Unit 300984

Pavement Materials and Design

Lecture 2
Aggregate

Dr Qinghua Zeng
Email: [email protected]

References:
Part 4A Granular Base and Subbase Materials
Part 4J Aggregate and Source Rock
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 Aggregates
• Aggregate sources

• Aggregate properties

• Aggregate production

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 Aggregate sources
Aggregate
• A material in granular or particulate form

• Two main uses in civil engineering:

o Underlying material for foundations and pavement
o Ingredient in asphalt concrete (85% in volume) and
Portland cement concrete (80% in volume)

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 Aggregate sources
Aggregate
• Engineering properties of a rock depends on:
o Rock mineralogy
o Grain size and texture
o Rock structure
o Degree of weathering

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 Aggregate sources
Classification
(1) Igneous rocks
o Formed by cooling and solidification of molten rock
material
o Grain size: coarse (>2 mm), intermediate (0.2-2
mm), fine (<0.2 mm)
o Silica content: acid (>66%), intermediate (52-66%),
basic (<52%)
o Common igneous rocks for pavement: basalt,
dolerite, gabbro, granite, diorite, rhyolite

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 Aggregate sources
Classification
(2) Sedimentary rocks
o Formed from the accumulation, hardening or
cementation of weathered rocks
o Particle size: gravel, sand, silt, clay
o Formation processes: clastic, biochemical, chemical
o Suitable sedimentary rocks for pavement:
sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, shale, limestone,
dolomite

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 Aggregate sources
Classification
(3) Metamorphic rocks
o Formed from existing (igneous, sedimentary,
metamorphic) rocks by the effects of heat and/or
pressure
o Texture: foliated, non-foliated
o Common metamorphic rocks for pavement:
granulite, gneiss, schist, hornfel, quartzite

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 Aggregate sources
Classification
(4) Natural sands and gravels
o essential for concrete supply and asphalt industries
o Unconsolidated rocks are unsuitable
o Coarse rocks are suitable upon crushing into
smaller size
o Suitable sources for blending additives

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 Aggregate sources
Classification
(5) Blast furnace slag
o Suitable upon crushing for pavement
o Slag with ferrous oxide (>3%) and sulphur (>1%)
will disintegrate in water
o Slag should be exposed to weathering (stockpiling
> 6 months) before using for concrete aggregate

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 Aggregate properties
Mesh Opening
Particle size size (mm)
6 in. 150.0
• Sieve analysis 3 in. 75.0

coarse
3/2 in. 37.5
¾ in. 19.0
3/8 in. 9.5
4 4.75
8 2.36
16 1.18

fine
30 0.6
50 0.3
100 0.15
200 0.075
400 0.0375
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 Aggregate properties
Particle size
• Maximum aggregate size: the smallest sieve
size through which 100% of the aggregates pass.

• Nominal maximum aggregate size: the largest

sieve size that retains 0-10% of the aggregates.

• Classification of aggregate:
o Coarse aggregate: > 4.75 mm
o Fine aggregate: 0.075 - 4.75 mm

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 Aggregate properties
Particle size
• Gradation: the particle size distribution (one of
the most influential aggregate characteristics)

• Maximum density gradation: a grading with the

exponent n = 0.5 in Equation below is known as
Fuller’s maximum density curve
Pi = (di/D)n x 100
where Pi = percentage passing a sieve of size di
di = nominal sieve size (mm)
D = nominal maximum particle size (mm)
n = the exponent
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 Aggregate properties
Particle size
• Types of gradation
o Dense or Well-Graded
o Gap Graded
o Open Graded
o Uniformly Graded

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maximum density and most commonly used
for concrete mix design (asphalt & cement)
Small % (flat curve) in the mid-size range:
more economical – less sand (cement);
prone to segregation during placement
(hot mix asphalt)
Small % (flat curve) in the
small-size range – more
air void; near vertical in
the mid-size range

Narrow size range

(steep curve)
 Aggregate properties
Particle size
Aggregate grading: the combination of aggregates
from two or more sources (A, B, C ….)
𝑃! = 𝐴! 𝑎 + 𝐵! 𝑏 + 𝐶! 𝑐 + ⋯
where,
Pi = percentage of combined aggregate passing a given
sieve size, i
Ai, Bi, Ci = percentages of aggregates A, B, C passing a given
sieve size, i
a, b, c = proportion by weight of aggregates A, B, C used in
the combination, where the total is 1.00
The above formula is applied to the properties of combined
aggregates, e.g., angularity, absorption, strength, and modulus 15
 Aggregate properties
Particle size
• Specific gravity of combined aggregates
1
𝐺 = "! "" "#
#
+ # + # $⋯
! " #
where

G = specific gravity of the combined aggregate

G1, G2, G3 = specific gravities of aggregates 1, 2, and 3
P1, P2, P3 = fractions by weight of aggregates 1, 2, and 3
used in the combined aggregate, where the total is 1.00

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 Aggregate properties
Particle size
• Fineness Modulus (FM): a measure of the fine
aggregate’s gradation, by
o adding the cumulative percentages of aggregate
retained on each of the standard sieves ranging from
0.15 to 150 mm (i.e., 0.15, 0.3, 0.6, 1.18, 2,36, 4.75,
9.5, 19.0, 37.5, 75, 150 mm)
o dividing this sum by 100
o The larger the FM, the coarser is the aggregate. Typical
values range from 2.3 to 3.1

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 Aggregate properties
Particle shape and texture

Shape of aggregate particles (VicRoads 1998, Technical Bulletin 39)

• Flakiness Index Test: AS 1141.15 (2016)

• Particle Shape Test: AS 1141.14 (2007)
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 Aggregate properties
Durability
• The ability of aggregate to withstand weathering (moisture
content and temperature) – retain their dimensions and
mechanical properties in service

• Durability characteristics of crushed aggregates:

o Strength: withstand applied loads in service

o Hardness: withstand abrasion by other materials

o Toughness: withstand impact loadings

o Soundness: withstand the effects of moisture and

temperature change 19
 Aggregate properties
Durability
• Physical durability
o Soundness: unsound aggregate means its volume will
change due to environmental effects such as alternate
freezing-thawing
o Wear resistance: aggregate should be wear resistant,
e.g., when concrete is used for highways

• Chemical durability
o alkali-aggregate reaction: the failure due to expansion
caused by a chemical reaction between the alkalis
contained in cement paste and certain reactive forms of
silica in aggregates
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 Aggregate properties
Moisture content
mM - mOD
MC = ´100
mOD
Where, MC = percentage of moisture content in an aggregate
mM = mass of moist aggregate
mOD = mass of oven-dry aggregate

oven-dry air-dry saturated wet (moist)

(OD) (AD) surface-dry 21
(SSD)
 Aggregate properties
Bulk density and particle density
• Particle density of aggregate considers only the volume
of the aggregate solids
• Bulk density of aggregate considers both the aggregate
solids and the water impermeable and permeable pore
voids, usually in bulk granular form

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 Aggregate properties
Specific gravity (relative density)
• The ratio of the density of a material to the density of
distilled water at a stated temperature
MOD = oven-dry mass of aggregate
MSSD = saturated surface-dry mass of aggregate
Mp = mass of water in the permeable voids when
the aggregate is in the SSD condition
ρw = density of water
volume of the aggregate, including impermeable
Va = pores, but not permeable pores and pores (voids)
between particles
Vpp = volume of water permeable pores
Vap = volume of pores absorbing asphalt
volume of water permeable pores not absorbing
Vpp–Vap = asphalt

Aggregate volume schematic (Roberts et al., 1996)

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 Aggregate properties
Specific gravity
• Four types of bulk specific gravity are defined based on
how voids in the aggregate particles are considered
M OD
Apparent bulk specific gravity =
Vaa ´ r w
V

M OD
Oven - dry bulk specific gravity =
(Vaa++VVppp) ) ´ r w
(V

M SSD
Saturated surface - dry bulk specific gravity =
pp)p ) ´ r w
(Va a+ +VV
(V

M OD
Effective bulk specific gravity =
(Vaa +
(V +VVpp Vapap) ) ´ r w
pp –-V
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 Aggregate production
• Aggregates are usually produced to meet specified
requirements (e.g., size and distribution) by crushing and
screening processes in a crushing plant

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 Aggregate production
• Crushing: jaw crushers , gyratory crushers, cone crushers,
impact crushers, hammer mill crushers, and vertical shaft
impact crushers
• Screening: grade the product into the required ranges and
distribution of sizes
• Grizzlies: remove large materials prior to crushing stage or
to eliminate contaminating overburden and fines from run-of-
quarry stone

Crushing Screening Grizzlies

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 Summary
• Five major sources of aggregates

• Properties of aggregates: size and distribution,

shape and texture, durability, moisture content,
density

• Production of aggregates: crushing, screening,

grizzlies

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