TESTING OF AGGREGATES

NAME INDEX NO MODULE DATE OF EXPERIMENT DATE OF SUBMISSION

K.I.U.NANAYAKKARA 090344M CE 1132 : BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS 30/06/2010 28/07/2010

INTRODUCTION
It is necessary to check suitability of aggregates from a new aggregate quarry for making structural concrete. In addition, it is also necessary to test the aggregates to obtain relevant properties for concrete mix design. Aggregates used in concrete are divided into two categories as coarse and fine aggregates. Crush rock and river sand are the most common coarse and fine aggregates, respectively, used in Sri Lanka. Since approximately three quarters of the volume of concrete is occupied by aggregate, its quality has a considerable influence on the durability and structural performance of concrete. Some of the important properties of aggregates which affect the properties of both fresh and hardened concrete are, a) b) c) d) e) Particle size distribution (Grading). Shape and surface texture of particles. Physical properties (e.g. specific gravity, water absorption, porosity, etc.) Mechanical Properties (e.g. strength, toughness, hardness, etc.) Chemical and thermal properties.

Various tests are carried out on natural aggregates to check conformity with BS 882 (1983). The methods of testing aggregates are described in BS 812. <comment on current BS> Sampling Only grading characteristics and the important physical properties of aggregates are determined in this experiment. Following tests are carried out in this experiment 1. Sieve analysis on representative samples of fine and coarse aggregates. 2. Determination of relative density and water absorption of coarse aggregates. 3. Determination of dry loose bulk density of fine and coarse aggregates. As it is not practical to test the whole bulk of aggregates it is very important to take a representative sample on which the tests could be carried out. BS 812 has laid down some guidelines on this representative sample. Since we are performing tests on a sample of an aggregate and we are interested in the bulk of the aggregate we must ensure that the sample is typical of the average properties of the aggregates. The main sample for testing must be made of a minimum number of 10 portions drawn from different parts of the whole and the weight of the sample must not be less than that given in Table (1). Type of material Normal size[x] Minimum mass main sample 50 kg Aggregates 25 kg 13 kg Table 1: Minimum mass of main sample (BS 812)

The minimum mass of test sample for sieve analysis is given in Table (2). Nominal size (mm) Minimum mass of sample (kg) 63 50 50 35 40 15 28 05 20 02 14 01 10 .5 6 .2 5 .2 3 .2 .1

Table 2: Minimum mass of test sample. The main sample may be too large and so the sample must be reduced before testing. There are two methods of doing this. 1. Quartering. The main sample is thoroughly mixed and the material heaped into a cone and then turned over to form a new cone .In the case of fine aggregate, the sample is dampened This procedure is carried out three times. ; the material always being deposited at the apex of the cone so that the fall of particles is evenly distributed round the circumference. The final cone is flattened, divided into quarters and a pair of diagonally opposite quarters is discarded, the remainder from the sample for testing and is still too large, the sample can be reduced by further quartering. 2. Riffling (Using a sample divider) A riffler is a box with a number of parallel vertical divisions alternate ones discharging to the left and to the right. The sample is discharged into the riffler over ots full width and the halves are collected into two boxes at the bottom of the chutes on either side. One half is discharge and riffling of the other half is repeated until the sample is reduced to the desired size.

Figure 1: Riffler.

In this experiment the coarse aggregate to be tested was of 20 mm nominal size. Thus the minimum mass of main sample of coarse aggregate was 25 kg and the test sample was 2 kg. As sand was the fine aggregate, minimum mass of main and test samples were 13 kg and 200 g respectively. Riffling was used to reduce the main sample.

TEST 1: Sieve Analysis

APPARATUS
1. Sieve set 28mm, 20mm, 14mm, 10mm, 5mm, 2.36mm, 1.18mm, 0.6mm, 0.3mm, 0.15mm, 0.075mm. 2. Scale.

THEORY AND PROCEDURE

Sieve analysis is a simple operation of dividing a sample of aggregates into fractions, each consisting of particles between specific limits, this being the openings of standard test sieves. The test sieves used for concrete aggregate have square openings. Sieve sizes are by the nominal aperture size in mm or microns. All sieves are rested one above the other in order of size with the largest sieve at the top and the material retained on each sieve after shaking represents the fraction of aggregate coarser than the sieve in question and finer than the sieve above. The sample was discharged onto the top most sieve and it was covered with a lid. Then the sieve set is shaken well in all directions. Then the particles left on each sieve was collected and weighed separately.

RESULTS
Coarse aggregates: Sieve Size (mm) 28 20 14 10 5 Mass retained (kg) 0 0.5158 1.5565 0.831 0.202 0.0177 Percentage retained 0 16.5 49.8 26.6 6.5 0.6 Cumulative percentage passing 100 83.5 33.7 7.1 0.6 0 Cumulative percentage retained 0 16.5 66.3 92.9 99.4 100

Fine aggregates: Cumulative percentage passing 89.6 63.6 39.2 14 1.8 0 Cumulative percentage retained 10.4 36.4 60.8 86 98.2 100

Sieve Size (mm) 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075

Mass retained (g) 22.4 55.7 52.3 54.1 26.1 3.9

Percentage retained 10.4 26 24.4 25.2 12.2 1.8

TEST 2: Determination of Relative Density and Water Absorption.

APPARATUS
1. Vessel [ a cylindrical container] 2. A piece of glass 3. Scale 4. Oven

THEORY
Aggregates normally contain pores (voids), and therefore the term relative density or specific gravity must be carefully defined. Although some of the pores are impermeable, water can penetrate into the aggregates through permeable pores which are open onto the surface of the particles. When all the permeable pores are filled with water, the aggregate is said to be saturated and surface dry. If aggregates in this condition are allowed to dry in air, part of the water will evaporate resulting air dry aggregates. Prolonged drying in an oven will remove the moisture completely and the aggregate is said to be oven dry (bone-dry)

Bone dry or Oven dry

Air dry

Absorbed moisture (Absorption)

Saturated and surface dry (SSD) Free Moisture (Moisture Content)

Total Water Content

Moist

Figure 2: Water content of aggregates.

Relative density in different conditions and water absorption is defined in the following manner. ( ( ( ( ) ) ) ( ( ) ) )

Where, A= Mass of saturated and surface dry sample in air B = Mass of vessel containing sample filled with water C = Mass of vessel filled with water only D = Mass of oven dried sample in air

PROCEDURE
1. The vessel was filled with water and the mass measured. 2. Aggregate sample was put into the vessel and the vessel was topped up with water. The combined mass was measured. 3. The vessel was covered with the piece of glass and kept for 24 hours. 4. Aggregates were taken out and the surface water was removed and the mass was recorded. The weighed sample was in surface saturate dry condition. 5. The aggregates were then dried in an oven at 1050C for 24 hours. 6. The mass of the oven dry sample was measured.

CALCULATIONS
A= 549.5 g B = 2924.6 g C = 2574.7 g D = 546.9 g

( (

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( (

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TEST 3: Determination of Bulk Density.

APPARATUS
1. Container [Bucket] 2. Steel rod. 3. Weighing machine [Scale]

THEORY
Bulk density of aggregate can be defined as the weight of aggregates that would fill a container of unit volume. Bulk density depends on how densely the aggregate is packed and therefore two degrees of compaction; loose and compacted are used <Check BS 812:1975> <Compaction method> <Voids ratio>

PROCEDURE
1. The container is filled with coarse aggregate to an overflowing level and then cut level with a straight edge. 2. The mass of the aggregate is measured. 3. The container was filled again by the method specified by BS 812(1975) for bulk density under compaction. 4. The mass of the aggregate was measured. 5. The container was fully filled with water and the mass of the collected water was measured. 6. Weight of the empty container was measure. Steps one to four was repeated for both coarse and fine aggregates

CALCULATIONS
Coarse Aggregates

Fine Aggregates

Discussion

References
1. State timber corporation

www.timco.lk
2. A Manual For Timber Utilization For Ceylon by A.E.K.Tisseverasinghe