Materials of Construction

Chapter 3: Normal Aggregate

 Introduction
 Size Classification
 Shape and Texture Classification
 Mechanical Properties
 Physical Properties
 Sieve Analysis & Grading Curve
Chapter 3: Normal Aggregate

 Fineness Modulus
 Maximum Aggregate Size
 Practical Grading
 Gap-Graded Aggregate
 Grading Requirements
Introduction

 Approximately, 75% of the concrete volume is

occupied by aggregate; therefore, its quality is of
considerable importance.

 Aggregate affects:
1) The strength of concrete
2) The durability
3) The structural performance

 Inexpensive material dispersed through the cement

paste to produce a large volume of concrete
Introduction

 The following aggregate properties depend on the

properties of the parent rock:
1) Chemical and mineral composition
2) Petrography (description and systematic
classification of rocks)
3) Specific gravity
4) Hardness
5) Physical and chemical stability
6) Pore structure
7) Color
8) Strength
Introduction

 Other properties of the aggregate which are absent

in the parent rock:
1) Particle shape and size
2) Surface texture and absorption

 All the above properties, specially the last two, may

have a considerable influence on the quality of fresh
or hardened concrete
Size Classification

 Concrete is made with aggregate particles covering

a range of sizes up to a maximum size which usually
lies between 10 mm (3/8 in) and 50 mm (2.0 in);
20 mm (3/4 in) is typical

 The particle size distribution among various sizes.

These sizes are expressed in terms of percentage
larger or smaller than a series of sizes of sieves
(How much is retained on a certain sieve).

 The particle size distribution is called grading

Size Classification

 Low-grade concrete may be made with aggregate

from deposits containing a whole range of sizes,
known as all-in or pit-run aggregate

 The alternative (very much more common and

always used in the manufacture of good quality
concrete) is to obtain the aggregate in at least two
lots; fine and coarse

 The main sieve that divides between fine aggregate

(sand) and coarse aggregate is sieve No. 4 ASTM, or
5mm (3/16 in).
Size Classification

 Sand is generally considered to have a lower size

limit of about 0.07 mm (0.003 in) or a little less.

 Material between 0.06 mm (0.002 in) and 0.02 mm

(0.0008 in) is classified as silt, and smaller particles
are termed clay

 Loam is soft deposit consisting of sand, silt, and

clay in about equal proportions
Size Classification

 Reasons for specifying grading limits and maximum

size of aggregate:
1) They affect the water and cement required
for the mixture
2) They affect workability
3) Economy
4) Porosity
5) Shrinkage
6) Durability
 Shape & Texture Classification

Table 3.2:
Particle Shape
Classification
of Aggregates
(BS 812: Part
1:1975)
 Shape & Texture Classification

Table 3.3:
Surface Texture
Classification of
Aggregates (BS
812: Part 1: 1975)
Shape & Texture Classification

 Very fine aggregate are often uneconomically, very

coarse aggregate can produce harsh and
unworkable mixes

 Aggregate particles with high ratio of surface area to

volume tend to lower the workability of the mix.

 Those kinds are the elongated (length is large

compared to width and thickness) and flaky
(thickness is thin compared to length and width)
particles, flaky particles can also affect durability of
concrete
Shape & Texture Classification

 The particle is considered flaky if its thickness (least

dimension) is less than 0.6 times the mean sieve
size (of the size fraction to which the particle
belongs)

 The particle is considered elongated if its length

(largest dimension) is more than 1.8 the mean sieve
size (of the size fraction to which the particle
belongs)
Shape & Texture Classification

 Flakiness index:

Mass of flaky particles

Flakiness Index   100 %
Total mass of aggregate

 Elongation index:

Mass of elongated particles

Elongation Index   100 %
Total mass of aggregate
Shape & Texture Classification

 The standard sieves consist of a series in which the

clear opening of any sieve is approximately one-half
of the opening of the next larger sieve size.

 The standard sieves are:

(1) 75 mm (3.0 in), (2) 37.5 mm (1.5 in),
(3) 19.0 mm (3/4 in), (4) 9.5 mm (3/8 in),
(5) 4.75 mm (3/16 in), (6) 2.36 mm (No.7),
(7) 1.18 mm (No.14), (8) 600 m (No.25),
(9) 300 m (No.52), (10) 150 m (No.100),
and (11) 75 m (No.200)
Shape & Texture Classification

 Physical, thermal, and sometimes the chemical

properties of the aggregate will influence the
performance of the concrete

 Surface texture depends on:

1) Hardness 2) Grain size
3) Pore characteristics of the parent material
(hard, dense and fine-grained rocks generally
Having smooth fracture surfaces)
4) Degree to which forces acting on the particle
surface have smoothed or roughened it
Shape & Texture Classification

 Surface texture has a strong influence on the

amount of water required for mixing depending on
the pore characteristics of the aggregate
Mechanical Properties
1. Bond
 Both shape and surface texture of aggregate
influence the strength of concrete and bonding
(Flexural strength is more affected than compressive
strength)

 A rougher texture results in a greater adhesion or

bond between the particles and the cement paste

 The larger surface area of a more angular aggregate

provides a greater bond
Mechanical Properties
1. Bond
 porous particles result in a better bond than
aggregate with texture characteristics, which permit
no penetration of the surface of the particles by the
paste

 The determination of the quality of bond is rather

difficult and no accepted test exists
Mechanical Properties
2. Strength
 The compressive strength of concrete cannot
significantly exceed that of the major part of the
aggregate contained
 It is usually difficult to determine the strength of
aggregate
 To obtain the required information about the
aggregate particles, the following indirect tests may
be carried out:
1) Crushing strength of prepared rock samples
(ACV: Aggregate Crushing Value)
2) AIV ( Aggregate impact value )3) Los angeles
Mechanical Properties
2. Strength
 Compressive strength of excellent aggregate may
achieve up to 80 MPa strength

 Aggregate of moderate or low strength and modulus

of elasticity may show better performance. Because
if volume of concrete changes, due to hydration and
thermal reasons, a lower stress in the cement paste
(when the aggregate is compressible) will occur,
whereas a rigid aggregate might lead to cracking of
the surrounding cement paste.

 Usually, larger sizes of aggregate achieve a higher

crushing strength values
Mechanical Properties
2. Strength
 ACV Test:
Aggregate passing 14.0 mm (0.5) test sieve and
retained on 10.0 mm (3/8) test sieve are dried in an
oven at 100C to 110C for four hours, and then
placed in a cylindrical mold and tamped. A plunger
is put on top of the aggregate and the whole
assembly is placed in a compression-testing
machine and subjected to a load of 400kN (40 Tons)
over a period of ten minutes. The aggregate is then
removed and sieved on 2.36 mm (No.8) sieve.
The ratio of the mass of material passing this sieve
to the total mass of the sample is called ACV
Mechanical Properties
2. Strength
 ACV Test:

- In general, the ACV is greater for a lower

compressive strength
- The influence of aggregate on the strength of
concrete is due not only to the mechanical strength
of aggregate but also to its:
1) Absorption and
2) Bond characteristics
Mechanical Properties
3. Toughness
 It is the resistance of aggregate to failure by impact,
and it is usual to determine the aggregate impact
value of bulk aggregate. The impact is provided by a
standard hammer falling 15 times under its own
weight upon the aggregate in a cylindrical container.
 Aggregate size is as in ACV test and the tested
sample is sieved on the 2.36mm (3/8”) sieve.
 BS 882: 1983 prescribes the following maximum
values of the average of duplicate samples:
 25% when aggregate is to be used in
heavy-duty concrete floor finishes
 30% when aggregate is to be used in
concrete pavement wearing surfaces
 45% when to be used in other concrete
Mechanical Properties
4. Hardness
 Resistance to wear, which is an important property
of concrete used in roads and in floor surfaces
subjected to heavy traffic.

 The aggregate abrasion value of the bulk aggregate

is assessed using aggregate particles between 14
mm and 20 mm (BS 812: Part 113).

 The sample is subjected to abrasion in a standard

machine, the grinding lap being turned 500
revolutions with single-size sand fed continuously at
a prescribed rate.
Mechanical Properties
4. Hardness
 The aggregate abrasion value is defined as the
percentage loss in mass on abrasion.
(High value denotes a low resistance to abrasion)

 The Los Angeles test can also be performed on

aggregates of different sizes with steel balls (ASTM
C 131-81)
Physical Properties
[Link] & Absorption

Figure 3.1: Schematic representation of moisture in aggregate

V total = Vsolid + V permeable
pores + V impermeable pores
 V
Physical Properties
1. Porosity & Absorption
 Porosity, permeability, and absorption of aggregate
influence:
1) Bond between aggregate and the cement paste
2) Resistance of concrete to freezing and thawing
(melting)
3) Chemical stability
4) Resistance to abrasion
5) Specific gravity

 The range of porosity of common rocks varies from

0 to 50% "Note that aggregate presents about 3/4 of
the volume of concrete  porosity of the aggregate
material contributes to the overall porosity of
concrete"
Physical Properties
1. Porosity & Absorption
 When all the pores in the aggregate are full, it is said
to be saturated and surface-dry (SSD).
 If this aggregate is allowed to stand free in dry air,
some water will evaporate so that the aggregate is
air-dry
 Prolonged drying in an oven would eventually
remove the moisture completely and, at this stage,
the aggregate is bone-dry (or oven-dry)
 The water absorption is determined by measuring
the decrease in mass of a saturated and surface-dry
sample after oven drying for 24 hours
Weight  SSD   Weight  Oven - Dry 
Absorption   100 %
Weight  Oven - Dry 
Physical Properties
1. Porosity & Absorption
 The actual water absorption of the aggregate has to
be deduced from the total water requirement of the
mix to obtain the effective water/cement ratio, which
controls both the workability and strength of
concrete
Physical Properties
Moisture Content
 It is the water in excess of the saturated and
surface-dry (SSD) condition
 Total water content of a moist aggregate =
absorption + moisture content
Physical Properties
Moisture Content
 Aggregate exposed to rain collects a considerable
amount of moisture, then the mass of water added to
the mix has to be decreased, and the mass of
aggregate must be increased by an amount equal to
the mass of the moisture content
SSD condition for C.A

SSD coarse aggregate

SSD condition for F.A

SSD condition fine

aggregate
Physical Properties
2. Specific Gravity
 Defined as the ratio of mass (or weight) in air of a
unit volume of material to the mass of the same
volume of water at the stated temperature

 Absolute specific gravity: refers to the volume of

solid material excluding all pores

 Apparent specific gravity (ASG): refers to the

volume of the solid material including the
impermeable pores.
Physical Properties
2. Specific Gravity
 ASG is more required in concrete technology and is
equal to the ratio of mass of aggregate dried in an
oven to 100-110C for 24 hours to the mass of water
occupying a volume equal to that of the solid
including the impermeable pores

 Bulk specific gravity refers to the volume of the solid material

including all pores.
 Used in concrete mix Design BSG (SSD) and BSG (D).
Physical Properties
2. Specific Gravity
For fine aggregate: use pycnometer as a vessel
For coarse aggregate: use a wire-basket as a vessel

 Calculations with reference to concrete are generally

based on the saturated surface-dry (SSD) condition
of the aggregate because the water contained in all
the pores does not participate in the chemical
reactions of cement and can, therefore, be
considered as part of the aggregate
Physical Properties
2. Specific Gravity
 The majority of natural aggregate have a Bulk
specific gravity (BSG) of between 2.4 and 2.6, whilst
(at the same time) the values for lightweight and
artificial aggregates extend considerably from below
to very much above this range
wire mesh basket test ,
Specific gravity for C.A

wire mesh basket test

wire mesh basket test
pycnometer test for fine
aggregate, specific gravity for F.A
Physical Properties
3. Bulk Density
 Density in general is expressed in kg/L. On the other
hand, in concrete practice, expressing the density in
kg/m3 is more common
 The absolute density refers to the volume of
individual particles only, and of course it is not
physically possible to pack these particles so that
there are no voids between them
 Thus, when aggregate is to be batched by volume it
is necessary to know the bulk density, which is the
actual mass that would fill a container of unit volume
 The bulk density is used to convert quantities by
mass to quantities by volume
Physical Properties
3. Bulk Density
 The bulk density depends on:
a. How densely the aggregate is packed
b. Size distribution
c. Shape of particles

 Two ways of testing:

1. Loose bulk density
2. Compacted bulk density: Filled and
compacted (tamped) in three layers with a rod
Bulk Density  Loose or Compacted  
The net mass of the aggregate
Volume
Physical Properties
3. Bulk Density
 The ratio of loose bulk density to the compacted
bulk density is usually between 0.87 and 0.96

 The voids ratio indicates the volume of mortar

required to fill the space between the coarse
aggregate particles
Bulk Density
Voids Ratio  1 
  unit mass of water
Where:  is the ASG for the SSD condition

 The maximum bulk density of a mixture of fine and

coarse aggregates is achieved when the mass of the
fine aggregate is approximately 35 to 40%
Sieve Analysis

 The process of dividing a sample of aggregate into

fractions of same particle size is known as sieve
analysis

 Its purpose is to determine the grading or size

distribution of aggregate

 A sample of air-dried aggregate is graded by shaking

or vibrating a nest of stacked sieves

 It should be remembered that 5mm (3/16 in) (No.4

ASTM) is the dividing line between the fine and
coarse aggregate
Grading Curve

 The results of a sieve analysis can be reported in a

tabular form as in the following table (Table 3.7)

 Grading affects workability but not strength

 The grading curve is plotted on a grading chart,

where the ordinates represent the cumulative
percentage passing and the abscissae are the sieve
apertures plotted to a logarithmic scale (gives a
constant spacing for the standard series of sieves).
See Figure 3.2
 Grading Curve

Table 3.7:
Example of
Sieve Analysis
Grading
Curve

Figure 3.2:
Example of a
grading curve
(see Table 3.7)
Fineness Modulus (FM)

 The sum of the cumulative percentages retained on

the sieves of the standard series divided by 100
 The standard series consists of sieves: 150m,
300m, 600m, 1.18mm, 2.36mm, 5.0mm (ASTM No.
100, 50, 30, 16, 8, 4) and up to the largest sieve size
present
 Usually FM is calculated for the fine aggregate rather
than for coarse aggregate
 Typical values range from 2.3 to 3.0.
 See the example of calculating FM in Table 3.7
Fineness Modulus (FM)
Fineness Modulus (FM)

 If all particles in a sample are coarser than, say,

600m (No.30 ASTM), the cumulative percentage
retained on 300m should be entered as 100, the
same value would be entered for 150m

 Higher value indicating a coarser grading

 The usefulness of the fineness modulus lies in

detecting slight variations in the aggregate from the
same source, which could affect the workability of
the fresh concrete
Maximum Aggregate Size

 The larger the aggregate particle the smaller the

surface area to be wetted per unit mass

 If we extend grading to a larger maximum size, it

would lower the water requirement of the mix so
that, for specified workability and richness of mix,
the water/cement ratio can be reduced with a
consequent increase in strength
Practical Grading

 It is important to use aggregate with a grading such

that a reasonable workability and minimum
segregation are obtained in order to produce a
strong and economical concrete

 Tables (3.8 to 3.11) show different grading

requirement for coarse, medium, and fine
(C, M, and F) aggregates
Gap-Graded Aggregate

 Certain sizes of aggregate are omitted

 As mentioned earlier, aggregate particles of a given

size pack so as to form voids that can be penetrated
only if the next smaller size of particles is
sufficiently small. This means that there must be a
minimum difference between the sizes of any two
adjacent particle fractions

 On the grading curve, gap-grading is represented by

a horizontal line over the range of sizes omitted
(Figure 3.5)
Gap-Graded Aggregate

 Gap-graded aggregate can be used in any concrete,

but there are particular uses: preplaced aggregate
concrete and exposed aggregate concrete where a
pleasing finish is obtained, since a large quantity of
only one size of coarse aggregate becomes exposed
after treatment.

 However, to avoid segregation, gap-grading is

recommended mainly for mixes of relatively low
workability that are to be compacted by vibration;
good control and care in handling are essential.
Grading Requirements

 Properties of a good grading curve:

1) Strength of concrete and fully compacted with a
given (W/C) ratio is independent of the grading
2) Grading in the first instance is of importance only
in so far as it affects workability
3) However, development of strength corresponding to
the (W/C) ratio requires full compaction and this can
only be achieved with a sufficiently workable mass.
(In order to compact the concrete it must be
workable)
4) There is no ideal grading curve but compromised
results are aimed for
Grading Requirements

 Main factors affected by the desired aggregate

grading
1) Tendency to segregation (cement paste,
aggregates, cement mortar)
2) Surface area of aggregate which determine the
amount water necessary to wet all the solids.
3) Relative volume occupied by the aggregate
4) Workability of the mix
Grading Requirements

 Grading is a major factor of concrete mix,

workability in turn affects:
1) Water and cement requirements
2) It controls segregation
3) Has some effect on bleeding
4) Influences placing and finishing of concrete
5) Affect the properties of the hardened state
strength, shrinkage, and durability