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Initial And Final Setting

Time of Cement –
Importance, Calculation
by Civil Lead

Table of Contents 
1. Initial And Final Setting Time of Cement
2. Initial Setting Time
3. Final Setting Time
4. Importance of Initial And Final Setting
Time
5. Factors ABecting The Initial And Final
Setting Time
6. Procedure to Calculate Setting Time of
Cement
7. Apparatus
8. Test Procedure
8.1. For Initial Setting Time
8.2. For Final Setting Time
9. CalCulation
10. Standard Setting Time for Various
Cement

Initial And Final Setting Time

of Cement

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When water is mixed in cement, the hydration

process starts, and it forms a paste moulded
in any desired shape because of its plasticity.

The cement continues to react with water,

and with time it loses its plasticity and
hardens. This process is termed as setting
time of cement.

Initial setting time tells us how much time

cement remains in its plastic state. The ?nal
setting time helps to know the time after
which cement hardened suAciently. 

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Initial Setting Time

The initial setting time is the interval in the
middle of adding water to cement and when
the needle ceases to penetrate completely
and remains 5 mm above the mould bottom.

The initial setting time of cement is the time

interval when water is mixed into cement
until the needle of 1 mm square section can
penetrate the cement paste, placed in the
Vicat’s mould 33 mm to 35 mm from the
mould top. 

1mmSquareSectionNeedle
ForInitialSettingTime

Penetration33to35mm Penetration5to7mm

FromMouldTop FromMouldBottom

40mm
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VicatMouldWithCementPaste

When cement begins hardening and entirely

loses its plasticity is termed as the initial
setting time of the cement.

Final Setting Time

Final Setting time is the time taken during the
operation as the water is mixed into the
cement and when paste loses its plasticity
completely.

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The ?nal setting is when water is mixed into

cement until a 1 mm square section needle
can create an impression (0.5mm) on the
cement paste, but an attachment cannot do
the same.

When cement totally loses its moldability or

plasticity and achieving signi?cant hardness is
the ?nal setting time of the cement.

Importance of Initial And

Final Setting Time
After mixing cement with water, placing the
cement paste in a position requires time.
Initial setting time plays an essential role in
the strength of cement or concrete.  

In the case of ordinary Portland cement, the

cement paste or concrete must be placed
before crossing the initial setting time. i.e.,30
minutes and should not be disturbed until it
meets the Final setting time, i.e., 600
minutes. 

1. The cement should not be set too fast

and not be too slow. If it set rapidly, it
doesn’t oOer suAcient time for
transportation and placing of the
concrete. While if it is set too late, it can
slow down the work and might be
postponed due to less strength at the
desired time.
2. The setting of cement should not be
compared with hardening. It is a
mechanical strength gained after a
speci?c time interval to resist the
penetration of a special attachment
dropped into it.
3. Initial setting time is essential to
transport, placing and compaction of
concrete.
4. Initial setting time is necessary to delay
the hydration process and hardening.
5. Final setting time helps to remove
shuttering or formwork safely.
6.  Cement completed its chemical
reaction with water till the ?nal setting
time.

Factors A7ecting The Initial

And Final Setting Time
Following factors aOect the initial and ?nal
setting time of cement:-

The ?neness of cement, 

Presence of salts in the sand, 
Climate conditions. 

For instance, cement demands a temperature

of 27°c to achieve hydration. During winters,
the temperature is low, stopping the
hydration and taking longer to set harden.

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Procedure to Calculate
Setting Time of Cement
According to  IS:4031 (Part 5) – 1988.  Initial
and ?nal setting time for cement is
determined with the help of VICAT apparatus
following to IS:5513 – 1976,

Apparatus

1. Vicat Apparatus
2. Weighing Balance
3. Measuring Cylinder
4. Glass plate
5. Trowel
6. Enamel Tray
7. Stopwatch

Test Procedure
1. Before starting the test procedure, the
standard or normal consistency test of
cement should be performed to know
the quantity of water needed to
prepare the cement paste of standard
consistency(p).
2. Take sample of cement of about 400
grams on a tray.
3. Now mix water about 0.85P into the
cement and start the stopwatch when
water is added. Record this time as T1.
The gauging time must be within 3 to 5
minutes.
4. Now ?ll the Vicat mould with paste of
cement on the non-porous glass plate.
If there is any excess cement paste on
the mould, take it oO through the
trowel and level it.

Note – Quantity of water 0.85P means 85% of

normal consistency of cement. If the
consistency of cement is 30% then water
quantity is = 85% × standard consistency ×
Weight of cement sample = 85/100 × 30/100 ×
400 = 102 grams.

For Initial Setting Time

1. Now place the test block enclosed in

the mould and rest on the non-porous
glass plate under the rod holding the
needle.
2. Now smoothly lower the needle until it
touches the test block surface and
releases it fast, penetrating the test
block.
3. At starting, the needle sinks into the
test block completely. Repeat this
process after every 5 -10 minutes until
the needle penetrates the test block
about 5 to 7 mm from the mould
bottom or 33 to 35 mm from the top.
Record this time as T2.

For Final Setting Time

1. For determining the ?nal setting time,

change the Vicat apparatus needle to
one with an annular attachment.
2. We consider the cement as ?nally set
when the paste has attained such
hardness that When we gently apply
the needle to the test block surface, the
needle creates an impression there,
while the attachment fails to do the
same. Record this time as T3.

CalCulation
Initial setting Time = T2 – T1

Final Setting Time = T3 – T1

Where,

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Steel Section

Import data into our steel section analysis

calculator.

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T1 =Time when water is mixed into cement

T2 =Time when needle unable to penetrate 33

mm to 35 mm from the mould top or 5 to 7
mm from mould bottom.

T3 =Time when the needle creates an

impression while the attachment cannot do
the same.

Standard Setting Time for

Various Cement
DiOerent types of cement are used in
construction work, and the type of cement
and admixture used during their
manufacturing initial and ?nal setting time
vary from cement to cement. As per the
IS: code standard-setting time for various
types of cement is as follows.

Initial Final
Type of IS Setting Setting
Cement Code Time Time
(Min) (Max)

Ordinary
Portland
IS: 269 30 600
Cement (OPC-
33)

IS:
OPC – 43 30 600
8112

IS:
OPC – 53 30 600
12269

Portland
IS:
Pozzolana 30 600
1489-1
Cement (PPC)

Portland Slag
IS: 455 30 600
Cement (PSC)

Rapid
Hardening
IS:
Portland 30 600
8041
Cement
(RHPC)

Sulphate
IS:
Resistant 30 600
12330
Cement (SRC)

Super IS:
30 600
Sulphate 6909

IS:
High Alumina 30 600
6452

IS:
Low Heat 60 600
12600

IRS – T – 40 Railway 60 600

Masonry IS:
90 600
Cement 3466

Also, Read

Compaction Factors Test For Concrete?

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Batching Plant
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