Tests for aggregates

Taste on Coarse aggregates

A. Abrasion test

B. Impact test
 A. Abrasion test
• Test
  is important for aggregate used in road
construction.
 LOS ANGELS ABRASION TESTING machine is
used.
 Sample of clean aggregates - sieving through 1.70 mm
sieve - dry it in oven at -C till its weight is found
constant .
 Decide no. of balls to be placed in cylinder as per
grading of aggregate.
•  

 Put the sample and balls in cylinder
 Rotate the machine at the speed of 30 to 33 RPM.
 For A to D grades , 500 revolutions are enough
 For EFG 1000 revolutions

 Take out the sample on the completion of revolutions

and sieve it with 1.70 mm sieve.
 dry the sample and weight it .
 Loss due to friction = gm.
 Abrasion value = X 100
 B. Impact test
•  This test decides the toughness
• Test is important for the stones which are used in
construction
• IMPACT TESTING MACHINE is used for the test.
• Select the test sample which pass through 12.5 mm
sieve and retained on 10 mm and heat it -C for 4 hrs.
• Fill the sample in cylindrical measure in 3 layers
and each layer to be tampered 25 times by tamping
rod.
• weight the aggregates gms.
•  

 Place the aggregate in base cup machine.
 Compact the aggregate with 25 strokes of tamping rod.
 Allow hammer to fall on the aggregates from the height
of 380 mm.
 Repeat 15 such a blows at an interval of not less than 1
sec.
 Sieve the aggregates on 2.36 mm sieve.
 Weight the aggregate has pass through sieve gm.
 Weight the retained aggregate on the sieve gm.
•  
 Check whether = +. If not, repeat the experiments.

 Aggregate impact value = X 100

 For ordinary concrete impact value should not be
more than 45%.
 Tests on fine aggregates

A. grading

B. Sieve analysis
C. Fineness modulus

D. Bulking of fine aggregates

E. Test for silt clay content
 A. Grading
 It is interesting to note that percentage of voids
existing between particles of EQUAL SIZES is as
high as about 40 to 45%.
 To prepare dense concrete voids must be filled.
Voids between coarser particles are filled by smaller
particles and Voids between smaller particles filled
with finer particles and fine voids are filled up by
cement particles.
 For better results percentage of different sizes of
particles should be properly maintained.
 Size distribution of aggregate particles is called
grading. And workability of concrete depends upon
grading of aggregate.
 Indian standards institute has specified some limits
and the limits of grading depends upon the shape,
size, texture, etc.
 Graphs can be prepared for grading of aggregates.
 If the actual graph curve,
 (1) is lower than the specified grading curve
→aggregates possess coarser grading.
 (2) is above the curve → aggregates possess finer
grading.
 (3) has steeper slope than specified grading curve
→ excess quantity of middle size aggregates.
 (4) has flatter slope than curve → less quantity of
middle size aggregates.
 Sieve analysis will be necessary for preparing
curves and knowing grading.
 B. Sieve analysis
 Indian standard institute has recommended sieves
for the sieve analysis
 For coarse aggregate → 80 mm, 40 mm, 20 mm, 10
mm, 4.75 mm
 For fine aggregate → 4.75 mm, 2.36 mm, 600
micron, 300 micron, 150 micron.
 All the sieves are mounted on above the other in
order of size with larger sieve on top.
 C. Fineness modulus
•  Fineness modulus =

F.M for C.A should be between 5.5 to 6

F.M for F.A should be between 2 to 3.5
D. Bulking of fine
aggregates
 E. Test for silt and clay content
•  Screw topped glass jar
 Balance to weight the sample. Readable upto 1.0 gm
 Device to rotate the jar about its long axis.
 Balance with reading accuracy upto 0.0019m
 100 ml measuring cylinder
 Take gms of even dried sample fof aggregate
passing through 4.75 mm sieve.
 Prepare solution consisting of 8 gm. Of sodium
oxalate per litre of distilled water.
•  Place the sample of sand and 300 ml solution in
glass jar and rotate at the speed of 80 ± 20 RPM fpr
15 min.
 Pore the suspension in the measuring cylinder. Wash
the residue with 150 ml portion of sodium oxalate
and pour the same in the measuring cylinder till
volume is found to be 1000 ml.
 Mix the solution of the cylinder thoroughly.
 Lower the pipette gently up to 10 cm in the solution.
 Fill the pipette after 10 min. by opening the bore
and applying little solution.
 Dry the content of pipette at it as
•  Percentage of clay fine silt
= ( - 0.8)

 = weight in gm of original sample

 weight in gm of dried residue.
 V = vol. in ml of pipette.
 0.8 = wt. in gm of sodium oxalate in liter of sodium.