Measuring Rheological Properties of Cement Pastes: Most common Techniques, Procedures and Challenges

The science of rheology is increasingly used to describe the properties of fresh cement paste. Compared to standard workability tests, rheological properties allow for more fundamental investigation, more precise phenomenological description of flow properties and serve as input for numerical simulations. Standard commercially available rheometers are typically used to perform those measurements. However, the results of the measurement depend on the geometry, testing procedure and a number of potential artefacts which may occur. This technical letter describes the most common techniques and procedures used to assess the rheological properties of cement paste, as well as challenges during measurements and actions to counter these challenges.