Obtaining rheological parameters from flow test — Analytical, computational and lab test approach

In the mix design process of cementitious suspensions, an adequate rheology of the cement paste is crucial. A novel rheological field test device for cementitious fluids is presented here and investigated theoretically, by computer simulation and by lab tests. A simple flow stoppage test with a timed spread passage point provides accurate rheological parameters according to the Bingham material model. Values for yield stress and plastic viscosity are obtained for a test specimen of no more than 19.75 · 10− 6 m3 of fluid. This volume is equivalent to 19.75 g of water at room temperature. Such a small volume allows reliable tests even for small amounts of fillers. Promising results show that both yield stress and plastic viscosity can be determined by this simple test. This novel rheological test method also enables the correlation of different rheological equipment used by different laboratories.