Compacting Factor Apparatus

The compaction factor is defined as the ratio of the mass of the concrete compacted in the compaction factor apparatus to the mass of the fully compacted concrete. It involves dropping a volume of concrete from one hopper to another and measuring the volume of concrete in the final hopper to that of a fully compacted volume. The results of the compaction factor test can be correlated to slump, although the relationship is not linear. This test is difficult to run in the field and is not practical for large aggregates (over 1 inch) Compared to the slump test, the apparatus is bulky and a balance is required to perform measurements.