Chapter 4
AGGREGATE IMPACT VALUE TEST
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Aggregates play an important role in the design and construction of highway and air filed
pavements. They are also major part of rigid (concrete) and flexible (asphalt) pavements.
Aggregate is a combination of sand, gravel, crushed stone, or other material of mineral
composition. Aggregate may be classified as natural or manufactured natural aggregates are
taken from natural deposits without change in their nature during production, with the
exception of crushing, sizing, grading or washing. Manufactured aggregates include blast
furnace slag, clay, slate and lightweight aggregates. Further, the aggregates could be
classified as fine and coarse. According to ASTM C125, fine aggregate is defined as
aggregate passing no-4 (4.75 mm) sieve and retained on no. 200 (75 Micron m) sieve.
Fig. 4.2 Fine Aggregate
Figure 4.1 Coarse Aggregate
Coarse aggregate is defined as aggregate retained on no. 4 (4.75 Micron m) sieve.
Aggregates used in road construction should be strong enough to resist crushing under traffic
wheel loads. If the aggregates are weak, the stability of the pavement structure is likely to be
adversely affected.
Toughness is the property of a material to resist impact. Due to traffic loads, the road stones
are subjected to the pounding action or impact and there is possibility of stones breaking into
smaller pieces. The road aggregates should therefore be tough enough to resist fracture under
impact.
In this test, a test specimen is compacted, in a standardized manner, into an open steel cup.
The specimen is then subjected to a number of standard impacts from a dropping weight. This
action breaks the aggregate to a degree which is dependent on the impact resistance of the
material. This degree is assessed by sieving the impacted specimen and is taken as are
aggregate impact value (AIV).
4.2 OBJECTIVE
To determine the aggregate impact value of the given aggregate sample.
4.3 APPARATUS
i. Impact testing machine, the machine consists of a metal base with a plane lower
surface supported well on a firm floor. A detachable cylindrical cup, a metal
hammer capable of sliding freely between vertical guides, and fall concentric
over the cup. There is an arrangement for raising the hammer and allowing it to
fall freely between vertical guides from a height of 38 cm in the test sample cup.
A key is provided for supporting the hammer while fastening or removing the
cup (Fig. 4.1).
ii. A cylindrical measure.
iii. Tamping rod.
iv. BS sieve size 14 mm, 10 mm and 2.36 mm.
v. Balance, oven, rubber mallet, metal tray and brush, etc.
Figure 4.1 Aggregate Impact Testing Machine
4.4 PROCEDURE
1. The test sample consists of the aggregates passing 14 mm and retained of 10
mm sieve. Wash the sample and dry at 100° to 110°C for four hours and cool
to room temperature.
2. Fill the cylindrical measure by the aggregate sample to in three equal layers,
each layer being given 25 tampings. Struck off the samples aggregate by
tamping rod weigh and record the mass of the sample (M1).
3. Place the impact testing machine with its bottom plate flat on the floor so that
hammer guides are vertical, fix the cup firmly in its position on the base of the
machine and transfer the entire sample in the cup and compact it 25 times.
4. Raise the hammer and allow it to fall freely on the aggregates. The sample is
subjected to a total of 15 such blows, each being delivered at an interval of not
less than one second.
5. Remove the crushed aggregate from the cup and sieve from 2.36 mm sieve.
The fraction passing the sieve is weighed (M2). The fraction retained on the
sieve is also weighed (M3). If M2 + M3 differs from M1 by more than 1 g
discard the results and repeat the test.
4.5 CALCULATIONS
The aggregate impact value is expressed as the percentage of the fines formed in terms of the
total weight of the sample
100 M 2
Aggregate Impact Value (AIV) =
M1
Where:
M1 =Mass of the test specimen
M2 = Mass of the test specimen passing 2.36 mm test sieve
REFERENCES
British Standard Methods of four determination of aggregate impact value (AIV). B.S.
812: Part 112: 1990.
Harold N. Atkins, Highway Materials, Soils and Concretes, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall
Inc
Kenneth N. Derucher and George P. Korfiatis, Materials for civil d and highway
engineers , Prentice Hall, NJ, 2nd edition, 1988.
Harold N. Attkins, Highway materials, soils, and concretes, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall,
1990.
Freddy L. Roberts, Prithivi S. Khandal et. al Hot Mix Asphalt Materials, Mixtures,
Design and construction NAPA Foundation Maryland 199.
Garber and Hoel, Traffic and Highway Engineering, 1990.
CE 366 Transportation Engineering Laboratory
OBSERVATION SHEET
Aggregate Impact Test
S. Details Trial Number Average
# 1 2
1. Total weight of aggregate
sample filling the cylindrical
measure = M 1 g
3. Weight of aggregate retained
on 2.36 mm sieve after the
test = M3 g
2. Weight of aggregate passing
2.36 mm sieve after the test
= M 2 g = M1-M3
Aggregate impact value =
4. M2
percent fines = 100 %
M1
