AGGREGATES

AGGREGATES

Aggregates are a combination of distinct parts gathered into a mass or a

whole. Generally, in civil engineering, the term aggregate means a mass of
crushed stone, gravel, sand, etc., predominantly composed of individual particles.

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 AGGREGATES

There are three main uses of aggregates in civil engineering:

 as an underlying material for foundations and pavements,
 as riprap for erosion protection, and as
 ingredients in Portland cement and asphalt concretes

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 AGGREGATES

Due to the differences in the size of the aggregate particles,

two terms are defined to facilitate the discussion of the
general size characteristics of aggregates:
• Coarse aggregates - aggregate particles that are retained on a 4.75 mm sieve.
• Fine aggregates - aggregate particles that pass a 4.75 mm sieve.

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 SIEVE SIZES

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 AGGREGATES

The ability of aggregates to resist the damaging effect of loads is related to the
hardness of the aggregate particles and is described as the toughness or
abrasion resistance. The aggregate must resist crushing, degradation, and
disintegration when stockpiled, mixed as either portland cement or asphalt
concrete, placed and compacted, and exposed to loads.

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 PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATES

1. Composition 8. Bulking of Sand

2. Size & Shape 9. Fineness Modulus of Aggregate
3. Surface Texture 10. Surface Index of Aggregate
4. Specific Gravity 11. Deleterious Material
5. Bulk Density 12. Crushing Value of Aggregate
6. Voids 13. Impact Value of Aggregate
7. Porosity & Absorption 14. Abrasion Value of Aggregate

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 CLASSIFICATION OF AGGREGATES BASED ON DENSITY

1. Lightweight
2. Standard
3. High Density

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 AGGREGATE SOURCES

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.

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 AGGREGATE SOURCES

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.

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 GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

All natural aggregates result from the breakdown

of large rock masses. Geologists classify rocks into
three basic types: igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic. Volcanic action produces igneous
rocks by hardening or crystallizing molten material,
magma.

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 GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

Sedimentary rocks merge from deposits of

disintegrated existing rocks or inorganic remains of
marine animals. Wind, water, glaciers, or direct
chemical precipitation transport and deposit layers
of material that become sedimentary rocks, resulting
in a stratified structure.

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 GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

Metamorphic rocks form from igneous or

sedimentary rocks that are drawn back into the
Earth’s crust and exposed to heat and pressure,
reforming the grain structure. Metamorphic
rocks generally have a crystalline structure, with
grain sizes ranging from fine to coarse.

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 EVALUATION OF AGGREGATE SOURCES

Civil engineers select aggregates for their ability to meet specific project requirements,
rather than their geologic history. The physical and chemical properties of the rocks
determine the acceptability of an aggregate source for a construction project. These
characteristics vary within a quarry or gravel pit, making it necessary to sample and test
the materials continually as the aggregates are being produced.

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 PARTICLE SHAPE AND SURFACE TEXTURE

The shape and surface texture of the individual aggregate particles determine how the
material will pack into a dense configuration and also determines the mobility of the stones
within a mix. There are two considerations in the shape of the material: angularity and
flakiness.

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 PARTICLE SHAPE AND TEXTURE OF COARSE AGGREGATES

The different shapes of coarse aggregates: angular, rounded, flaky, elongated, and flaky and
elongated. Flakiness, also referred to as flat and elongated, describes the relationship
between the dimensions of the aggregate.

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 PARTICLE SHAPE AND TEXTURE OF COARSE AGGREGATES

The roughness of the aggregate surface plays an important role in the way the aggregate
compacts and bonds with the binder material. Aggregates with a rough texture are more
difficult to compact into a dense configuration than smooth aggregates.

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 PARTICLE SHAPE

a.) angular d.) elongated

b.) rounded e.) flaky and elongated
c.) flaky

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 CONCEPT OF FLAKINESS TEST

Flat Elongated Flat and Elongated

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 PARTICLE SHAPE AND TEXTURE OF FINE AGGREGATES

The angularity and texture of fine aggregates have a very strong influence on the stability of
concrete mixes. The higher the amount of void content, the more angular and the rougher
will be the surface texture of the fine aggregate.

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 PARTICLE SHAPE AND TEXTURE OF FINE AGGREGATES

Apparatus used to measure angularity and surface texture of fine aggregate

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 SOUNDNESS AND DURABILITY

The ability of aggregate to withstand weathering is defined as soundness and durability.

Aggregates used in various civil engineering applications must be sound and durable,
particularly if the structure is subjected to severe climatic conditions. Water freezing in the
voids of aggregates generates stresses that can fracture the stones.

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 SOUNDNESS AND DURABILITY

The soundness test (ASTM C88) simulates weathering by soaking the aggregates in either a
sodium sulfate or a magnesium sulfate solution. These sulfates cause crystals to grow in the
aggregates, simulating the effect of freezing. The test starts with an oven-dry sample
separated into different sized fractions. The sample is subjected to cycles of soaking in the
sulfate for 16 hours, followed by drying. Typically, the samples are subjected to five cycles.
Afterwards, the aggregates are washed and dried, each size is weighed, and the weighted
average percentage loss for the entire sample is computed.
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 SOUNDNESS AND DURABILITY

The ability of aggregates to resist the damaging effect of loads is related to the hardness of
the aggregate particles and is described as the toughness or abrasion resistance. The
aggregate must resist crushing, degradation, and disintegration when stockpiled, mixed as
either portland cement or asphalt concrete, placed and compacted, and exposed to loads.

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 ABRASION MACHINE

Abrasion test (ASTM C131, C535) evaluates the aggregates’

toughness and abrasion resistance. In this test, aggregates
blended to a fixed size distribution are placed in a large steel
drum with standard sized steel balls that act as an abrasive
charge. The drum is rotated, typically for 500 revolutions. The
material is recovered from the machine and passed through a
sieve that retains all of the original material.

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 MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE AGGREGATE

Wmoist : weight of moist aggregate

Wdry : weight of dry aggregate

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 MAIN DELETERIOUS SUBSTANCES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON
PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE

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