RESUMThe Marsh cone test is a simple approach for obtaining a practical measure of the fluidity of cement pastes containing superplasticizer and silica fume. Using this method, a study of the effect of water/cement ratio, type and dosage of mineral admixture, and superplasticizer type on cement pastes with different superplasticizer dosages is presented here. Results are presented for cement pastes with silica fume and micronized diatomites as mineral admixtures. In all cases, there is a superplasticizer saturation dosage beyond which there is no significant increase in fluidity and, therefore, can be used for the selection of superplasticizer type and dosage. The data obtained indicate that the relative fluidity generally decreases with an increase in the silica fume content. The Marsh cone approach is also used to compare the effects of the mixing sequence used in the preparation of the pastes. A study of the loss of fluidity over time as a function of the superplasticizer type shows that the trends can vary considerably from one product to another.

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