CEE300/TAM324

Aggregates and
concrete
Aggregates
Understand and interpret important physical properties
Concrete and cement
Understand concrete as a composite material
Understand the fundamental concepts about portland
cement cement

From last lecture:

* Aggregates are granular particulates, working together
as a group
For civil engineering applications, aggregates are normally
comprised of naturally occurring rocks and common minerals
(silicates, aluminates, carbonates, etc.): ceramics
Hardness, strength, chemical stability and gradation are
important properties

Rock types - Igneous

Formed on cooling of lava

(melted rock)

Mainly quartz,
feldspar, pyroxene,
silica glass

Extrusive versus
intrusive

effect?

Rock examples

Granite (intrusive)
Diorite (intrusive)
Rhyolite (extrusive)
Basalt (extrusive)

Rock types - Sedimentary

Formed by weathering of existing rocks

Deposition: mechanical or chemical
Consolidation: physical or chemical
Mainly quartz, calcite, clay

Rock examples
- Gravel, sand, silt, clay (mechanical
deposition, physical consolidation)
- Sandstone, shale (mechanical
deposition, chemical consolidation)
- Limestone (chemical deposition,
chemical consolidation)

Often laminar, usually weak and

porous

Rock types - Metamorphic

Formed by alteration (pressure

and temperature) of existing
rock
Mainly quartz, calcite, mica, feldspar,
pyroxene

Rock examples
Marble (metamorphosed
limestone)
Slate (low-pressure
metamorphosed
shale)
Phyllite, schist, gneiss (highpressure
metamorphosed
shale)
Quartzite (metamorphosed
sandstone)

% passing

Recall gradation
curves
Uniformly graded
100

Gap graded

Lack of particles within

this size range

Well graded
(combined coarse
and fine aggs)

0
0.15 mm

50 mm

Size (log)

Aggregate particle shape

(Gravel and natural sand)

Increasing water demand and compaction effort

(Crushed stone & manufactured sand)

Aggregate surface texture also has an effect on bond and water demand
glassy to rough

Physical properties of
aggregates
Strength
Aggregates should not be weaker than design load or the strength of
strength of concrete
Generally not a problem:
Crushing strength of aggs = 100 to 200+ MPa
Compressive strength of concrete = 25 to 50 MPa

Porosity
The nature and amount of pores and voids
affect certain properties
Absorption

Permeable
pores (Vp)

Moisture content

Solid (Vs)

Impermeable
pores (Vi)

Used in mix
design computations

Specific gravity

Density of a single aggregate piece!

Expressed as a ratio of density of solid to that of water (1000 kg/m3)

Pores, voids and moisture

absorption

pore

Gives out water

void

Draws in water
dry

Saturated surface-dry
(permeable pores wet)

wet

Inter-relation between
gradation, voids and
Density of the entire aggregate sample (many pieces), as opposed to specific
bulk
density
gravity of
a single piece
m2

m1
mass of
agg.
sample

Containers
with volume
V
Uniformly graded
* High void content
within aggregate sample.

Well
graded
* Lower void content
within aggregate sample.

* Lower bulk density of sample

(m1/V)

* Higher bulk density of sample

(m2/V)

Void content = volume of voids (non-solids) / total volume

What is concrete?

Graded mineral

aggregates serve as
inert and stable filler for
cement matrix

Constituents:

The cement paste

Cement paste (2230% by vol.)

matrix is a mixture
portland cement (pc)
and water

Chemical or mineral

admixtures may be
added to obtain needed
properties

Aggregate* (70% by vol.)

air (1-8% by vol.)
other

A view inside pc concrete

PC concrete made with siliceous

rounded gravel

PC concrete made with crushed

limestone

How are these two materials different?

Concrete as a composite
material
Properties of
concrete

Properties of
cement matrix
strength
permeability
shrinkage
creep

Thus cement properties

are important!

Portland cement -- definition

cement: cohesive or adhesive material that bonds fragments together
inorganic cements: typically comprised of mineral oxides
hydraulic cements: set and harden, even under water,
by virtue of a chemical reaction with water (hydration)
portland cement