SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

EAA 204/2 STRUCTURES & STRENGTH OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

(2015/2016)

K4: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COARSE AGGREGATES

GROUP B6

Group members:

1. FATIN FARHANA BINTI KAMARZAMAN 124943

2. SITI NUR AISHAH BINTI MOHD YUSOFF 124988
3. TUNG WEN YAN 124997
4. NORAINI BINTI GHOZALI 128884

DR. IZWAN JOHARI

20TH OCTOBER 2015

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Assignment/Project received without this declaration form will not be graded)

Declaration of Academic Honesty

Academic honesty or academic integrity is a very important virtue that all students should uphold
at all times.

We declare that the lab report submitted is not plagiarized and is entirely my/our own works, and
that no part of it has been copied from any work produced by other person(s) / source(s) or
provided by other student(s).

We understand that issuing a false declaration can result in severe penalties and we are willing to
be penalized if any form of copying found valid.

1. FATIN FARHANA BINTI KAMARZAMAN

2. SITI NUR AISHAH BINTI MOHD YUSOFF

3. TUNG WEN YAN

4. NORAINI BINTI GHOZALI

K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

CONTENTS

Page
1. Abstract 1
2. Objective 2
3. Introduction 2
4. Equipment and Materials 3
5. Procedure 45
6. Results 68
7. Observation and Calculation 9 10
8. Discussion 11 13
9. Conclusion 14
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

ABSTRACT

The purpose of carrying out this experiment is to determine the physical characteristics of coarse
aggregate which are required in concrete mix design. Sieve analysis was carried out as well as the specific
gravity and water absorption of the coarse aggregate. Bulk density of the coarse aggregate in compacted
condition and uncompact condition were also identified.

Sieve analysis is carried out to determine the grading of the coarse aggregate. It is important to
know the distribution sizes of the coarse aggregate as it will affect the concrete mix design. After
knowing the specific gravity and water absorption of the coarse aggregate, a more accurate water-cement
ratio can be determined in the concrete mix design to ensure the workability and the strength desired of
the concrete. Bulk density is the mass of the coarse aggregate that would fill a unit volume. It depends on
how densely the aggregate can be packed as it is influenced by the size distribution and shape of the
aggregate. By knowing the bulk density, the void ratio can be determined as it indicates the volume of
mortar required to fill the spaces between the coarse aggregate.

From the sieve analysis, the coarse aggregate does not have a good grading as the curve of our
results portrayed in the graph of grading of coarse aggregate (Graded aggregate) does not fall within the
range according to the British Standard, BS 882:1992. For the 10mm sieve, the percentage of our coarse
aggregate is 8.538% which falls below the lower limit (30%), indicating a bad grading. Nevertheless, the
results fit the graph of single-sized aggregate, which is between the upper limit and lower limit according
to British Standard. Besides, the specific gravity of the coarse aggregate sample in oven-dried condition is
2.634 whereas in saturated surface dried condition, it is 2.646. The apparent specific gravity of the sample
is 2.666. The water absorption of the coarse aggregate is 0.45%. Moreover, the bulk density of the
compacted coarse aggregate is 1385kg/m3 while for the uncompact condition is 1325kg/m3.

In short, these analysis were carried out so that the concrete produced achieves the requirement in
terms of strength and workability.

1
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

OBJECTIVE

To determine the physical characteristics of coarse aggregates which are required in concrete mix design

INTRODUCTION

The term aggregate is used to describe the gravel, crushed, rocks and sand which are mixed with
cement and water to produce concrete. The aggregate affect concretes performance as it dictates the bulk
of the volume of concrete. So the selection of suitable materials, especially aggregate is very important.

Aggregates are classified according to particle size. Most concrete is made from natural aggregate
which is usually specified to comply the requirement of BS 882. Coarse aggregate is defined as material
with the size in the range of 5mm to 40mm. In this experiment, we are going to determine the physical
characteristics of coarse aggregate which required in concrete mix design.

The grading of size distribution of the aggregate is important in designing any concrete mix
characteristic because it determines the paste requirement for workable concrete. For most particle
concrete, it is desirable to have the particle size evenly distributed from the maximum size aggregate
down to the smallest sand particles. This will enable the aggregate to be compacted together, where the
smaller size of the aggregates is allowed to fill the pores between the larger size aggregates. This will
reduce the number of voids in the concrete and thus enhance the strength of the concrete itself.

The specific gravity of an aggregate is the ratio of its mass to the mass of an equal volume of
water. In general, the specific gravity based on the surface- dry condition (SSD) is used in concrete mix
design. This is because the water contained in the pores of aggregates does not take part in the chemical
reaction with cement and considered as part of the aggregate. Specific gravity based on SSD condition is
necessary for the calculation of the quantity of aggregate required for a specific volume of concrete.
Water absorption of the aggregate is taken as the percentage of reduction in mass of SSD aggregate after
oven dried to its initial mass .

Bulk density is mass of aggregate that would fill a unit-volume. It is depends on how density
aggregate can be packed which is influenced by the size distribution and shape of the aggregate. Single
size aggregates can be packed to limited extend in comparison to aggregates with varied size distribution
from the coarse aggregate to fine aggregate.

2
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Sieve Analysis
i. Simple separator
ii. Sieves37.5mm, 20mm, 14mm, 10mm, 5mm and 2.36mm
iii. Scale
iv. 10 kg of coarse aggregate sample

b) Specific gravity and Absorption

i. Balance
ii. Oven
iii. Wire basket
iv. Pail
v. Absorbent cloth
vi. Tray
vii. Immersed aggregate sample

c) Bulk Density
i. Balance
ii. Woodenmould
iii. Steel rod

3
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

PROCEDURE

a) Sieve Analysis
10kg of coarse aggregate were first transferred to a tray. 2kg of aggregate samples were weighed
after 8 kg of them were removed from the tray using a simple separator. The samples were weighed to
the nearest gram. Next, each of the clean sieves was weighted, along with the bottom pan, and the
respective weights were recorded before being arranged in a series according to the sieve size. Then, they
were put on a sieve shaker.The aggregate samples were put in the first sieve and they were sieved for5
minutes. The aggregate samples which are retained in each sieve and pan were weighed. If the total mass
is different from the actual mass for about 1%, the test should be repeated. The percentage of the
aggregate samples passing through each sieve was calculated. Finally, the grading curve was plotted and
compared with British Standard for grading limits.

b) Specific Gravity and Absorption

The sample was washed to remove the small particles and dust. Then, they are soaked for 24
hours at room temperature. The soaked sample was put into a wire basket and immersed in the water.
The basket is being 50mm below the water surface. The wire basket was lifted up and down for 25 times
at a rate of 1 drop per second to remove the entrapped air. Care was taken to ensure the wire basket and
the sample were below the water surface and the wire basket did not collide with the bottom of the tank
throughout this procedure. The wire basket which was containing the sample was weighed while it was
still being immersed in the water. The reading observed was recorded as W1.The sample or the aggregate
was taken out from the wire basket and was dried by using a cloth until it achieved the saturated surface
dried (SSD) condition when no water mark could be observed on the clean cloth after the dried aggregate
was put on it. The SSD condition aggregate was put into a tray and weighed. Their mass was recorded as
W3.The wire basket without aggregate was immersed in water and weighed. Its mass was recorded as
W2.The tray which contained the saturated dry aggregate was put into the oven at 105C for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, the tray and aggregates were taken out from the oven and weighed. Their mass was
recorded as W4.The tray was emptied and weighed. Its mass was recorded as W5.By referring to the
results obtained, the specific gravity and water absorption of the aggregate tested were calculated using
the formulae below:

W4 W5
Specific gravity (oven-dried) = (W
3 W5 )(W1 W2 )

4
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

W3 W5
Specific gravity (Saturated surface dried, SSD)= (W
3 W5 )(W1 W2 )

W4 W5
Apparent specific gravity= (W
4 W5 )(W1 W2 )

W W
Water Absorption= W3 W4 100%
4 5

c) Bulk Density

A 10-litre capacity wooden mould was weighed. The mould was filled with aggregate by three
times. Each of the three layers was compacted 25 strokes (distributed evenly over the layers surface) by a
steel rod. Then the top layers surface was levelled.The moulds with the aggregate were weighed and their
mass was recorded. The bulk density of the samples was then calculated. Next, to determine the
uncompact condition coarse aggregate, the coarse aggregate was filled into the mould completely. After
levelling the opening of the mould, the mould was weighted and recorded. Bulk density was then
calculated by the formulae below:

Mass of Compacted/Uncompact Coarse Aggregate

Bulk Density =
Volume of steel mould

5
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

RESULTS

a) Sieve Analysis

Type of sand: Coarse

Weight of sample before sieve: 2000g

Table of Sieve Analysis

Percentage of
Sieve Sample Weight Retained Percentage of
Sieve Passing
Opening + Sieve Weight Sample Retained Sample
Weight (g) Through The
(mm) (g) Weight (g) (%)
Sieve (%)

37.50 1271.6 1271.6 0 0 100

20.00 1341.1 1362.3 21.2 1.060 98.940
14.00 1177.4 2288.1 1110.7 55.555 43.385
10.00 1191.8 1888.5 696.7 34.847 8.538
5.00 996.4 1164.9 168.5 8.428 0.110
2.36 1050.6 1051.1 0.5 0.025 0.085
Pan 781.0 782.7 1.7 0.085 0
Total: 1999.3g 100%

b) Specific Gravity and Water Absorption

Mass of basket and aggregate in the water (W1) 1020.7g

Mass of basket in the water (W2) 262.5g
Mass of aggregate (SSD) and tray (W3) 1440.8g
Mass of aggregate (oven-dried) and tray (W4) 1435.3g
Mass of tray (W5) 221.9g
Mass of aggregate (SSD) (W3 W5) 1218.9g
Mass of aggregate in water (W1 W2) 758.2g
Mass of aggregate (oven-dried) (W4 W5) 1213.4g
Moisture Loss (W3 W4) 5.5g

Specific Gravity:
Dry (oven dried) 2.634
Saturated Surface Dried (SSD) 2.646
Apparent 2.666
Water Absorption (%) 0.45%

6
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

c) Bulk Density

Volume of steel mould 10L

Mass of steel mould 12.10kg
Mass of compacted coarse aggregate and steel mould 25.95kg
Mass of uncompact coarse aggregate and steel mould 25.35kg
Mass of compacted coarse aggregate 13.85kg
Mass of uncompact coarse aggregate 13.25kg

Condition of Coarse Aggregate Bulk Density (kg/m3)

Compacted Condition 1385
Uncompact Condition 1325

7
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

Grading of Coarse Aggregate

(Graded Aggregate - BS 882 : 1992)
100
90
80
70
% Passing

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 10 100
Sieve Size (mm)
Lower Limit (%) Upper Limit (%) Sample Passing Through (%)

Grading of Coarse Aggregate

(Single-Sized Aggregate - BS 882 : 1992)
100
90
80
70
% Passing

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 10 100
Sieve Size (mm)
Lower Limit (%) Upper Limit (%) Sample Passing Through (%)

8
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION

a) Sieve Analysis

Initial mass of the sample = 2000g

Mass of the sample after sieved = 1999.3g

Initial Mass Mass After sieved

Difference in mass = x 100%
Initial Mass

2000 1999.3
= x 100%
2000

= 0.035%

Owing to the mass difference being less than 1%, the results obtained is acceptable.

b) Specific Gravity and Water Absorption

Mass of basket and aggregate in the water (W1) 1020.7g

Mass of basket in the water (W2) 262.5g
Mass of aggregate (SSD) and tray (W3) 1440.8g
Mass of aggregate (oven-dried) and tray (W4) 1435.3g
Mass of tray (W5) 221.9g
Mass of aggregate (SSD) (W3 W5) 1218.9g
Mass of aggregate in water (W1 W2) 758.2g
Mass of aggregate (oven-dried) (W4 W5) 1213.4g
Moisture Loss (W3 W4) 5.5g

(W4 W5)
Specific Gravity (Oven Dried) =
(W3 W5) (W1 W2)

1213.4
=
1218.9 758.2

= 2.634

Specific Gravity (Saturated (W3 W5)

=
Surface Dried) = (W3 W5) (W1 W2)

1218.9
=
1218.9 758.2

= 2.646

9
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

(W4 W5)
Apparent Specific Gravity =
(W4 W5) (W1 W2)

1213.4
=
1213.4 758.2

= 2.666

(W3 W4)
Water Absorption (%) = x 100%
(W4 W5)

5.5
= x 100%
1213.4

= 0.45%

c) Bulk Density

Volume of steel mould 10L

Mass of steel mould 12.10kg
Mass of compacted coarse aggregate and steel mould 25.95kg
Mass of uncompact coarse aggregate and steel mould 25.35kg
Mass of compacted coarse aggregate 13.85kg
Mass of uncompact coarse aggregate 13.25kg

(i) Compacted Coarse Aggregate

Mass of Compacted Coarse Aggregate

Bulk Density =
Volume of steel mould

13.85
=
10 x 0.001

= 1385 kg/m3

(ii) Uncompact Coarse Aggregate

Mass of Uncompact Coarse Aggregate

Bulk Density =
Volume of steel mould

13.25
=
10 x 0.001

= 1325 kg/m3

10
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the influence of maximum aggregate size to fresh concrete and hardened concrete

Concrete that are used in construction is made up of a mixture of aggregates which mainly
divided into two types which are coarse aggregates and fine aggregates. Coarse aggregates are described
as aggregates with the size larger than 5mm, and usually not more than 40mm. The physical properties of
coarse aggregates, such as the maximum coarse aggregate size, have significant effects on the properties
of both fresh and hardened state.

For fresh concrete, the maximum size of the coarse aggregate has a major influence on the
workability. The use of greater maximum size of coarse aggregate replaces greater amount of water
content and percentage of fine aggregates at a fixed workability. Addition of water to concrete mix will
make it runnier and improves its workability. Increase in overall quantity of fine aggregate improves the
workability and cohesion of the mix concrete. Therefore , in general if the maximum size of the aggregate
increase, the free water concrete and percentage of fine aggregates required for achieve the workability
are reduced, and if these two parameters remain unchanged, bleeding and segregation would occur which
causes the resulting fresh concrete to reduce the quality .

For the hardened concrete, the increment in maximum size of coarse aggregate will improve the
strength of the concrete, but only to a certain extent. Course aggregates with a greater maximum size has
a smaller surface area and requires a lower water amount for the mix concrete.Therefore the amount of
pores in the concrete can be reduced and the concrete would achieve its maximum density which yields a
greater strength. However, this behavior is only true with aggregate up to 38mm of maximum size. For
coarse aggregates size above 38mm,the gain in strength due to reduced water requirement is offset by the
detrimental effects of lower bond area and discontinuities introduced by the large particles. The hardened
concrete will become grossly heterogeneous and results in low strength of concrete.

The maximum size of aggregates is usually controlled by the requirements concrete placements.
It is usually impractical to place normal reinforced concrete with a large aggregate size which may not fit
between reinforcing bar openings. The most common cause of the maximum size of coarse aggregate
must be determined in order to produce sufficient workability of fresh concrete and also yield a maximum
strength of hardened concrete.

11
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

2. Does the tested coarse aggregate have a good grading? Compare the result with British Standard.

First of all, grading can be defined as the distribution of aggregate by sieve analysis according to
British Standard (BS 882:1992).

Percentage of passing (BS Sieves)

Sieve Size (mm)
Graded Aggregate (20-5 mm) Single-sized Aggregate (20mm)
37.5 100 100
20.0 90-100 85-100
14.0 40-80 0-70
10.0 30-60 0-25
5.0 0-10 0-5

A tested coarse aggregate is said to have good grading if its percentage of passing through each
sieve falls between the lower and upper limit percentage specified by British Standard .In this experiment,
nominal size used for graded aggregate is 20mm to 5 mm for single-sized aggregate is implied .

Grading of sample test aggregate can be determined by comparing the graph plotted by using
cumulative percentage of sample passing through different size of sieve with the grading requirement of
British Standard.

From the graph plotted, the requirement for single-sized aggregate grading is satisfied. However,
grading standard for Graded aggregate is not satisfied, where the percentage of the tested sample passing
below the Lower Limit for sieve 10.0 mm.

Hence, the coarse aggregate tested does not have a good grade because it only surpasses the
requirement of single-sized aggregate but not for the Graded aggregate. It is specified in BS that an
aggregate should satisfy at least two grading standard in order to be consider as of the good grade.This
could possibly due to an uneven sampling of aggregate.

12
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

3. Discuss the importance of the specific gravity value and the absorption which obtained from the
experiment

The specific gravity of an aggregate is the ratio of its mass to the mass of an equal volume of
water. Most natural aggregate have specific gravity between 2.4 and 3.0.As the aggregate mass varies
with its moisture content, specific gravity is determined at fixed moisture content (wet, saturated surface-
dry, oven-dry). Thus,there are several types of specific gravity which is apparent, bulk and absolute
specific gravity.

The specific gravity of an aggregate is important for the use in mixture proportioning calculations
to find the absolute volume that a given mass of material will occupy in the mixture .Absolute volume of
an aggregate is the spaces occupied by the aggregate particles that is the volume of solid matter and
internal aggregate pores, excluding the voids between particles. Changes in one aggregates specific
gravity will cause the change in mass or quantity of aggregate used for the same batch volume, and the
concrete density to change.

Besides, although the specific gravity of a coarse aggregate is not a measure of aggregate quality,
a variation in the specific gravity compared to the good aggregate indicate a change in the aggregate
characteristic and the presence of deleterious material.

During the calculation of aggregate quantity required , the specific gravity based on SSD
condition is used , as if neither contribute nor absorb water content in the mix that participate in the
chemical reaction with the cement . Therefore, choice of aggregate with certain specific gravity is
important to determine the quantity of aggregates needed for a volume batch, besides inspecting the
quality of the aggregate used. Concrete density shall be taken into account as its often specified, for
instance, high density concrete is specified for the radiation shielding.

The water absorption of aggregate is also important in concrete mix design .Water absorption
percentage of aggregate is determined and correction is carried out on free water content and the mass of
aggregate used in concrete mix design in order to determine the actual water requirement and aggregate
bulk mass of the concrete . Coarse aggregate with high water absorption will induce pore system in the
concrete, as water is absorbed into the aggregates pores and not able to react efficiently with cement.
This will reduce the strength of concrete.

13
K4: Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregates Group B6

CONCLUSION

The size and distribution of coarse aggregate can affect the concrete mix design in terms of
strength and workability. Hence, this experiment is carried out to determine the physical characteristics of
coarse aggregate which are required in concrete mix design.

From the sieve analysis, the coarse aggregate sample does not have a good grade since it is not
within the graded aggregate curve set by British Standard. For the 10mm sieve size, the sample has a
percentage of lower than the lower limit. However, for the single-sized aggregate curve, the coarse
aggregate sample is within the upper limit and lower limit of all sieves. Due to the sample not reaching
the requirement of the graded aggregate curve, the coarse aggregate cannot be considered as good grade.

The specific gravity and water absorption of the coarse aggregate are identified.

Specific gravity(oven-dried) 2.634

Specific gravity (SSD) 2.646
Specific gravity (Apparent) 2.666
Water absorption 0.45%

The results can be accepted as the specific gravity of the coarse aggregate is within 2.4 and 3.0.
Also, the water absorption of the coarse aggregate is less than 1%. This indicates that the coarse aggregate
does not affect the water content which will reduce the workability of the concrete as well as the strength
of the concrete.

Last but not least, the bulk density of the sample in compacted condition is 1385 kg/m3 whereas
in uncompact condition is 1325 kg/m3. It is obvious that the uncompact condition coarse aggregate has
lower density than the compacted ones as the void is presence between the uncompact coarse aggregate.

14