Course Teacher: Prof. Dr. Md.

Tarek Uddin

CHAPTER 4

AGGREGATES

Aggregate

Fine Aggregate
Coarse Aggregate
(Sand)

Picked Brick
Coarse Sand Fine Sand Brick Chips Stone Chips Shingles
Chips

Aggregate is a filler material

Gives volume
Non-reactive / inert material

WHAT IS SAND?
Sand is an engineering material in concrete work. It is usually termed as fine aggregate. Sand is a
form of silica (quartz) and may be of argillaceous siliceous or calcareous according to its composition.
More or less 75 % volume of concrete is aggregate. So good quality of aggregates should be used.
Aggregates act as a filler material in concrete
We need good quality aggregate for making good quality concrete.
Sand should be free from dust (clay + silt) and sand
Sand should be free from reactive silica or carbonate and organic matter
Sand should be well graded
If we have different sizes of particles, we will have less amount of voids. So, we need less amount of
cement and get strength in concrete
Washing of sand is necessary to remove dust
Dust: which passes through the # 100 sieve. (Dust = Clay + Silt)
DENSITY OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF CONCRETE: (SPECIFIC GRAVITY)

Components Density (gm/cc) Density (kg/m3) Density (lb/ft3)

Cement 3.1 3100
Coarse Aggregate (CA)
Brick Chips 2.1 ~ 2.2 2100 ~ 2200
Stone Chips 2.6 2600
Shingle
Fine Aggregate (Sand) 2.6 2600
Water 1.0 1000 62.4
Concrete 2.3 ~ 2.1 2300

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ESTIMATE THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WEIGHT OF UNIT WEIGHT OF CONCRETE
1 m3 concrete = 2300 kg concrete
Aggregates = 75 % of 2300 kg

w/c ratio = 0.54 1 m3

Concrete
Cement = 340 kg
Water = 180 kg 520 kg

FA: 780 kg
CA: 1000 kg

CLASSIFICATION OF SAND
According to Source: According to Size:
Pit Sand Coarse Sand (3/8"), FM: 2.6
River Sand
Sea Sand Medium Sand (1/8"), FM: 2.2
According to Shape: Fine Sand (1/16"), FM: 1.8 ~ 2.0
Angular ( )

Flaky ( )

TEST FOR SAND

(i) Test for silt and clay: Determined by the percentage loss in weight of a sample after washing the
same with clean water.
M before wash Mafter wash
Silt =
M after wash
(ii) Organic Matter: A sample of sand is mixed with NaOH in a closed bottle. The sample is left 24
hours. If any organic matter is exist. The solution will become brown. The amount organic matter is
determined from the intensity of brown color.
Write down the uses of sand
The uses of sand are follows:
Making concrete and mortar
Making glasses
Filling gaps between brick in road construction
Bulking of Sand
This is the increase in the volume of a given weight of sand due to the presence of moisture, For up to about
5 ~ 8% of moisture by weight of sand there is a steady increase in volume to about 20 ~ 30 %.
The bulking of sand for small moisture content is due to the formation of thin film of water around the
sand grains and interlocking the air in between the sand grains and the film of water.
Volume increased

20-30%

8-10 %

% of water

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 Various Types of Pointing
BULKING-PERCENT
(By Volume)
Fig: Bulking of Different Types of Sand

Moisture Content Percent (By Weight)

Bulking of moist sand is determined by the following expression:
V
b= × 100 %
V
Where,

V = Volume of dry or saturated sand

b = % bulking of moist sand
With the increase of coarseness, bulking (%) decrease. So, bulking of coarse aggregate is less than
fine aggregate.
Bulking of Fine aggregate (1/16") = 33 %
Bulking of Coarse aggregate (1/2") = 11 % (For 8 % moisture content)

GRADATION OF AGGREGATES
Gradation is the proportion of the different sizes of particles making up the aggregate
Suitable gradation is required to ensure strength, workability and economy of concrete.
Principle of Gradation: Smaller size particles fill up the voids left in large size particles
Sieve analysis is the method to determine grading of aggregates
For same size particles: void is more
For different size particles: void is less

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ASTM STANDARD SIEVE

Sieve Size Opening (mm)

#4
3" 76.2 1"

1
1 "
2
38.1
1"
3/4" 19.05
3/8" 9.5 # 100 1 in2 100 × 100 (Opening)
#4 4.75 # 200 200 × 200 (Opening) in 1 in2
area of sieve
#8 2.36
Smaller size sieves are defined by the
# 16 1.19 number of opening per linear inch

# 30 0.59 Sieves are used to screen the particles in

the same sample
# 50 0.30
# 100 0.15

FINENESS MODULUS , COMBINED GRADING AND GRADING CURVE

Fineness Modulus
It is an index which gives an idea about fineness or coarseness of aggregate.

FM is not an indication of grading of aggregates as an infinite number of grading can have same FM.
Mathematically, FM is
Cumulative % retained on each standard sieve
FM =
100

For good concrete

FM for FA is (2.25 ~ 3.25)
FM for CA is (5.50 ~ 7.50)

The smaller the value of FM, the more is smaller sizes in aggregate.

Grading Curve
The results of a sieve analysis can be grasped much more easily if represented graphically and for this
reason, grading charts are very extensively used. By using a chart, it is possible to see at a glance whether
the grading of a given sample conforms to that specified, or is too coarse or too fine, or deficient in a
particular size.
Gap grading caused uneconomical mix
Uniformly grading --------- lot of voids
More finely grading caused --- less workability, low strength concrete
More coarsely grading caused segregation
Uniformly grading caused segregation

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Combined Grading: Mixed grading of CA and FA. FA fills up the voids left in CA.

Combined FM:
m1FM 1 m2 FM 2 mn FM n
FMcomb =
m1 m2 mn

For two samples:

m1 FM 1 m2 FM 2 m1/m2 = R
FMcomb =
m1 m2
= Ratio of Sample 1 and Sample 2
m / m FM 1 FM 2
FMcomb = 1 2 FM1 = Fineness modulus of Sample 1
m1 / m2 1
FM 2 FM comb m1 = Mass of Sample 1
m1/m2 =
FM comb FM 1

FM 2 FM comb
R=
FM comb FM 1

R : 1 = Sample -1(wt) : Sample -2 (wt)

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Problem

For a bridge construction project, the recommended FM for sand is 2.6. From a market, two sand samples
(sand-1 and sand-2) were collected and were sent to a nearby Concrete Laboratory for sieve analysis. The
sieve analysis data are given below:

Amount Retained (gm)

ASTM Sieve
Sand 1 Sand 2
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
#4 70 0
#8 70 0
# 12 70 70
# 16 70 70
# 30 70 70
# 40 70 70
# 50 0 35
# 100 0 35
# 200 45 100
Pan 45 0

(i) Calculate FM of the sand samples (Note: It is necessary to screen the sand samples by # 4 sieve to
calculate the FM)
(ii) Draw the grading curve of the sand samples
(iii) In what proportions, the sand samples are to be mixed to get the recommended FM?
(iv) Comment on the samples based on the sieve analysis data and grading curves

64
Solution:

Sand 1 Sand 2
Sieve
% Cumulative % Finer Materials % Cumulative % %
Sieve Opening Materials
Materials % Retained Retained Materials Retained Finer
Size (mm) Retained
Retained (gm) Retained
(gm)
304.8 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
152.4 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
76.2 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
38.1 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
19.05 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
3/8 9.5 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100
#4 4.75 70 13.73 13.73 86.27 0 0 0 100
#8 2.36 70 13.73 27.46 72.54 0 0 0 100
# 12 1.70 70 13.73 41.19 58.81 70 15.56 15.56 84.44
# 16 1.19 70 13.73 54.92 45.08 70 15.56 31.12 68.88
# 30 0.59 70 13.73 68.65 31.35 70 15.56 46.68 53.32
# 40 0.425 70 13.73 82.38 17.62 70 15.56 62.24 37.76
# 50 0.30 0 0 82.38 17.62 35 7.78 70.02 29.98
# 100 0.15 0 0 82.38 17.62 35 7.78 77.8 22.2
# 200 0.075 45 8.82 91.20 7.8 100 22.22 100 0
Pan 45 8.82 100 0 0 0 100 0
Total 510 450
 Cumulative % retained on each standard sieve
FM1 =
100
13.73 27.46 54.92 68.65 82.38 82.38
= = 329.52/100 = 3.29
100

31.12 46.68 70.02 77.8

FM2 = = 225.62/100 = 2.26
100

FMcomb = 2.60

2.26 2.60
R = m1/m2 =
2.60 3.29

m1 : m2 = 1 : 2

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 GRADATION CURVE

100

90

80

Sample 1
70
Sample 2

60
% Finer

50

40

30

20

10

0.1 0.15 0.30 0.59 1.19 2.36 4.75 9.5 19.05 38.1 76.2 100

Sieve Opening (mm) (Log Scale)