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Marsh Funnel

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77 views2 pages

Marsh Funnel

Uploaded by

123shripad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Bentonite slurries are not ideal Bingham fluids, and they also show thixotropy.

As a result, the yield value will not be equal to the gel strength (either 10 second
or 10 minute). The yield value is seldom used in civil engineering.

For thick slurries, there may be doubt as to whether the slurry has fully penetrated the
narrow annular gap between rotor and bob of the instrument (the gap is only 0.59 mm).
Results for such slurries should be viewed with caution.

9.4 Flow cones

The Fann viscometer is an expensive instrument and must be used with care by a trained
operator if reliable results are to be obtained. In the laboratory, the detailed information
that can be obtained from it can be invaluable in the investigation of different slurry
systems, treatment chemicals, etc. However, there is often a need for a simple test which
can be used for compliance testing at mixers, the trench side, etc. In general some form of
flow cone is used. For excavation slurries the most common cone is the Marsh funnel.
However, there is a wide variety of different cones, and it is important that the type of cone
is specified when reporting results. The following data should be specified:

(i) The outlet diameter of the funnel spigot


(ii) The volume of slurry to fill the cone
(iii) The test volume to be discharged (this may not be the full volume of the cone)
(iv) The flow time for water

Test procedures are similar for all cones, therefore


only the procedure for the Marsh funnel is
detailed.

9.4.1 The Marsh funnel

The Marsh funnel, as shown in Figure 5, is the


simplest instrument for routine checking of slurry
viscosity. The test procedure is as follows:

(i) Clean and dry the funnel.


(ii) Hold the funnel upright with a finger over
the outlet spigot.
(iii) Pour a freshly stirred sample of the slurry
through the screen to fill the funnel to the
underside of the screen (a volume of 1.5
litres).

Fig. 5 Marsh funnel

20
© Federation of Piling Specialists – January 2006 (2nd edition)
(first published April 2000)
(iv) Immediately the funnel is full, keeping the funnel upright, remove the finger and
allow the slurry to flow into a graduated receiver. Record the time for the flow of
one US quart (946 ml). The volume discharged should also be quoted.

It is necessary to record the volume discharged, as the specification for the instrument also
allows a discharge volume of 1000 ml.

The funnel may be checked by measuring the flow time for water. For clean water at 21oC
(70oF), the times should be as follows:

25.5 to 26.5 seconds for 946 ml


27.5 to 28.5 seconds for 1000 ml

No adjustment of the funnel is possible, and if readings outside the above ranges are
obtained, it must be assumed that the funnel (or the stopwatch) is damaged or that the
funnel has not been properly cleaned. Solids can build up around the discharge orifice and
constrict the flow. Clogging of the discharge orifice may be particularly severe if the
funnel has been used previously for polymer based slurries. In this case, it may be
necessary to immerse the cone in a chemical polymer breaking agent (e.g. bleach).

The Marsh funnel is suitable for testing most bentonite slurries.

9.5 The Shearometer

The Shearometer is an instrument that is no longer in common use for the testing of
excavation slurries. The instrument is designed to measure the gel strength of slurries but
gives results which tend to be markedly lower than those from the Fann viscometer. When
reading older publications quoting slurry gel strength results, it may be necessary to
consider whether the Shearometer or Fann viscometer was used.

The instrument consists of a duraluminum tube, 3.5 inches long, 1.4 inches internal
diameter weighing 5 grams, and a stainless steel cup, mounted within which is a vertical
scale graduated in lb/100 ft2. To carry out a test, the cup is filled to the zero line of the
scale with a freshly agitated sample of the slurry. The duraluminum tube is then wetted
and the excess water wiped off. The tube is placed over the scale, lowered to the slurry
surface and released at the appropriate test time (ten seconds or ten minutes). After
allowing the tube to sink for one minute, the scale should be read directly opposite the top
of the tube. If the tube sinks completely, the time it takes to sink should be recorded.

The lowest scale division of the instrument is 3 lb/100 ft2 (1.4 N/m2). Some specifications
use this figure for the lower limit of gel strength - i.e. it would seem that the slurry is
deemed acceptable if it gives a reading on the scale of the instrument. As the instrument
was designed to test bentonite slurries, this is not unreasonable.

21
© Federation of Piling Specialists – January 2006 (2nd edition)
(first published April 2000)

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