UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

CE 223
Construction Materials and Testing
 AGGREGATES
Topics:
 Uses of Aggregates
 Sources
 Types of Aggregates

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 Intended Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, the student must
be able to:
• Identify types of aggregates.
• Explain the use of aggregates and its
properties.

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 AGGREGATES
Aggregates means a mass of crushed stone,
gravel, sand, etc, predominantly composed of
individual particles.

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 The 3 main uses of Aggregates
in civil engineering
1. As a Load Bearing Material
 an underlying material for
foundations and pavements
 used to resist the overall (static as
well as dynamic) load,
 to distribute the load properly to
the supporting ground
 and to drain the water off the
surface

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 The 3 main uses of Aggregates
in civil engineering
2. As a Filling Material

 used for economy,

 reduce shrinkage and
cracks
 and to strengthen the
structure
 used as riprap for erosion
protection
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 The 3 main uses of Aggregates
in civil engineering
3. As an Infiltrating Material

 used in water filtration

 and sewage treatment
processes
 ingredients in portland
cement and asphalt
concretes.

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 Uses of Aggregate in Portland
Cement Concrete
Increases the volume of concrete, thus reduces the
cost. Aggregates account for 60-75% of the volume of
concrete and 79-85% weight of PCC.
To provide a rigid structure.
To reduce the shrinkage and cracking.
Concrete aggregate is used in many structures and
substructures e.g. different elements of a Building,
bridges, foundations.

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 Uses of Aggregate in Portland
Cement Concrete
The smaller the aggregate size the greater its
surface area and the more binding material
(cement) will be required, resulting in a higher cost.

The greater the aggregate size the larger will be the

voids, resulting in wastage of binding material
(cement).

Hence a mixture of coarse and fine aggregate is

used in concrete to avoid both these problems.
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 Uses of Aggregate in Asphalt
Concrete
• Aggregates constitute 75% to 85% of the
volume and 92% to 96% of the mass. The
asphalt cement acts as a binder to hold the
aggregates together, but does not have enough
strength to lock the aggregate particles into
position.
• As a result, the strength and stability of asphalt
concrete depends mostly on interparticle
friction between the aggregates and, to a
limited extent, on the binder.
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 General size characteristics of
aggregates
Fine aggregates
• Sand and/or crushed stone
• < 4.75 mm sieve (No. 4).
Coarse aggregates
• Gravel and crushed stone
• > 4.75 mm sieve (No. 4).
A 4.75 mm sieve has openings equal to
4.75 mm between the sieve wires. A No. 4
sieve has four openings per linear inch.

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 Sources
1.Natural sources for aggregates include gravel pits, river run
deposits, and rock quarries.
• Generally, gravel comes from pits and river deposits,
whereas crushed stones are the result of processing rocks
from quarries. Usually, gravel deposits must also be
crushed to obtain the needed size distribution, shape, and
texture
2.Manufactured aggregates can use slag waste from iron and
steel mills and expanded shale and clays to produce
lightweight aggregates.
Heavyweight concrete, used for radiation shields, can use
steel slag and bearings for the aggregate. Styrofoam beads
can be used as an aggregate in lightweight concrete used for
insulation.
Natural lightweight aggregates include pumice, scoria,
volcanic cinders, tuff, and diatomite.

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 Types of Aggregates
Three General Classification

1. Geological

2. Physical

3. Chemical
ctto

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 1. Geological Classification
(i) Igneous Rocks:
These rocks are formed by cooling and solidifying of
the rock masses from their molten magmatic condition
of the material of the earth.
 Generally igneous rocks are strong and durable.
 Granite, trap and basalt are the rocks belonging to this
category. Granites are formed by slow cooling of the
lava under thick cover on the top. Hence they have
crystalline surface. The cooling of lava at the top
surface of earth results into non-crystalline and glassy
texture.

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 1. Geological Classification
(ii) Sedimentary Rocks:
 Due to weathering action of water, wind and frost existing
rocks disintegrates. The disintegrated material is carried by
wind and water.
 Flowing water deposits its suspended materials at some
points of obstacles to its flow. These deposited layers of
materials get consolidated under pressure and by heat.
Chemical agents also contribute to the cementing of the
deposits.
 The rocks thus formed are more uniform, fine grained and
compact in their nature. They represent a bedded or
stratified structure in general. These are sand stones, lime
stones, mud stones etc.
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 1. Geological Classification
(iii) Metamorphic Rocks:
Previously formed igneous and sedimentary rocks
undergo changes due to metamorphic action of
pressure and internal heat.
 For example due to metamorphic action
granite becomes greisses,
trap and basalt change to schist and laterite,
lime stone changes to marble,
sand stone becomes quartzite and
mud stone becomes slate.

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 2. Physical Classification
(i) Stratified Rocks:
These rocks are having layered structure.
They possess planes of stratification or
cleavage.
They can be easily split along these planes.
 Sand stones, lime stones, slate etc.

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 2. Physical Classification
(ii) Unstratified Rocks:
 These rocks are not stratified. They
possess crystalline and compact
grains.
They cannot be split in to thin slab;
example Granite, trap, marble etc.

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 2. Physical Classification
(iii) Foliated Rocks:
These rocks have a tendency to split
along a definite direction only.
The direction need not be parallel to
each other as in case of stratified rocks.
This type of structure is very common in
case of metamorphic rocks.

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 3. Chemical Classification
(i) Silicious rocks:
The main content of these rocks is silica.
They are hard and durable.
Examples of such rocks are granite, trap,
sand stones etc.

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 3. Chemical Classification
(ii) Argillaceous rocks:
The main constituent of these rocks is argil
i.e., clay.
These stones are hard and durable but they
are brittle.
 They cannot withstand shock. Slates and
laterites are examples of this type of rocks.

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 3. Chemical Classification
(iii) Calcareous rocks:
 The main constituent of these rocks is
calcium carbonate.
Limestone is a calcareous rock of
sedimentary origin while marble is a
calcareous rock of metamorphic origin.

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• Aggregates should be clean and able to bond to the cement
paste. If materials such as clay are stuck to the aggregate
surface cement paste will not bond to the stone and the
strength of the mix will be compromised.
• Aggregate should not have excessive dust coatings, which can
reduce the bond between cement and stones and increase water
demand.
• Other undesirable ingredients include pyrite, coal and sulphate.
If pyrite is in aggregate it can decompose and this results in
staining of the concrete surface.
• Coal and lignite may swell during the life of a structure and they
sometimes decompose; this can leave voids in the concrete.
• Some aggregates are susceptible to alkali aggregate reaction.
These aggregates contain particular silicates which can react
with the alkalis produced when cement hydrates.
• Fortunately, this occurrence is rare, but when it occurs, because
the reaction is expansive, the concrete can spall and crack.
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REFERENCES:
https://www.aboutcivil.org/uses-of-aggregate.html
Allen, E & Iano J. (2009),Fundamentals of Building Construction Materials & Methods,
5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Bhavikatti, S.S. (2010), Basic Civil Engineering, New Age International (P) Limited,
Publishers
Duggal, S.K.(2008), Building Materials, 3rd Edition, New Age International (P) Limited,
Publishers
Goncalves, M.C. and Margarido F. (2015), Materials for Construction and Civil
Engineering Science, Processing, and Design, Springer International Publishing
Switzerland
Kett,I. (2000),Engineered Concrete Mix Design and Test Methods, CRC Press LLC
LABTEST Material Testing Equipment
Mamlouk, M.S. & ZaniewSki, J.P.(2017), Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers,
4th Edition, Pearson
Merritt, F.S. & Ricketts J.T., Building Design and Construction Handbook, 6th Edition,
McGraw-Hill

Prepared & Presented by:

Engr. BERNADETH V. DAPUN
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