LAB REPORT ON

SIEVE ANALYSIS OF
COARSE AND FINE
AGGREGATE
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT
This method covers the procedure for the determination of particle size
distribution of fine, coarse and all-in-aggregates by sieving or screening.
1.2 THEORY OF THE EXPERIMENT
1.2.1 SIEVE ANALYSIS
The sieve analysis, commonly known as gradation test, is a basic
essential test for all aggregate technician. The sieve analysis
determines the gradation (the distribution of aggregate particles, by
size, within a given sample) in order to determine compliance with
design, production control requirements and verification of
specifications. The gradation data may be used to calculate
relationships between various aggregates or aggregate blends to
check compliance with such blends and to predict trends during
production by plotting gradation curves graphically. Used in
conjunction with other tests, the sieve analysis is a very good quality
control and quality acceptance tool.
1.2.2 FINENESS MODULUS
Fineness modulus is an empirical factor obtained by adding the
cumulative percentages of aggregate retained on each of the standard
sieves ranging from 80 mm to 150 micron and dividing this sum by
an arbitrary number 100. The value of FM will not change if we add
non-standard sieves in standard set of sieves. The information
obtained from fineness modulus is helpful in the following ways –
i) Fineness modulus tells us directly whether the material is well-
graded or gap-graded.
ii) Fineness modulus gives us an overall idea whether the material is
fine or coarse. Higher the value of FM, coarser will be the aggregate.
iii) It also indicates the surface area of the particles. Lower the
surface area of the aggregate, the required amount of fresh cement
paste to cover the aggregate particles will be less and thus less water
is required.
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2. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
2.1 MACHINE AND DEVICES USED IN SIEVE ANALYSIS TEST
2.1.1 SIEVES
Sieves of the sizes given in Table I, conforming to IS: 460-1962
Specification for Test Sieves (Revised) shall be used.
TABLE I - IS SIEVES FOR SIEVE ANALYSIS OF AGGREGATES FOR
CONCRETE

TYPE SIEVE DESIGNATIONS

80-mm, 63-mm, 50-mm, 40-mm, 31.5 mm,
Square hole, perforated plate 25 mm, 20 mm, 16 mm, 12.5 mm, 10 mm,
6.3 mm, 4.75 mm
3.35-mm, 2.36-mm, 1.18mm, 600 micron,
Fine mesh, wire cloth
300 micron, 150 micron, 75 micron

2.1.2 BALANCE
The balance or scale shall be such that it is readable and accurate to
0.1 percent of the weight of the test sample.

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 2.2 SAMPLE
The weight of sample available shall be not less than the weight given in
Table II. The sample for sieving shall be prepared from the larger sample
either by quartering or by means of a sample divider.
TABLE II MINIMUM WEIGHTS FOR SAMPLING
Maximum Size Present In Substantial Maximum Weight of Sample Despatched
Proportions For Testing
(mm) (Kg)
63 100
50 100
40 50
25 50
20 25
16 25
12.5 12
10 6
6.3 3

3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND PRECAUTIONS

i) The sample shall be brought to an air-dry condition before weighing and
sieving. This may be achieved either by drying at room temperature or by heating
at a temperature of 100” to 110°C. The air-dry sample shall be weighed and
sieved successively on the appropriate sieves starting with the largest. Care shall
be taken to ensure that the sieves are clean before use.
ii) Each sieve shall be shaken separately over a clean tray until not more than a
trace passes, but in any case for a period of not less than two minutes. The
shaking shall be done with a varied motion, backwards and forwards, left to
right, circular clockwise and anti-clockwise, and with frequent jarring, so that
the material is kept moving over the sieve surface in frequently changing
directions. Material shall not be forced through the sieve by hand pressure, but
on sieves coarser than 20 mm, placing of particles is permitted. Lumps of fine
material, if present, may be broken by gentle pressure with fingers against the
side of the sieve. Light brushing with a soft brush on the underside of the sieve
may be used to clear the sieve openings.

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3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND PRECAUTIONS (CONTD.)
iii) Light brushing with a fine camel hair brush may be used on the 150-micron
and 75-micron IS Sieves to prevent aggregation of powder and blinding of
apertures. Stiff or worn out brushes shall not be used for this purpose and
pressure shall not be applied to the surface of the sieve to force particles through
the mesh.
iv) On completion of sieving, the material retained on each sieve, together with
any material cleaned from the mesh, shall be weighed.
v) In order to prevent binding of the sieve apertures by overloading, the amount
of aggregate placed on each sieve shall be such that the weight of the aggregate
retained on the sieve at completion of the operation is not greater than the value
given for that sieve in Table III. Sample weights given in Table IV will thus
normally require several operations on each sieve.

TABLE III MAXIMUM WEIGHT TO BE RETAINED AT THE

COMPLETION OF SIEVING
Coarse Aggregate Fine Aggregate
Maximum
IS Sieve Maximum Weight For IS Sieve
Weight For
45 mm Dia 30 mm Dia 20 mm Dia
Sieve Sieve Sieve
(Kg) (Kg) (g)
50 mm 10 4.5 2.36 mm 200
40 mm 8 3.5 1.18 mm 100
31.5 mm or 25 mm 6 2.5 600 micron 75
20 mm 4 2.0 300 micron 50
16 mm or 12.5 mm 3 1.5 150 micron 40
10 mm 2 1.0 75 micron 25
6.3 mm 1.5 0.75
4.75 mm 1 0.50
3.35 mm - 0.30

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 TABLE IV MINIMUM WEIGHT OF SAMPLE FOR SIEVE ANALYSIS
Maximum Size Present In Substantial Maximum Weight of Sample To Be Taken
Proportions For Sieving
(mm) (Kg)
63 50
50 35
40 or 31.5 15
25 5
20 or 16 2
12.5 1
10 0.5
6.3 0.2
4.75 0.2
2.36 0.1

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 RESULTS
4.1.1 RESULT FROM EXPERIMENT
TABLE I SIEVE ANALYSIS OF FINE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE I
Total weight of sample taken – 0.1 Kg or 100 g.
ACCEPTABLE
Weight
% Weight Cumulative % CRITERIA AS PER
Sieve Size Retained % Passing
Retained Weight Retained TABLE IV OF IS
(g.)
383:1970
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
4.75 mm 3.52 3.52 3.52 96.48 90-100
2.36 mm 3.56 3.56 7.08 92.92 75-100
1.18 mm 7.26 7.26 14.34 85.66 55-90
600 micron 29.97 29.97 44.31 55.69 35-59
425 micron 18.74 18.74 63.05 36.95 -
300 micron 14.72 14.72 77.77 22.23 8-30
150 micron 19.99 19.99 97.76 2.24 0-10
75 micron 0.61 0.61 98.37 1.63 -
𝐶𝑢𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 % 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 150 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑛
Fineness Modulus =
100
3.52+7.08+14.34+44.31+63.05+77.77+97.76
=
100

= 3.07
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 4.1.1 RESULT FROM EXPERIMENT (CONTD.)
TABLE II SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COARSE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE I
Total weight of sample taken – 6 Kg or 6000 g.
Weight
% Weight Cumulative % Weight
Sieve Size Retained % Passing
Retained Retained
(g.)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
40 mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
25 mm 55.00 0.92 0.92 99.08
20 mm 800.00 13.33 14.25 85.75
16 mm 2675.00 44.58 58.83 41.17
12.5 mm 1365.00 22.75 81.58 18.42
10 mm 345.00 5.75 87.33 12.67
4.75 mm 70.00 1.17 88.49 11.50

TABLE III SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COARSE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE II

Total weight of sample taken – 4 Kg or 4000 g.
Weight
% Weight Cumulative % Weight
Sieve Size Retained % Passing
Retained Retained
(g.)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
25 mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
20 mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
16 mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
12.5 mm 70.00 1.75 1.75 98.25
10 mm 1415.00 35.38 37.13 62.88
4.75 mm 2445.00 61.13 98.25 1.75

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 4.1.1 RESULT FROM EXPERIMENT (CONTD.)
TABLE IV SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COMBINED COARSE AGGREGATE
ANALYSIS
PERCENTAGE OF
IS OF COARSE
DIFFERENT ACCEPTABLE CRITERIA AS
SIEVE AGGREGATE
FRACTIONS PER TABLE II OF IS 383:1970
SIZES FRACTION
S-I S-II 30% 70% 100%
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
40 mm 100.00 100.00 30.00 70.00 100.00 100
25 mm 99.08 100.00 29.72 70.00 99.72 95-100
20 mm 85.75 100.00 25.73 70.00 95.73 -
16 mm 41.17 100.00 12.35 70.00 82.35 -
12.5 mm 18.42 98.25 5.53 68.78 74.31 -
10 mm 12.67 62.88 3.80 18.86 22.66 25-55
4.75 mm 11.50 1.75 3.45 1.23 4.68 0-10

4.1.2 RESULTS FROM GRAPH

SIEVE ANALYSIS OF FINE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE I

120
PERCENTAGE PASSING

92.92 96.48
100
85.66

80
55.69
60
36.95
40
22.23
20
1.63 2.24
0
0.01 0.1 1 10

SIEVE SIZES

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 4.1.2 RESULTS FROM GRAPH (CONTD.)

SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COARSE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE I

PERCENTAGE PASSING

120
99.084 100
100 85.751

80

60
41.168
40
18.418
20 11.502 12.668

0
1 10 100

SIEVE SIZES

SIEVE ANALYSIS OF COARSE AGGREGATE FOR SAMPLE II

PERCENTAGE PASSING

120
98.25 100
100

80
62.875
60

40

20
1.75
0
1 10 100

SIEVE SIZES

4.2 DISCUSSION
i) From IS 383:1970 of Table 4 we have seen that the above data of sieve
analysis of fine aggregate conforms Zone–II. So we can conclude that the
sand we have taken for sampling is a Zone-II sand.
Again we know the value of fineness modulus of different kind of sands as
follows:
TYPE OF SAND FINENESS MODULUS
Fine Sand 2.2-2.6
Medium Sand 2.6-2.9
Coarse Sand 2.9-3.2
So from fineness modulus calculation it also confirms that the sand we
have taken for sampling is coarse sand.
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 4.2 DISCUSSION (CONTD.)
ii) From IS 383:1970 of Table 2 we have seen that the above data of sieve
analysis of coarse aggregate of sample I conforms that it is single sized
aggregate of 20 mm nominal size.
iii) From IS 383:1970 of Table 2 we have seen that the above data of sieve
analysis of coarse aggregate of sample II conforms that it is graded
aggregate of 12.5 mm nominal size.
iv) Combination of above two types of coarse aggregate helps us to
understand that the combination grading is matched with the acceptable
criteria of 20 mm nominal size graded aggregate which is given in Table 2
of IS 383:1970. So we can conclude that coarse aggregate consist of 20
mm nominal size graded aggregate.
4.3 SOURCES OF ERRORS
i) Sampling errors
ii) Selection errors
iii) Measurement errors
5. REFERENCES
i) IS 2386-1 (1963): Methods of test for aggregates for concrete.
ii) IS 383 (1970): Specification for coarse and fine aggregates from natural
sources for concrete.