KENYA STANDARD                     KS 2177:  2017 
                
   
KS 2769 -5: 2018 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — 
Test methods — Part 5: Determination of 
capillary Absorption  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
©KEBS 2018                         First  Edition 2018 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 2177: 2017                                                                                                            
 
ii                     © KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved   
 
TECHNICAL COMMITEE REPRESENTATION  
 
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
1. Architectural Association of  Kenya  
2. Bamburi Cement  
3. CHRYSO Eastern Africa Limited  
4. Concrete Products (K)Ltd  
5. Consumer Information Network  
6. Howards Humpreys East Africa LTD  
7. Institute of quan tity surveyors of Kenya  
8. Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI  
9. Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT)  
10. Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.  
11. National Environment Management Authority  
12. National Housing Corporation  
13. Technical University of Kenya  
14. University of Nairobi  
15. Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
 
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. S uggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 20 18 
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, C ap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bure au of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or tran smitted by any means without prior permission in writing 
from the Managing Director . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KENYA STANDARD                                  KS 2177 : 2017 
                
 © KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved            iii  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — 
Test methods — Part 5: Determination of 
capillary Absorption  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
 
Head Office:  P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+ 254 020 ) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020 ) 604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org,  Web:http://www.kebs.org   
 
Coast Region     Lake Region          Rift Valley Region  
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Fax: (+254  041) 229448    Fax: (+254 057) 21814         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 KS 2177: 2017                                                                                                            
 
iv                     © KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved   
 
Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was revised by the Concrete Technical Committee, under the guidance of the 
standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the  Kenya  Bureau  of 
Standards .  
This document is part of the series KS 2769  "Admixtures for concrete, mortar an d grout – Test methods" 
which  comprises the following  
Part 1 Reference concrete and reference mortar for testing  
Part 2 Determination of setting time  
Part 4 Determination of bleeding of concrete  
Part 5 Determination of capillary absorption  
Part 6 Infrared analysis  
Part 8 Determination of the conventional dry material content  
Part 10 Determination of water soluble chloride content  
Part 11 Determination of air void characteristics in hardened concrete  
Part 12 Determination of the alkali content of admixtures  
Part 13 Reference masonry mortar for testing mortar admixtures  
Part 14 Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout - Test methods - Part 14: Measurement of 
corrosion susceptibility of reinforcing steel in concrete - Potentiostatic electro -chemical test metho d 
1) 
 
This document is applicable together with the other standards of the KS 2770  series.  
. 
 
               
© KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved                      1 KENYA  STANDARD                       KS 2769 -5: 2018  
Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout — Test methods — Part 5: 
Determination of capillary Absorption  
 
1. Scope  
 
This document describes a test method for the determination of the effect of admixtures on the capillary 
absorption of mortar.  
 
2.  Normative references  
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For date d 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
KS EAS 148 -1, Methods of testing cement - Part 1: Determination of strength.  
 
EN 413 -2, Masonry cement - Part 2: Test methods  
 
KS 2769 -1, Admixtures for concrete, mortar and grout - Test methods - Part 1: Reference concrete and 
reference mortar for testing   
 
3. Principle  
 
The test consists of measuring the mass of water absorbed by a mortar test sample under s pecified 
conditions.  
 
4.  Apparatus  
 
4.1. Balance with an accuracy of 0.1 g;  
4.2.  Receptacle 200 mm high large enough to contain twelve prismatic specimens with a flat base and a  
cover;  
4.3. A means of allowing a constant level of water to be maintained in the receptacle;  
4.4. Equipment for the preparation of (40 x 40 x 160) mm prisms made of mortar that conforms to KS 
EAS 148 -1; 
4.5.  An enclosure controlled at (20 ± 2) °C and (65 ± 5) % relative humidity.  
5.  Reference mortar  
 
The reference mortar shall be as specified in KS 2769 -1. The test mix shall either have the same 
consistence  as the control mix as described in KS 2769 -1 or the test  mix shall have the same water/cement 
ratio as the  control mix2). The water content of the admixture shall be taken into account when calculating 
the required   water content of the test mix.  
 
6.  Test specimens  
 
6.1.  Preparation of test specimens  
Materials for the control mix and test mix, and moulds for the test specimens, shall be conditioned for at least  
24 h before use. Conditioning shall be by placing in  an enclosure maintained at (20 ± 2) °C and (65 ± 5) %  
relative humidity.  KS 2177: 2017  
            
                              © KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved  2  
Mixing of the mortar shall be as described in KS 2769 -1. Mortar  specimens (40 x 40 x 160) mm shall be  
prepared as described in EAS 148 -1, except that the moulds shall not be oiled.  
 
When testing at equal w/c ratio, the water content of the admixture shall be taken into account when  
calculating the required water content of the mortar.  
 
In case the test mix shall have the same consistence as the control mix this shall be measured by u sing the  
workability meter in accordance with EN 413 -2. 
 
6.2.  Number of specimens  
Twelve specimens shall be tested as follows:  
 6 specimens for control mix;  
 6 specimens for test mix.  
 
6.3.  Curing of specimens  
On both the control mix and the test mix, two series of measurements of capillary absorption, shall be carried  
out. The first series shall be performed on three specimens of test mix and three specimens of control mix  
after 7 days curing. The second series shall be carried out on the other specimens after 90 da ys curing. The  
specimens shall be demoulded after 24 h and further cured in the enclosure (see 4.5) until 7 days and 90 
days  old respectively.  
 
7.  Procedure  
 
7.1.  Placing specimens  
The specimens shall be weighed ( Mo) in the enclosure (see 4.5) when 7 days or 90 days old as appropriate  
and placed vertically in a receptacle (see 4.2) containing water at a constant level.  
 
The samples shall rest on rods or pins to allow free access of water to the base. The water level shall be  
maintained at (3 ± 1) mm above the bas e of the specimen.  
 
Avoid contact between the specimens   
 
Immediately after placing the specimens in position, put the cover on the receptacle.  
 
7.2.  Weighing  
At the time specified in 7.3, each specimen shall be removed from the receptacle, wiped lightly with dry 
paper  or cloth in order to remove any surplus water, weighed ( Mj) and then again put vertically in the 
receptacle. The  other specimens in each series shall be treated individually in the same way.  
 
7.3.  Test schedule  
a) Specimens cured for 7 days under the co nditions specified in 6.3 shall then be weighed after 1 day 
and after 7 days in contact with water as described in 7.2.  
 
b) Specimens cured for 90 days under the conditions specified in 6.3 shall then be weighed after 1 day, 
7 days and 28 days in contact with  water as described in 7.2.  
 
 
8.  Results  
The results obtained by testing three specimens at each date, for each type of mortar (control mix and test  
mix) are expressed as the means of the three measured values.  
Capillary absorption ( CA) after the required ti me is given in g/mm² by                           KS 2177: 20 17 
 
 
© KEBS 2017 — All rights reserved          
     3 
 
 
Where  
 
Mo is the mass of the specimen after curing for 7 days or 90 days, in grams;  
Mj is the mass of the specimen after the required absorption time, in grams.  
 
9.  Test report  
 
The test report shall include at least the following i nformation:  
 Date of test;  
 
 Materials used in the reference mortar;  
 
 Details of the admixture and dosage used in the test mix;  
 
 Whether tested at equal w/c or equal consistence  
 
 Individual and average results for the capillary absorption at each age tested  
 
 Person who is performing the test.