Revised 2010, WKS

Datasheet No. 20

MOHAWK COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SCIENCES DEPARTMENT

Sieve Analysis of Aggregates

INTRODUCTION
The evaluation of the distribution of particle sizes or gradation is a very
important step in the process of developing mix designs for asphalt cement
concrete. Different communities will require the use of local aggregate sources to
keep the price of the asphalt mix reasonable. Since the raw materials and even
the crushing equipment used at the source (pit or quarry) will be different in each
community, there are no absolute recipes for producing asphalt mixes.
Usually, asphalt mixes are manufactured using a coarse aggregate source, a fine
aggregate source and mineral filler (usually dust collected from the crusher) all
bound together by a specific amount of asphalt cement. Most asphalt cement is
produced as a by-product of the petroleum distillation process that produces
gasoline, solvents, diesel fuel, kerosene and lubricating oils.
In this laboratory procedure a sieve analysis will be conducted on the stock
aggregates that will be used to manufacture asphalt mixtures. The resulting
gradations for each of the three materials, i.e., coarse aggregate (CA), fine
aggregate (FA) and mineral filler (MF), will then be used to design a blend
(proportions of each material) that must meet OPSSs grading specification for
HL3. Washed sieve analyses will be conducted on the coarse and fine aggregates
and a cumulative sieve analysis will be conducted on the mineral filler.
One of the most critical stages in the process is to acquire samples of the
materials that truly represent the stockpiled materials (i.e., representative
samples). If the material has been exposed to extensive rainfall or vibration,
certain sizes of particles can be segregated or can collect together in pockets.
The samples selected for analysis must be produced by the proper use of sample
splitters. If the original sample is not representative of the material that will
ultimately be use to manufacture the asphalt mixtures, all the care in the world in
carrying out the sieve analyses will not make the results valid. Every mistake made

from this point on in the process will affect the results of the asphalt mix design.

EQUIPMENT
1. balances sensitive to 0.01, 0.1 and 1 gram
2. Sample splitters,
3. Plexiglas plate and 18 inch steel rulers,
4. Bunsen burner, retort stand and oven mitts,
5. Miscellaneous pans, brushes, scoops, etc.
6. Sieves and screens as follows:
Gilson Screen Series

U.S. Standard Series

Washed Sieving

19.1 mm (3/4")
12.7 mm (1/2")
9.52 mm (3/8")
4.75 mm (No 4)
2.36 mm (No 8)
pan

19.1 mm (3/4")
12.7 mm (1/2")
9.52 mm (3/8")
4.75 mm (No 4)
2.36 mm (No 8)
1.18 mm (No 16)
0.60 mm (No 30)
0.300 mm (No 50)
0.150 mm (No 100)
0.075 mm (No 200)

deep No. 200

Bucket

PROCEDURE
A. Wash Sieve Analysis of Fine Aggregate
1. Select a representative 4 kg (roughly) sample of air dried sand from the
stockpile indicated by the instructor or lab technician. Using the small sample
splitter, reduce the original sample to 500 50 grams. Record the total mass
of the original sample to the nearest 0.1 gram.
2. Place the sample into a pail and pour enough water into the pail to cover the
sample. Agitate vigorously in a circular motion. Immediately pour the wash
water into a deep No. 200 wash sieve (over the sump, without using a pan!). Do

not pour the aggregate onto the sieve, only the wash water. Repeat this
operation until the wash water is clear.
3. Wash any fine material that may have been carried onto the No. 200 mesh with
the wash water into a metal container (loaf tin) along with the washed
aggregates in the pail. Make sure the container has no holes in it, especially in
the corners. Wash every last particle of the sample out of the pail and into the
No. 200 sieve to minimize the excess water in the container. This excess
container water can be decanted back through the No. 200 sieve but must be
washed back into the container. The idea is to lose only the material that
passes through the No. 200 mesh and retain every other particle of the sample.
The sample should then be dried to a constant weight over a Bunsen burner.
Keep the sample above the flame (dont bathe the container in the flame) and
stir with a spatula while holding the container with your free, oven-mitted
hand.
4. After drying, place the container and sample onto the concrete floor. The
concrete will draw the heat out of the sample quicker than any other method,
however you must protect it from lab traffic, so dont place it in high traffic
areas. Once the sample can be grasped with the unprotected hand, its cool
enough to weigh. The mass of the washed sample should be recorded to the
nearest 0.1 gram.
5. Start sieving the sample by nesting the No. 4 sieve in the pan, pouring the
entire sample into the sieve from the container. In all probability, all the
material will pass through the sieve with little or no agitation. Weigh any
material retained on the sieve and record the mass to the nearest 0.1 gram and
set it aside. The portion of the sample that passed through to the pan should
then be placed in the next smallest, nested (with pan) sieve (this is why there
are two pans with each set of sieves).
6. Repeat the previous step using the No. 8, 16, 30, 50, 100 and 200 sieves in this
order. For these sizes, the lid should be fixed to the top of the sieve when
sieving to prevent the loss of any portion of the sample. The mass retained on
each should be recorded to the nearest 0.1 gram. As you progress to fine and
finer sieves, more effort will be required to ensure that all the material that
will pass a sieve actually does. The recommended procedure is as follows:

The sieve is nested in the pan and a lid is placed on the sieve. It is

held, slightly inclined, in one hand. Then strike the side of the sieve
sharply against the heel of the other hand at a rate of about 150
times a minute. Turn the sieve about 1/6 of a revolution every 25
blows. This continues until no more than 1% additional material passes
in one minute of sieving.
Usually about one minute of such sieving is adequate with the finest two sieves
and somewhat less with the others.
7. Calculate the sum of the masses retained on the sieves and pan. This mass
should agree within 1.00% (industry requires 0.30% in Ontario) of the mass of
the sample weighed after washing and cooling. If the sieving error is not within
the allowable range, it will be necessary to repeat the test.
8. In the calculations, use the initial dry mass found in step 1 above as the total
sieve sample size for calculating % retained. The difference between this mass
and the mass found in step 4 is the material that was washed through the deep
No. 200 sieve. Therefore, this difference should be added to the mass
retained on the pan (if any) from the sieve analysis when calculating the %
retained on the pan. (NOTE: The % retained on the pan should work out to

100% if there was no sieving error. The value calculated should equal 100% plus
the % sieving error.)

B. Wash Sieve Analysis of Coarse Aggregate

1. Select a representative 12 kilogram (roughly) sample of air dried coarse
aggregate from the stockpile indicated by the instructor or lab technician.
Using a large or medium sample splitter, reduce the original sample to 3 0.5
kilograms. Record the total mass of the original sample to the nearest gram.
2. Place the sample into a pail and pour enough water into the pail to cover the
sample. Agitate vigorously in a circular motion. Immediately pour the wash
water into a deep No. 200 wash sieve (over the sump, without using a pan!). Do
not pour the aggregate onto the sieve, only the wash water. Repeat this
operation until the wash water is clear.
3. Wash any fine material that may have been carried onto the No. 200 mesh with
the wash water into a metal container (brownie tin) along with the washed
aggregates in the pail. Make sure the container has no holes in it, especially in

the corners. Wash every last particle of the sample out of the pail and into the
No. 200 sieve to minimize the excess water in the container. This excess
container water can be decanted back through the No. 200 sieve but must be
washed back into the container. The idea is to lose only the material that
passes through the No. 200 mesh and retain every other particle of the sample.
The sample should then be dried to a constant weight over a Bunsen burner.
Keep the sample above the flame (dont bathe the container in the flame) and
stir with a spatula while holding the container with your free, oven-mitted
hand.
4. After drying, place the container and sample onto the concrete floor. The
concrete will draw the heat out of the sample quicker than any other method,
however you must protect it from lab traffic, so dont place it in high traffic
areas. Once the sample can be grasped with the unprotected hand, its cool
enough to weigh. The mass of the washed sample should be recorded to the
nearest gram.
5. Owing to the sample size, the Gilson shaker, with the , , 3/8, No. 4 and No.
8 screens should be used to initially separate these sizes. The portion that
passes the No. 8 and is retained in the pan should then be sieved on the Nos. 16,
30, 50, 100 and 200 sieves as described in steps 5 and 6 for the fine aggregate
sieve analysis above. The masses retained on each screen and sieve should be
measured and recorded to the nearest gram.
6. Calculate the sum of the masses retained on the screens, sieves and pan. This
mass should agree within 1.00% (industry requires 0.30% in Ontario) of the
mass of the sample weighed after washing and cooling. If the sieving error is
not within the allowable range, it will be necessary to repeat the test.
7. In the calculations, use the initial dry mass found in step 1 above as the total
sieve sample size for calculating % retained. The difference between this mass
and the mass found in step 4 is the material that was washed through the deep
No. 200 sieve. Therefore, this difference should be added to the mass
retained on the pan (if any) from the sieve analysis when calculating the %
retained on the pan. (NOTE: The % retained on the pan should work out to

100% if there was no sieving error. The value calculated should equal 100% plus
the % sieving error.)

C. Cumulative Sieve Analysis of Mineral Filler

1.

Obtain a representative sample of approximately 400 grams of mineral filler.

Place in a mound in the centre of a Plexiglas plate. Quarter the sample into 4
equal-sized piles using the 18 inch steel ruler. Using the ruler, divide one of the
quarter piles in half. Each half should weigh approximately 50 grams. Select one
of these and weigh and record its mass to the nearest 0.01 gram. The other half
can be kept on hand as backup. The rest of the original sample can be returned to
the source container.

2. Place the sample on a nested No. 200 sieve and pan, cover and sieve by hand until
not more than 1% ( 0.05 g) passes in one minute of sieving. Weigh and record
the material retained on the No. 200 sieve to the nearest 0.01 gram.
3. Next, place the material retained on the No. 200 sieve into a nested No. 100
sieve and pan and repeat the sieving operation. Weigh and record the material
retained on the No. 100 sieve to the nearest 0.01 gram.
4. Repeat this process on the Nos. 50, 30, 16, etc. until no material is retained on a
sieve.
5. Since the cumulative masses retained are being measured in this procedure, it
makes no sense to add these up at the end (the mass recorded retained on the
No. 200 sieve includes all the masses that were retained on all the subsequent
coarser sieve sizes!). No sieving error, therefore, can be determined when
using this procedure. The percent retained on each sieve is calculated by simply
dividing each of the recorded masses retained by the original sample mass from
step 1.

CALCULATIONS:

Wash Sieve Analyses

1. Calculate the cumulative percent retained on the sieves as a percent of the
original mass before washing on the No. 200 sieve. Remember to include the mass
of the fines washed away in the mass retained on the pan! The fineness modulus
should exclude the No. 200 sieve and pan.
2. Calculate the percent passing each sieve size.
3. Determine the coefficients of uniformity and curvature, cu and cz by determining
D10, D30 and D60, either from the plots or the interpolation equations. This is
explained in Gradation of Aggregates in the Course Notes section of the
instructors website, under subsection 2.1.1a. Indicate whether each material is
well graded (W) or poorly graded (P) using the U.S.C. criteria in Table 2 of the
same document, assuming the coarse aggregate is gravel and the fine is sand.
4. Determine the Nominal Maximum Particle Size for each material (see Table 5.03,
subsection 2.2.4c in the Course Notes section of the instructors website).

Mineral Filler
1. Calculate the percent retained on each sieve as a percent of the original sample
mass, Mo as follows:

R200
where:

M200
100%
Mo
M200 is the mass retained on the No. 200 sieve and

R200 is the percent retained on the No. 200 sieve

2. This calculation is done for each sieve size that retained material.

3. Determine the Nominal Maximum Particle Size (see Table 5.03, subsection 2.2.4c
in the Course Notes section of the instructors website) and evaluate the
grading as for the washed sieve tests assuming mineral filler is a sand.

REPORT:
1. Visit the website for the Ontario Provincial Standards:
http://www.ops.on.ca/home.asp
and select Online Standards or click on the OPS link on the instructors
homepage. Using the standards indicated on the Report Forms, fill in the required
information for the report and evaluate the suitability of the aggregate tested
for the applications indicated.
2. Plot the gradation curves on the semi-logarithmic paper provided with the
datasheets on the website or use Excel to plot a scatter type chart (instructions
are posted under Graphing Standards). All three curves can be plotted on the
same graph; however, they should be clearly labelled. The grading specification
that will be used to produce an acceptable blend of these aggregates for asphalt
mix design is shown in the table below. These gradation limits should also be
plotted on the same graph as the gradation curves for the material tested.
Sieve Designation:
Opening (mm):
Grading Spec. (% Passing):

3/4"
19.1
100

1/2"
3/8"
#4
#8
#16
#30
#50
12.7
9.52
4.76
2.38
1.19
0.59 0.297
98 - 100 75 - 90 50 - 60 36 - 60 25 - 58 16 - 45 7 - 26

#100
0.149
3 - 10

#200
0.074
0-5

INTERIM REPORT:
1. Create a spreadsheet by referring to the Example Proportioning Calculations for
Blend Spreadsheets document posted on the website. By trial and error,
attempt to get the blended gradation curve as close to the centre of the grading
specification ranges as possible. A gradation plot should also be provided showing
the final blended gradation curve and the grading spec. The Maximum Nominal
Particle Size as defined by the Asphalt Institute and O.P.S. should also be
reported for the blend.
2. One printout of the spreadsheet and plot along with a covering memorandum per
group should be presented to the instructor at the start of or before the lecture
prior to the third laboratory session.