what're the important characterisitcs that is detrimental to the cement quality? is there a makeshift procedure/method that can be used instead to test for such characteristics?
depends on what purpose you require the cement for.. slump test determines the workability (should be) there is also the cube test to test the strength of concrete. when your talking about cement i assume the cement powder right? There are many many test, depending on which aspect you want to test, and wheter you want a destructive or non-destructive test. you can email me if you want to know more.
There is a test to see how well you mixed the ingredients (water cement). I think it's called the slump test. This test is used to sample the mixture. There is a tool that looks like flat-top cone: . . . . . . . ____ . . . . . ./ . . . . . . . . . ./ . . . . . . . . . . ./ . . . . . . . . . the mixture is put in and the tool is removed. - if the mixture is stiff, you need to add water - if the mixture slumps too low, you need more cement - if the mixture slumps maybe an inch and a half, it's good ** Vibration and a dry enviornment during curing affects quality.
