2) mm; 3) depth: (40,1 ± 0,1) mm. b) The
flatness tolerance (see EN ISO 1101) over the whole of each internal side face shall be not
greater than 0,03 mm. c) The perpendicularity tolerance (see EN ISO 1101) for each internal face
with respect to the bottom surface of the mould and the adjacent internal face as datum faces
shall be not greater than 0,2 mm. d) The surface texture (see EN ISO 1302) of each internal side
face shall be not rougher than N8, as supplied. Moulds shall be replaced when any one of the
specified tolerances is exceeded. The mass of the mould shall accord with the requirement for the
combined mass in 4.6. In preparing the cleaned mould ready for use, a suitable sealing material
shall be used to coat the outer joints of the mould. A thin film of mould oil shall be applied to the
internal faces of the mould. NOTE 2 Some oils have been found to affect the setting of cement;
mineral-based oils have been found to be suitable. To facilitate the filling of the mould a tightly
fitting metal hopper with vertical walls 20 mm to 40 mm in height shall be provided. When
viewed in plan, the hopper walls shall overlap the internal walls of the mould by not more than 1
mm. The outer walls of the hopper shall be provided with a means of location to ensure correct
positioning over the mould. For spreading and striking off the mortar two spreaders and a metal
straightedge of the type shown in Figure 3 shall be provided. SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 10 Dimensions in millimetres

Key 1 striking off direction with sawing motion Figure 2 — Typical mould SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 11 Dimensions in millimetres
a) Large spreader b) Small spreader
c) Straightedge Key D

= height of hopper Figure 3 — Typical spreaders and metal straightedge 4.6 Jolting apparatus
The jolting apparatus (a typical design is shown in Figure 4) shall conform to the following
requirements. The apparatus shall consist of a rectangular table rigidly connected by two light
arms to a pivot at nominally 800 mm from the centre of the table. The table shall incorporate at
the centre of its lower face a projecting lug with a rounded face. Beneath the projecting lug shall
be a small stop with a plane upper surface. In the rest position, the common normal through the
point of contact of the lug and the stop shall be vertical. When the lug rests on the stop, the top
face of the table shall be horizontal so that the level of any of the four corners does not deviate
from the mean level by more than 1,0 mm. The table SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 12 shall have dimensions equal to or greater than those of the mould
baseplate, and a plane machined upper surface. Clamps shall be provided for firm attachment of
the mould to the table. The combined mass of the table, including arms, empty mould, hopper
and clamps shall be (20,0 ± 0,5) kg. The arms connecting the table assembly to the pivot shall be
rigid and constructed of round tubing with an outside diameter lying in the range 17 mm to 22
mm selected from tube sizes given in ISO 4200. The total mass of the two arms, including any
cross bracing, shall be (2,25 ± 0,25) kg. The pivot bearings shall be of the ball or roller type and
protected from ingress of grit or dust. The horizontal displacement of the centre of the table as
caused by the play of the pivot shall not exceed 1,0 mm. The lug and the stop shall be made of
through-hardened steel of at least HV 500 Vickers hardness value. The curvature of the lug shall
be about 0,01 mm1. In operation, the table is raised by a cam and allowed to fall freely from a
height of (15,0 ± 0,3) mm before the lug strikes the stop. The cam shall be made of through
hardened steel of at least HV 400 Vickers hardness value and its shaft shall be mounted in ball
bearings of such construction that the free fall is always (15,0 ± 0,3) mm. The cam follower shall
be of a construction which ensures minimal wear of the cam. The cam shall be driven by an
electric motor of about 250 W through a reduction gear at a uniform speed of one revolution per
second. A control mechanism and a counter shall be provided which ensures that one period of
jolting of (60 ± 3) s comprises exactly 60 jolts. The position of the mould on the table shall be
such that the longitudinal dimension of the compartments is in line with the direction of the arms
and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cam. Suitable reference marks shall be provided
to facilitate the positioning of the mould in such a way that the centre of the central compartment
is directly above the point of impact. The apparatus shall be firmly mounted on a concrete block
of mass of about 600 kg and volume of about 0,25 m3 and of dimensions giving a suitable
working height for the mould. The entire base of the concrete block shall stand on an elastic pad,
e.g. natural rubber, having a suitable isolation efficiency preventing external vibrations from
affecting the compaction. The base of the apparatus shall be fixed level to the concrete base by
anchor bolts and a thin layer of mortar shall be placed between the base of the apparatus and the
concrete base to ensure overall and vibration free contact. SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 13 Dimensions in millimetres

Key 1 lug 2 cam follower 3 cam 4 stop Figure 4 — Typical jolting apparatus 4.7 Flexural
strength testing apparatus The provision of this apparatus is optional. If only the compressive
strength is to be measured, prisms may be broken using other suitable means which do not
subject the prism halves to harmful stresses. The flexural strength can be measured by using a
flexural strength testing machine or by using a suitable device in a compression testing machine.
In either case the apparatus shall conform to the following requirements: The apparatus for the
determination of flexural strength shall be capable of applying loads up to 10 kN with an
accuracy of ± 1,0 % of the recorded load in the upper four-fifths of the range being used, at a rate
of loading of (50 ± 10) N/s. SIST EN 196-1:2016
EN 196-1:2016 (E) 14 The apparatus shall be provided with a flexure device incorporating two
steel supporting rollers of (10,0 ± 0,5) mm diameter spaced (100,0 ± 0,5) mm apart and a third
steel loading roller of the same diameter placed centrally between the other two. The length of
these rollers shall be between 45 mm and 50 mm. The loading arrangement is shown in Figure 5.
Dimensions in millimetres
a) Front view b) Side view Figure 5 — Arrangement of loading for determination of flexural
strength The three vertical planes through the axes of the three rollers shall be parallel and
remain parallel, equidistant and normal to the direction of the specimen under test. One of the
supporting rollers and the loading roller shall be capable of tilting slightly to allow a uniform
distribution of the load over the width of the specimen without subjecting it to any torsional
stresses. 4.8 Compressive strength testing machine The testing machine for the determination of
compressive strength shall be of suitable capacity for the test: it shall have an accuracy of ± 1,0
% of the recorded load in the upper four-fifths of the range being used when verified in
accordance with EN ISO 7500-1. It shall provide a rate of load increase of (2 400 ± 200) N/s. It
shall be fitted with an indicating device which shall be so constructed that the value indicated at
failure of the specimen remains indicated after the testing machine is unloaded. This can be
achieved by the use of a maximum indicator on a pressure gauge or a memory on a digital
display. Manually operated testing machines shall be fitted with a pacing device to facilitate the
control of the load increase. The vertical axis of the ram shall coincide with the vertical axis of
the machine and during loading the direction of movement of the ram shall be along the vertical
axis of the machine. Furthermore, the resultant of the forces shall pass through the centre of the
specimen. The surface of the lower machine platen shall be normal to the axis of the machine
and remain normal during loading. The centre of the upper platen spherical seating shall be at the
point of intersection of the vertical machine axis with the plane of the lower surface of the upper
machine platen with a tolerance of ± 1 mm. The upper platen shall be free to align as contact is
made with the specimen, but during loading the relative attitude of the upper and lower platens
shall remain fixed. The testing machine shall be provided with platens made of tungsten carbide,
or alternatively through hardened steel with a Vickers hardness of at least HV 600. These platens
shall be at least 10 mm thick, (40,0 ± 0,1) mm wide and (40,0 ± 0,1) mm long. The flatness
tolerance according to EN ISO 1101, over the entire contact surface with the specimen shall be
not greater than 0,01 mm. T