Test for Bleeding of Concrete

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The relative quantity of mixing water, which will bleed from fresh concrete mix can be determined by the test for bleeding of concrete.

Test for Bleeding of Concrete

Apparatus

Apparatus and accesory required for bleeding test of concrete are as follows:

1. Cylindrical container
2. Weighing scale
3. Pipette
4. Tamping bar
5. Graduated cylinder

1. Cylindrical Container

Cylindrical container used for this test is made of steel and has a capacity of 0.01 m³. The inside diameter and the inside height of the cylinder are 250 mm and 280 mm respectively.

2. Weighing Scale

Digital weighing scale of accuracy up to 0.005 is required for weighing specimen samples.

3. Pipette

Pipette is used to draw off the bleed water from specimen.

4. Tamping bar

Tamping bar used in this test is a rounded steel bar of diameter 16 mm and 610 mm length.

5. Graduated Cylinder

Graduated cylinder of 100 cm³ is required to measure the water quantity.

Test Procedure

• Firstly, take sufficient quantity of freshly mixed concrete of known water content.
• Fill the Cylindrical container with concrete mix in 5 layers of each 50 mm.
• Each layer should be tamped or compacted by giving minimum 60 strokes using tamping bar after filling,
• After compacting the final layer, top surface is leveled and smoothed by troweling.
• Immediately after troweling, note down the time and weigh the container.
• After weighing, place the container in a leveled surface which should be free from vibrations.
• Top of the container should be closed with lid or covered to prevent evaporation of bleed water.
• This test should be conducted at a temperature of 25^oc to 29^oC.
• For every 10 minutes, draw off the water accumulated on the top surface of concrete using pipette and collect it in graduated cylinder. This should be done for first 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, collect water for every 30 minutes and continue until bleeding stops.
• If it is hard to draw off water on flat top surface, slightly tilt the container and collect it.
• Finally note the weight of water collected in graduated jar.

Calculations

Bleeding water % = (B/W) X 100 --------- Equation (1)

Where   B = Total quantity of bleeding water

                W = Total quantity of water in the concrete mix

Or

Bleeding water percentage of net mixing water contained with in the test specimen is,

Where, D = Total mass of bleeding water, Kg

                w = Net mass of water (total water – water absorbed by aggregates)

                S = Total mass of concrete mix

                W = Total mass of water in the mix

Equation (2) is more accurate than equation (1), since water absorbed by aggregates is considering here.

Result

Bleeding water percentage for the given concrete mix = _______ %