Civil Engineering Department

Building Material Lab

ENCE 214
Experiment No.5

MA7MOUD
Student Name
Student ID
Rana Hazou
1100309
Mahmoud Radi
1110744
Momen Ramadan
1110830
Lujain Musleh
1111651
Section: 4
Group: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Index
2
Introduction ____________________________________________________________________3
Objectives_______________________________________________________________________3
Theory___________________________________________________________________________3
Equipment & Materials___________________________________________________________5
Methododgy 5
Data & Calculations 6

Data
Calculations

Result 8
Conclusion8
Engeneering Use 9
Refrences 9

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INTRODUCTION
Since Cement, gypsum, and lime are very important material that are used in the
construction work, some tests are required and properties such as specific gravity
and fineness of cement are essential to determine its usability.
The aim of this experiment is to determine the smoothness of the cement, lime,
gypsum, specific weight of the cement. Moreover, Gypsum is a very soft mineral
composed of calcium sulfate dehydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO 42H2O.
Cement is a binder which can bind other materials together a substance, which
sets and hardens independently and Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed
largely
of
the
mineral
calcite
(calcium
carbonate).
Fineness of cement, limestone powder and gypsum is an indicator of the materials
efficiency such that the finer the material is the stronger and more efficient it
becomes. However, in cements case the finer it is the more likely it is to absorb
humidity.

OBJECTIVES ERROR! NO TEXT OF SPECIFIED

STYLE IN DOCUMENT.CONTACT INFORMATION

To determine the specific gravity of sample of cement.

To determine the fineness of cement, gypsum, and limes samples.

THEORY ERROR! NO TEXT OF SPECIFIED

STYLE IN DOCUMENT.CONTACT INFORMATION
Fineness of cement: it's an indicator to the size of cement particles. Cement is
considered fine if the percentage of weight retained on sieve #170 (40m) is less
than 10%.
Specific weight of cement: the ratio of the weight of a volume of cement to the
weight of an equal volume of water. This value should be around 3.15 g/ cm .
Fineness of lime: it's an indicator to the size of lime particles. Lime stone is
considered fine if the percentage of weight retained on sieve (210m) is less than
5%, and percentage of weight retained on sieve (89m) is less than 10%.
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INTRODUCTION
Fineness of gypsum: it's an indicator to the size of gypsum particles. Gypsum is
considered fine if the percentage of weight passing sieve #100 (150m) is more
than 75%.

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Specific weight of cement is defined as the weight of the sample of cement

dividing by the volume of liquid after the cement is inside flask ,and it is given by:

Specific weight of cement

A
cb

Where
A: Sample weight of cement.
B: The volume of kerosene.
C: The volume of liquid after the cement inside.
The following formulas were used:
Determination of the fineness of cement

Fineness of cement =

W
100%
W

Where
W: Weight of sample before sieving.
W': weight of sample retained on the standard sieve #170 (0.09 mm).
Determination of the fineness of lime

Percentage of retained crushed limestone on the 250 sieve

Percentage of retained crushed limestone on the 90 sieve

Where:
A: weight of lime retained on the 0.211 mm sieve.
D: weight of lime retained on the 0.089 mm sieve.
O: weight of lime before sieving.
Determination of the fineness of gypsum

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A
100%
O
D
100%
O

Fineness of gypsum =

W
100%
W

Where
W': Weight retained on sieve #100.
W : Weight of gypsum sample before sieving.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT ERROR! NO TEXT OF

SPECIFIED STYLE IN DOCUMENT.CONTACT
INFORMATION
Equipment, materials and tools that used to find the specific
gravity of cement:o Cement.
o Kerosene.
o Balance.
o Graduated tube.
o Graduated cylinder.
Equipment, materials and tools that used to find the fineness of
cement:o Cement.
o Sensitive balance.
o Sieve #170 (90m).
Equipment, materials and tools that used to find the fineness of
gypsum
o Gypsum.
o Sensitive balance.
o Sieve #14 (1.4mm) and sieve #100 (150m).
o Oven.
Equipment, materials and tools that used to find the fineness of
lime
o Oven.
o Sensitive balance.
o Sieve #60 (250m) and sieve #170 (90m).

METHODOLOGY
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 Determination of the specific gravity of cement

o We placed a 0.5 litter of kerosene in the graduated cylinder, and then we
take a definite volume of the kerosene and placed it in a small graduated
tube.
o We placed a 50 gm of cement in the graduated cylinder, and then we placed
some of the kerosene in the small cylinder until the volume reached the 0.5
litter value. The rest of the kerosene in the small graduated tube represents
the volume of the 50 gm of cement.
Determination of the fineness of cement
o We collect 50 gm sample of cement.
o We sieved the sample on sieve #170 (90m)
o We weighed retained cement on sieve #170 (90m) .
Determination of the fineness of gypsum
o We collect 50 gm sample of gypsum.
o We sieved the sample on sieve #14 (1.4mm), and then on sieve #100
(150m).
o We weighed the gypsum retained on sieve #14 (1.4mm) and sieve #100
(150m) .
Determination of the fineness of lime
o We collect 50 gm sample of limestone.
o We sieved the sample on sieve #60 (250m), attached to sieve #170
(90m), while water was running through the sample until the water became
pure .
o Then we placed the sample in the oven.
o We weighed the retained limestone on each sieve .

DATA & CALCULATIONS

DATA :TABLE 1. DATA

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The weight of the

sample before sift

The weight of the

sample after sift

cement

50g

lime

50g

gypsum

50g

1.61g
Sieve #0.25 =6.71g
sieve #0.09 =0.9g
Sieve #1.4 =0g
sieve #0.15 = 11.9g

 CALCULATIONS: For Cement : Smoothness of cement =

1.61

100% 3.22%
50

W
100%
W

W: the weight of cement remaining on the standard sieve

W : the weight of dry cement before the sift process
This result is acceptable.
Specific weight of cement
Z

2.8
cb
This result is unacceptable because it is lower than the standard value for the
specific weight of the Portland cement 3.15
For lime:

A
100%
O

D
100%
O

The percentage of the lime detainee on the sieve #0.25

6.71

100% 13.42%
50
The result is unacceptable because it should be lower than 5%.

The percentage of the lime detainee on the sieve #0.09

0.9

100% 1.8%
50
The result is acceptable because it should be lower than 10%.
A: The amount of the remained sample on sieve #0.25.
D: The amount of the remained sample on sieve #0.09.
O: The original weight of the sample.
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 For gypsum: The amount of the sample retaining on the sieve#1.4mm=0g.

The amount of the sample retaining on the sieve # 0.15=11.9g.
For the sieve #1.4 the result is acceptable because the amount should equal 0
For the sieve #0.15 it should passes 75% from 50 g of the sample, so:
25
50 g 12.5 g
100

Therefore, our result is acceptable.

RESULT & CONCLUSION

Results.
For cement:
The smoothness of cement = 3.22%, this percentage mean that cement
has recipe smoothness
For lime:
The smoothness depend on the amount of the remained on sieve, and
from the result we got we could determine that the lime has recipe
smoothness.
- Sieve #0.25 =13.42%
- sieve #0.09=1.8%
For gypsum:
- sieve #1.4mm=0
- sieve #015mm=11.9g
From these results, we could determine that the smoothness of gypsum is
not as much as lime.
Conclusion
At the end of the experiment we could determine the smoothness of (cement,
lime, gypsum). And also to determine the specific gravity of the cement, that
is important to use to design concrete mixture and also for building process.
In the results, we get some unacceptable results and that because:
- The sift process hasnt been done well and that causes unacceptable
results.
- Wasting some of the samples during working on the sieves.
- Errors in reading the weighing scale.
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The specific gravity for cement is un acceptable because when we

account the density for cement we did not put the right amount of
kerosene in the flask and also may be the air bubbles does not came
out fully.

ENGENEERING USE

The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of hydration and
hence on the rate of gain of strength and also on the rate of evolution of heat.
Finer cement offers a greater surface area for hydration and hence faster the
development of strength. Measuring and controlling cement fineness is critical in
achieving tight specifications to give consistent, high quality product. Gypsum
plays a part in cement industry such as Portland cement. Also it can be used by
architects in construction work. As for limestone, it plays a part in the production
of cement and mortar. In addition, limestone in its crushed form is used as
aggregate, which is the solid base for many roads.

REFRENCES
Building Material Textbook.
Building Material Laboratory manual.
Internet websites.

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