How to Test Wet Stage Concrete

Concrete is a mixture of portland cement, sand, gravel and water. Ready mix concrete is purchased in bags to which water is added when you are ready to use the concrete. Poured concrete comes already mixed and is delivered ready to use. When working with concrete, it is important to know the consistency of the concrete before attempting to use it. When the concrete is wet, you can perform a "slump test" to determine the concrete's consistency. The results of your test tells you whether the concrete has too much water, not enough water or is the proper consistency for use.

Base plate of steel or plywood
Slump cone
Concrete
Ruler

Instructions

- 1
  Locate a surface that is appropriate for conducting the test. Ideally, a steel base plate workes best; however, plywood can also be used. Your surface area should be at least 3 feet by 3 feet and completely level.
- 2
  Set your slump cone, also known as an Abrams cone, on the base plate with the wide end down. A slump cone is a steel cone that is 12 inches tall, 8 inches wide at the bottom and 4 inches wide at the top. A slump cone can be purchased at a local hardware store.
- 3
  Pour the concrete into the cone until it reaches the top of the cone. Level the concrete off at the top of the cone. Remove any excess concrete from the base plate.
- 4
  Remove the cone carefully and allow the concrete to "slump." Because concrete is wet when first mixed, it will "slump" down once the cone is removed. Although the meaning of the test results may vary depending on what your intended use is for the concrete, a slump of 1 inch or less is typically considered a very dry mix and a slump of 5 inches or more is considered a wet mix.

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