AGGREGATE

CHARACTERIZATION
CEE 306
CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

CHANG-SEON SHON, PH.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
NAZARBAYEV UNIVERSITY

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATES
•Physical •Mechanical
•Shape Superpave •Modulus of elasticity
•Texture consensus •Compressive strength
•Cleanness properties
•Durability
•Absorption •Deleterious materials
•Specific Gravity
PCC and HMA •Alkaline reactivity
•Gradation/Size mix design •Porosity
•Dry Unit Weight parameters
•Moisture content
•Voids

Lecture 03-b 2
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 AGGREGATE SPECIFICATION IN KZ
• Intermediate size of aggregate

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

AGGREGATE SPECIFICATION IN KZ
(CONT’D)

Lecture 03-b 4
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 PARTICLE SHAPE & SURFACE TEXTURE
• Results from processing
• Difficult to characterize
• F (angularity, flakiness, sphericity, texture)
– Angular
– Rounded
– Flaky
– Elongated
– Flaky & Elongated

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

PARTICLE SHAPE: COARSE AGGREGATE

• Shape = angular, rounded, flaky, or
elongated
• Flaky and elongated are bad
because of easy breakage and
difficulty compacting in thin
asphalt layers

Lecture 03-b 6
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 SHAPE: FLAT AND ELONGATED TEST
(ASTM D 4791)-COARSE AGGR.
Ratio
> Middle : Smallest
>( 3 : 1 )

Flat and elongated device

> Longest : Middle
>( 3 : 1 )

> Longest : Smallest

>( 5 : 1 )
Superpave
Only aggregates retained on the 9.5 mm (3/8
inch) sieve
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

EXAMPLE: FLAT AND ELONGATED

• Test method: ASTM D4791

Minimum
Maximum

Superpave application: max 10% w/ 5:1 max:min ratio

Lecture 03-b 8
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 ANGULARITY & SURFACE TEXTURE:
COARSE AGGREGATE
• Angularity and texture: fractured faces
• Visual inspection to determine the percent of
aggregates with:
– no fractured faces
– one fractured face
– more than one fractured face

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

COARSE AGGREGATE ANGULARITY

• Test method: ASTM D5821
100%
0% w/ 2
fractured
surface

Superpave application: Min 80% w/ 2 fractured faces

Lecture 03-b 10
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 SURFACE TEXTURE (ROUGHNESS):
COARSE AGGREGATE
• Surface texture (roughness)
– Aggregate compaction
– Bonding
• Rough texture
– Difficult to compact
– Improve bonding
– Increase inter-particle friction
• Examples
– High friction (angular, rough) for strength & stability of
asphalt
– Low friction (rounded, smooth) for workability of
concrete
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

FINE AGGREGATES PARTICLE SHAPE &

TEXTURE EVALUATION (ASTM C1252)
• FINE AGGREGATE Angular Round
% voids in the
<4.75 MM
aggregates
TOO SMALL FOR
INDIVIDUAL INSPECTION Void = Vcylinder-Vaggregate
Vaggr.=Wtaggr./S.G.
• ESTIMATED BY
The higher the amount of
DETERMINING THE
void content, the more
UNCOMPACTED VOID angular and the
CONTENT OF A SAMPLE rougher will be the
OF AGGREGATE surface texture of fine
aggregate

Lecture 03-b 12
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 AGGREGATE IMAGING MEASUREMENT
SYSTEM (AIMS)

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

AIMS AGGREGATE CLASSIFICATION

Texture
Lecture 03-b 14
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 AGGREGATE MOISTURE STATES
impermeable pores (ip)

permeable pores (pp)

solid (s)

Internal impervious voids

Voids partially filled Free moisture

Oven (bone) dry –

dried in oven
to constant mass Air dry – Saturated surface dry – Moist –
moisture condition moisture condition moisture condition
state undefined state undefined state undefined
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

MOISTURE CONDITIONS

impermeable pores (ip)

permeable pores (pp)

solid (s)
Moisture States

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 MOISTURE CONDITIONS

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

MOISTURE CONTENT EQUATIONS

WSSD  WOD Absorption is the moisture
Absorption Capacity AC %  x100 content when the aggregates
WOD are in the SSD condition

WStock / FieldAgg  AirDry or Wet  WOD

Moisture Content MC %  x100
WOD
WStock / FieldAgg Wet  WSSD
Surface Moisture SM (OD )%  x100  MC  AC
WOD
WStock / FieldAgg Wet  WSSD
SM ( SSD)%  x100
WSSD
WSSD  WStock / FieldAgg  AirDry
Effective Absorption EA%  x100
WSSD
Free moisture is the moisture
content in excess of the SSD Important for proportioning concrete
condition negative free moisture – aggregates will absorb water
positive free moisture – aggregates will release water
Lecture 03-b 18
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 SPECIFIC GRAVITY (G)

• The mass of a material divided by the mass

of water whose volume is equal to the Mass Solid
volume of the material at a specific
Gr  Volume
temperature Mass Water
– G = r / rw Volume
– rw = density of water at specified temperature
– @ 4C, rw is:
• 1000 kg/m3 = 1 g/ml = 1 g/cc
• 62.4 lb/ft3 (remember to stay consistent with
force and mass units for measurements and
the issue of force and mass will go away as G
is a ratio)

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Mass Solid
Volume Mass Solid
Mass Water Mass Water
Volume

Determine by weighing in air

Mass Solid
Mass Water
Determine by
(weight in air - weight in water)
Lecture 03-b 20
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 WHY WEIGH IN WATER?

+ = - =
Direct solution
  m v  500 250  2
V = 400 ml V = 250 ml V = 650ml
G 2 V = 250 ml V = 400 ml
w  1  2
M = 400 g M = 500 g M = 900 g M = 250 g M = 650 g

Volume of water = initial water - removed water

= 400 - 250 = 150ml
Mass of water = 150 g (1 g/ml)
Total mass = 150 + 500 = 650 g
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

WHY WEIGH IN WATER?

+ = - =

V = 400 ml V = 250 ml V = 650ml V = 250 ml V = 400 ml

M = 400 g M = 500 g M = 900 g M = 250 g M = 650 g

Mass in air
SG =
Mass in air + Mass water - Mass in water

500 500
SG = = = 2 = value from
500+400 - 650 250
direct solution

Lecture 03-b 22
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 SPECIFIC GRAVITY
AND UNIT WEIGHT

• Specific gravity (Gr, Sp)

– Ratio of weight of unit volume of material to weight of
same volume of water (@ same T = 25oC)
– Consider different Weight & Volume values

W • Unit Weight ()

 W
Gr  V   W
Ww  w V  w 
V V
w = 1 g/cm3 = 1000 kg/m3 = 62.4 lbs/ft3
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

EFFECTS OF VOIDS ON SPECIFIC GRAVITY

• Voids on the surface of aggregates create multiple

definitions of specific gravity
– Apparent
– Bulk, Dry
– Bulk, SSD

Lecture 03-b 24
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 APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY

impermeable pores (ip)

permeable pores (pp)

solid (s)

WOD
Ga 
(Vs  Vip ) w
WOD WOD
Ga  
WOD  Wsub W pyc  w1  WOD  W pyc  agg  w 2
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

BULK SPECIFIC GRAVITY

impermeable pores (ip)

permeable pores (pp)

solid (s)

WOD Wssd
Gb ( OD )  Gb ( SSD ) 
(Vs  Vip  V pp ) w (Vs  Vip  V pp ) w

WOD or ssd WOD or ssd

Gb ( OD or SSD )  
Wssd  Wsub W pyc  w1  Wssd  W pyc agg  w 2
Lecture 03-b 26
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 EFFECTIVE SPECIFIC GRAVITY
• Used for hot mix asphalt design
• Aggregates absorb some asphalt
• Gse defined based on overall volume exclusive of those
that absorb asphalt
Permeable pores (PP)
WOD
Gse 
(Vs  Vip  V pp  Vap ) w
Solid Agg. Vol. of water-perm. voids
Particle not filled with asphalt

Absorbed asphalt

calculated from mixture information

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

MOISTURE CONTENT IN FIELD

WStock / FieldAgg  AirDry or Wet  WOD

MC %  x100
WOD

Ga
WOD  Wsub
Ga  1
only need to measure Wsub and Wstock/field

Lecture 03-b 28
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 POROSITY

• Porosity (P)
– Within Particle
– highly porous, porous, non-porous

V pp
P
Vs  Vip  V pp impermeable pores (ip)

permeable pores (pp)

solid (s)

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY &

LAB. TEST

• Apparent (Ga)
Gb (OD) < Gb(SSD)< Ga
• Bulk (oven-dry) (Gb(OD))
• Bulk (saturated-surface-dry) (Gb(SSD))
• Effective (Gse) for asphalt concrete

• Based on Archimedes principle

– Wtw displaced by defined volume = Apparent loss of
Wt = (Wtdefined volume - W submerged)
– For fine agg - use pycnometer

Lecture 03-b 30
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 HOW TO MAKE SSD OF AGGREGATE

• Coarse aggregate

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

HOW TO MAKE SSD OF AGGREGATE

(CONT’D)

• Fine aggregate

Lecture 03-b 32
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 SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Coarse Aggregate
H2O
WOD or Wssd Wsub

OD Wg. of OD
Aggregate Aggregate under H2 O
Fine Aggregate WOD WSW

OD (WOD) or SSD (Wssd) Container filled Container + agg + H20

aggregate with H2O
Wpyc+w1 Wpyc+agg+w2
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

COARSE AGGREGATE SPECIFIC

GRAVITY (ASTM C127)

Dry
Dry then
then saturate
saturate the
the aggregates
aggregates
Dry to
Dry to SSD
SSD condition
condition and
and weigh
weigh
Measure Measure dry weight
Measure submerged
submerged weight
weight

Lecture 03-b 34
CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

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 FINE AGGREGATE SPECIFIC GRAVITY
(ASTM C128)
Pycnometer used for FA
Specific Gravity

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

BULK UNIT WEIGHT & VOIDS IN

AGGREGATES
• Bulk unit weight is the weight of aggregate
required to fill a “unit” volume
• Typical units are cubic meters and cubic feet
• Needed for the proportioning of portland cement
concrete mixtures V  volume of aggregate
s

Gsb  bulk specific gravity of aggregate

 s  unit weight of aggregate
Ws  b  bulk unit weight of aggregate
b   w  unit weight of water
V
V W /s  
%Vs  s  100   100  b  100  b  100
V W / b s Gsb s
% Voids  100  %Vs
Lecture 03-b 36
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 VOID CONTENT & DRUW
• Void Content (%V) voids between
– Bulk Porosity Vv aggregates
– Between Particles
V V pp
%Voids  v *100
VTotal Vip

• Dry Rodded Unit

Weight (DRUW) Vs
WOD
DRUW 
VTotal VTotal  Vv  Vs  Vip  V pp
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

PROCEDURE AGGREGATE BULK

UNIT WEIGHT
• Loose • Compacted
– Shovel dry aggregate into – Shovel dry aggregate into
container container
– Limit drop < 2” above rim of • Fill to 1/3 of volume
container • Rod 25 times
– Strike off aggregate level with • Repeat 3x to fill container
top of container • Strike off aggregate level with
top of container
– Determine weight of aggregate
in container, W S – Determine weight of aggregate
in container, W S
– Compute unit weight
– Compute unit weight

Lecture 03-b 38
CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

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 PROCEDURE AGGREGATE BULK
UNIT WEIGHT (CONT’D)
• Loose • Compacted
– Shovel dry aggregate into – Shovel dry aggregate into
container container
– Limit drop < 2” above rim of • Fill to 1/3 of volume
container • Rod 25 times
– Strike off aggregate level with • Repeat 3x to fill container
top of container • Strike off aggregate level with
top of container
– Determine weight of aggregate
in container, W S – Determine weight of aggregate
in container, W S
– Compute unit weight
– Compute unit weight

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

PROCEDURE AGGREGATE BULK

UNIT WEIGHT (CONT’D)

Lecture 03-b 40
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 PCC MIX DESIGN EXAMPLE (SSD)

cement 500kg
water 250kg for hydration
coarse agg 800kg (ssd) AC = 1.50% MC=1%
fine agg 450kg (ssd) AC = 0.75% MC=1%

Find Stock/Field Weights

MC
[1  ]
WStock / FieldAgg  WSSD 100
AC
[1  ]
100

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

PCC MIX DESIGN EXAMPLE (SSD)

MC
SSD wt Dry wt Stock wt Change
[1  ]
WStock / FieldAgg  WSSD 100
AC
[1  ]
Water 250 253 +3 100

Cement 500 500

1
[1  ]
Coarse WCoarse Agg  800 100  796
800 788 796 -4 1.5
Agg [1  ]
100
1
Fine Agg 450 447 451 +1 [1  ]
WFine Agg  450 100  451
0.75
[1  ]
SUM 2000 = 2000 100

Coarse aggr: AC = 1.50% MC=1%

Fine aggr: AC = 0.75% MC=1%

Lecture 03-b 42
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 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

• f(component materials, bonding, porosity)

• Modulus of Elasticity
• Compressive Strength

• Not generally used in aggregate selection,

specifications

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

STRENGTH & MODULUS

• Strength of concrete or asphalt
concrete cannot exceed strength
of aggregates
• Typical compressive strength of
5,000 – 50,000 psi (34.5 – 344.7 MPa)
– Test parent rock
• Like concrete cylinders but 1.5"
(38.1mm)“ - 2.5“ (63.5mm) diameter
cores from hollow core drill
– Test bulk aggregates in triaxial cell
• Resilient Modulus Test
• MR = resilient (recoverable)
deformations not permanent
deformations
Lecture 03-b 44
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 PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATE/ROCK

Civil Engineering Materials, Somayaji, Second Edition, 2001, Prentice Hall

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

DURABILITY & SOUNDNESS OF

AGGREGATE

• Definition: The ability of aggregate to withstand

weathering
• Physical
– Freeze/Thaw (F/T): sulfate / water soundness test
– Degradation (fracture & abrasion): non-plastic fines
– Disintegration: plastic fines (w/water & air)
– Polishing/abrasion/toughness
– Crushing
• Chemical
– Asphalt affinity (bonding)
– Alkali silica reaction
Lecture 03-b 46
CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

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 SOUNDNESS OF AGGREGATE BY USE OF
SODIUM OR MAGNESIUM SULFATE
• AASHTO T104, ASTM C88
– Water freezing in voids fractures & disintegrates aggregates
– Test method uses “salt solution (Na2SO4 or MgSO4)” to simulate wet/dry
and freezing/thawing conditions
– Max. 8-18% loss depending on which salt is used

Prepare sample Soak 16 hrs – dry 4 hrs Measure gradation

minimum mass Repeat cycle 5 times
specified gradation = x 100

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

HARDNESS, TOUGHNESS, & ABRASION

RESISTANCE
• Hardness of aggregate particles
– Ability to resist the damaging effect of loads
– Described as the toughness or abrasion resistance
– The Los Angeles abrasion test (AASHTO T96, ASTM C131 & C535)
– Max. 35-45% loss after 500 revolution (10%-Igneous/60%-soft limestone)

•Prepare sample •Charge drum w/ sample •Sieve

•Minimum mass original •Steel spheres
•Specified gradation •500 revolutions = x 100
Lecture 03-b 48
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 CLEANNESS AND DELETERIOUS
MATERIALS
• Deleterious substances
– Organic impurities
– Minus 0.075 mm (No. 200)
– Coal, lignite, or other low density materials
– Clay lumps and friable particles
– Soft particles

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

CLAY CONTENT

• Sand Equivalency Test (AASHTO T176, ASTM

D2419)
– SE = hsand / hclay x 100
– Example: min 45% Sand Equivalent (SE)

Flocculating
Solution

Clay Reading Suspended

Clay
Sand
Reading Sedimented
Aggregate
Lecture 03-b 50
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 ALKALI-AGGREGATE REACTIVITY (AAR)
• Silica in some aggregate reacts with the alkalis (Na2O,
K2O) in portland cement (P.C.), especially in warm,
humid climates (ASR)
• Carbonates in aggregate can also react to a lesser
extent (ACR)
• AAR only a concern if deleterious & causes cracking
• Minimizing reactivity if a reactive aggregate must be
used
– Keep concrete as dry as possible
– Minimize alkali content of P.C.
– Use pozzolanic material (e.g. fly ash) to reduce ASR
– Replace reactive aggregate with crushed limestone to minimize ASR
(limestone sweetening)
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY (ASR)

Lecture 03-b 52
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 ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY:
MECHANISM
 ≡Si−O−Si≡ + H2O → ≡Si−OH- + ≡Si−OH-
 ≡Si−O−Si≡ + OH- → ≡Si−OH- + Si−O-

1.Siliceous aggregate in solution 2.Surface of aggregate is attacked by OH-

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY:
MECHANISM (CONT’D)
 ≡Si−OH- + OH- → + Si−O- + H2O
 ≡Si−O- + Na+ + OH- → ≡Si−O− Na+ + H2O

3. Silanol groups (Si-OH) on surface are 4. Released SiO- molecules attract alkali
broken down by OH- into SiO- molecules cation in pore solution, forming an alkali-
silica gel around the aggregate
Lecture 03-b 54
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 ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY:
MECHANISM (CONT’D)

 ≡Si−O- + Na+ + H2O + Ca(OH2)

5. Alkali-silica gel takes in water, 6. When the expansionary pressure

expanding and exerting an osmotic exceeds the tensile strength of the
pressure against the surrounding paste or concrete, the concrete cracks.
aggregate.
Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY:
MECHANISM (CONT’D)

Map
cracks

7. When cracks reach the surface of a structure, “map cracking”

results. Other symptoms of ASR damage includes the presence
of gel and staining
Lecture 03-b 56
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 ALKALI-SILICA REACTIVITY:
MECHANISM (CONT’D)

8. Once ASR damage has begun:

3.More
1.Expansion water and 4.Increased
and 2.Increased external
ASR
cracking of permeability alkalis
damage
concrete penetrate
concrete

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

CURRENT TEST METHODS FOR

ASSESSING ASR

Lecture 03-b 58
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 ASPHALT AFFINITY

• Asphalt stripping (moisture-induced damage)

– Water causes asphalt film to separate from aggregate →
reduces durability of Asphalt Concrete (A.C.)
• Loss of adhesion between aggregate and bitumen
• Loss of cohesive strength in bitumen and/or bitumen-filler mastic
– Surface chemistry
• Hydrophobic (water-repelling)
– Positive surface charge, basic (limestone, dolomite)
– Less susceptible to stripping
• Hydrophillic (water-attracting)
– Negative surface charge, acidic, (gravel, granite-silicate)
– More susceptible to stripping
– Stripping is also affected by porosity, absorption, coatings, etc.

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

ASPHALT AFFINITY (CONT’D)

• Tests on loose mix
– Static Immersion Test (AASHTO T182, ASTM D1664)
– Boiling Water Test (ASTM D3625)
– Total Water Immersion Test (TWIT)
– Ultrasonic Water Bath Technique
– Rolling Bottle method (BSEN 12697-11)

Lecture 03-b 60
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 AGGREGATE PROPERTIES FOR AC

• Low plasticity of fines • Specific gravity

• Min. deleterious materials – ASTM C127 (CA)
– ASTM C128 (FA)
• Soundness
• Dense gradation
• Abrasion resistance
• Low aggr absorption
• Rough surface texture
• Adequate VMA
• Angular agg shape
• Limited quantity of natural
sand
• Dust to %ac ratio

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

AGGREGATE PROPERTIES FOR PCC

• Low plasticity of fines • Specific gravity

• Min. deleterious matls • Gradation
• Soundness • Low agg absorption
• Abrasion resistance • Inert
• Surface texture
• Agg shape
• Limited quantity of fines

Lecture 03-b 62
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 SUMMARY
• Geometric Properties
– Shape, Texture, Angularity, Flatness, and Elongation
• Volumetric Properties
– Unit weight & Specific gravity
– Moisture Conditions and Equations
– Apparent specific gravity, Bulk specific gravity, and
Effective specific gravity
– Porosity and dry rodded unit weight
• Other Properties
– Mechanical properties, durability, abrasion,
soundness, bonding, clay content, ASR

Lecture 03-b
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CEE 306: Civil Engineering Materials

THINK IN DEPTH

• An Astana farmer suggests that you use chopped

corncobs as an aggregate. Do you think that this
would be a suitable material for this purpose, and
what potential application would “concrete”
have?

Corncobs

Lecture 03-b 64
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