Aggregates for

Concrete
Fine Aggregate

• Sand and/or crushed

stone

• < 5 mm (0.2 in.)

• F.A. content usually

35% to 45% by mass or
volume of total aggregate
Coarse Aggregate

• Gravel and
crushed stone
•  5 mm (0.2 in.)
• typically
between 9.5
and 37.5 mm
(3/8 and 1½ in.)
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates

1.Minerals

2. Igneous rocks

3. Metamorphic rocks

4. Sedimentary rocks
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates (contd.)
1.Minerals
– Silica
» Quartz, Opal
– Silicates
» Feldspar, Clay
– Carbonate
» Calcite, Dolomite
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates (contd.)
1. Minerals
– Sulfate
» Gypsum, Anhydrite
– Iron sulfide
» Pyrite, Marcasite
– Iron oxide
» Magnetite, Hematite
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates (contd.)
2. Igneous rocks
» Granite
» Syenite
» Diorite
» Gabbro
» Peridotite
» Pegmatite
» Volcanic glass
» Felsite
» Basalt
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates (contd.)
3. Sedimentary rocks

• Conglomerate
• Sandstone
• Claystone, siltstone, argillite, and shale
• Carbonates
• Chert
Rock and Mineral Constituents
in Aggregates (contd.)
4. Metamorphic rocks
• Marble
• Metaquartzite
• Slate
• Phyllite
• Schist
• Amphibolite
• Hornfels
• Gneiss
• Serpentinite
 Normal-Weight
Aggregate
ASTM C 33

Most common aggregates

• Sand
• Gravel
• Crushed stone

Produce normal-weight concrete

2200 to 2400 kg/m3 (140 to 150
lb/ft3)
 Lightweight Aggregate
(1)
ASTM C 330

Expanded
• Shale
• Clay
• Slate
• Slag

Produce structural lightweight concrete 1350 to 1850 kg/m3

Lightweight Aggregate
(2)
 Pumice
 Scoria
 Perlite
 Vermiculite
 Diatomite

Produce lightweight insulating

concrete
250 to 1450 kg/m3
Heavy weight Aggregate
ASTM C 637, C 638 (Radiation Shielding)
• Barite
• Limonite
• Magnetite
• Ilmenite
• Hematite
• Iron
• Steel punchings or shot
Produce high-density concrete up to 6400
kg/m3
 Aggregate Characteristics and
Tests (1)
Characteristic Test
ASTM C 131 (AASHTO T 96), ASTM C 535,
Abrasion resistance
ASTM C 779
Freeze-thaw ASTM C 666 (AASHTO T 161), ASTM C
resistance 682, AASHTO T 103
Sulfate resistance ASTM C 88 (AASHTO T 104)
Particle shape and
ASTM C 295, ASTM D 3398
surface texture
ASTM C 117 (AASHTO T 11), ASTM C 136
Grading
(AASHTO T 27)
Fine aggregate
ASTM C 1137
degradation
Void content ASTM C 1252 (AASHTO T 304)
Bulk density ASTM C 29 (AASHTO T 19)
 Aggregate Characteristics and
Tests (2)
Characteristic Test
ASTM C 127 (AASHTO T 85)—fine aggregate
Relative density
ASTM C 128 (AASHTO T 84)—coarse aggregate
ASTM C 70, ASTM C 127 (AASHTO T 85), ASTM C
Absorption and
128 (AASHTO T 84), ASTM C 566 (AASHTO T
surface moisture
255)
ASTM C 39 (AASHTO T 22), ASTM C 78 (AASHTO
Strength
T 97)
Def. of constituents ASTM C 125, ASTM C 294
ASTM C 40 (AASHTO T 21), ASTM C 87 (AASHTO
Aggregate T 71), ASTM C 117 (AASHTO T 11), ASTM C 123
constituents (AASHTO T 113), ASTM C 142 (AASHTO T 112),
ASTM C 295
ASTM C 227, ASTM C 289, ASTM C 295, ASTM C
Alkali Resistance 342, ASTM C 586, ASTM C 1260 (AASHTO T
303), ASTM C 1293
 Grading of Aggregate
Grading is the particle-size distribution of
an aggregate as determined by a sieve
analysis using wire mesh sieves with
square openings.

ASTM C 33

• Fine aggregate―7 standard sieves with openings

from 150 μm to 9.5 mm (No. 100 to 3/8 in.)
• Coarse aggregate―13 sieves with openings from
1.18 mm to 100 mm (0.046 in. to 4 in.)
Range of Particle Sizes
 Fine-Aggregate Grading
Limits
Sieve size Percent passing by mass

9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 100

4.75 mm (No. 4) 95 to 100
2.36 mm (No. 8) 80 to 100
1.18 mm (No. 16) 50 to 85
600 µm (No. 30) 25 to 60
300 µm (No. 50) 5 to 30 (AASHTO 10 to
30)
150 µm (No. 100) 0 to 10 (AASHTO 2 to 10)
 Maximum Size vs. Nominal
Maximum Size of Aggregate
• Maximum size ― is the smallest
sieve that all of a particular
aggregate must pass through.
• Nominal maximum size ― is the
standard sieve opening immediately
smaller than the smallest through
which all of the aggregate must pass.
• The nominal maximum-size sieve
may retain 5% to 15%
 Nominal Maximum Size of
Aggregate
Size should not exceed ―
 1/5 than narrowest
dimension between sides
of forms
 3/4 clear spacing
between rebars and
between rebars and the
form
 1/3 depth of slabs
 Coarse Aggregate
Grading
Size No. 57 25 to 4.75 mm [1 in. to No. 4]

Percent passing
Sieve size
by mass
37.5 mm (1½ 100
in.)
25.0 mm (1 in.) 95 to 100
12.5 mm (½ in.) 25 to 60
4.75 mm (No. 4) 0 to 10
2.36 mm (No. 8) 0 to 5
Grading Limits
 Fineness Modulus (FM)
• Obtained by adding the sum of the
cumulative percentages by mass of a
sample aggregate retained on each of
a specified series of sieves and
dividing the sum by 100.

• The specified sieves are: 150 µm (No.

100), 300 µm (No. 50), 600 µm (No.
30), 1.18 mm (No. 16), 2.36 mm (No.
8), 4.75 mm (No. 4), 9.5 mm (3/8 in.),
19.0 mm (3/4 in.), 37.5 mm (1½ in.),
75 mm (3 in.), and 150 mm (6 in.).
 Sieve Analysis and FM of
Sand
Cumulative
Percentage of Percentage percentage re-
individual fraction passing, tained, by
Sieve size retained, by mass by mass mass
9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 0 100 0
4.75 mm (No. 4) 2 98 2
2.36 mm (No. 8) 13 85 15
1.18 mm (No. 16) 20 65 35
600 µm (No. 30) 20 45 55
300 µm (No. 50) 24 21 79
150 µm (No. 100) 18 3 97
Pan 3 0 —
Total 100 283

Fineness modulus = 283 ÷ 100 =

2.83
Moisture Conditions
 Harmful Materials (1)
Substances Effect on Test designation
concrete
Affects setting and ASTM C 40
Organic (AASHTO T 21)
hardening, may
impurities (AASHTO T 71)
cause deterioration ASTM C 87
Materials finer Affects bond,
than the 75-µm increases water ASTM C 117 (AASHTOT11)
(No. 200) sieve requirement
Coal, lignite, or Affects durability,
other lightweight may cause stains ASTM C 123 (AASHTOT11)
materials and popouts
Soft particles Affects durability ASTM C 235
 Harmful Materials (2)
Effect on
Substances Test designation
concrete
Affects workability
Clay lumps
and durability, (AASHTOT
and friable ASTM C 142
may cause 112)
particles
popouts
Chert of less (AASHTOT
Affects durability, ASTM C 123
than 2.40 113)
may cause
relative ASTM C 295
popouts
density
ASTM C 227,
Causes abnormal C 289, C
Alkali-reactive expansion, map 295, C 342,
aggregates cracking, and C 586
popouts C 1260, (AASHTO
C 1293 T303)
Popouts
Iron Particles in
Aggregates
 Alkali- Aggregate Reactivity
( AAR )
• — is a reaction between the active
mineral constituents of some
aggregates and the sodium and
potassium alkali hydroxides and
calcium hydroxide in the concrete.

– Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR)

– Alkali-Carbonate Reaction (ACR )

Alkali-Silica Reaction
(ASR)
• Visual Symptoms
– Network of cracks
– Closed or spalled
joints
– Relative
displacements
Alkali-Silica Reaction
(ASR)
• Visual Symptoms
(cont.)
– Fragments breaking out
of the surface (popouts)

Mechanism
1. Alkali hydroxide +
reactive silica gel 
reaction product
(alkali-silica gel)
2. Gel reaction product +
moisture  expansion
Alkali-Silica Reaction
(ASR)
• Influencing
Factors
– Reactive forms of
silica in the
aggregate,
– High-alkali (pH)
pore solution
– Sufficient moisture

If one of these conditions is

absent ― ASR cannot occur.
 Alkali-Silica Reaction
(ASR)
• Controlling ASR
– Non-reactive aggregates
– Supplementary cementing materials or
blended cements
– Limit alkali loading
– Lithium-based admixtures
– Limestone sweetening (~30%
replacement of reactive aggregate with
crushed limestone
 Alkali-Carbonate Reaction
(ACR)
• Influencing factors
– Clay content, or insoluble residue
content, in the range of 5% to 25%
– Calcite-to-dolomite ratio of
approximately 1:1
– Increase in the dolomite volume
– Small size of the discrete dolomite
crystals (rhombs) suspended in a clay
matrix
 Alkali-Carbonate
Reaction
• Controlling ACR
– Selective quarrying to avoid reactive
aggregate
– Blend aggregate according to Appendix
in ASTM C 1105
– Limit aggregate size to smallest
practical
Handling and Storing
Aggregates
Recycled-Concrete
Aggregate
 Aggregate production and
storage in Ethiopia: an over
view!
• Coarse aggregate production
• Sand (natural and manufactured)
mining
• Is possible environmental effect
studied?
• Are there alternative sources of
aggregates? (eg. Recycled
aggregate? Slag?....)
Sand mining along the rift valley! Is it clay or sand?
Gibba (Tigrai)

45
Gibba (Tigrai)

46
Siluh (Tigrai)

47
Siluh

48
May-Nebri (Tigrai)

49
May-Nebri

50
River sand in Diredawa
River sand in Diredawa
River sand mining
along the rift valley.
Excavated “sand” along
the rift valley.
 Is this suitable for concrete?

What are they doing?

Ready for sale at

Kality!
Abandoned coarse
aggregate quarry site in
Addis!
What do you understand by aggregate size: 03, 02, 01 and
00?

Can we get aggregates of uniform quality at any one time?

Is it acceptable to use, say 02 grade of aggregate for

structural concrete?

Is environment issue properly addressed? Dust, sound,

erosion,
Typical
masonry stone
mining!

Is attention given to
safety? material
standardization (size,
quality, …) ……..?

Should we continue like

this?

Do you have any

suggestion to make?
Washing silty sand reduces harmful substances, cement
demand will be reduced and improves compressive strength.
Thank you!!