Magazine of Concrete Research, 2012, 64(12), 10671078

http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/macr.11.00179
Paper 1100179
Received 28/10/2011; revised 03/03/2012; accepted 23/03/2012
Thomas Telford Ltd & 2012
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for use
as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
Assessing the quality of
sandstones for use as
aggregate in concrete
Atiye Tugrul
Istanbul University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological
Engineering, Avclar/Istanbul, Turkey
Murat Ylmaz
Istanbul University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological
Engineering, Avclar/Istanbul, Turkey
Sandstones have been widely used as a source of concrete aggregates. Sandstones show a variety of textural,
mineralogic and chemical characteristics that may affect their physico-mechanical properties as well as their use as a
construction material. The aim of this paper is to assess the inuence of the composition and texture of sandstones
on aggregate properties. In this study, Ordovician sandstones were compared with Carboniferous, Devonian and
Permo-Triassic sandstones used as concrete aggregates in Istanbul. The sandstone samples were tested to determine
their petrographic, mineralogic and chemical characteristics and aggregate properties. Then, the testing concretes
were prepared by using these aggregates, and hardened concrete properties were determined. According to the
results obtained, although Ordovician sandstones have poor aggregate quality as compared to other sandstones,
they were found to be suitable for use as coarse aggregate in low-strength concrete production.
Introduction
Rock aggregates are a material used in various types of construc-
tion works, such as buildings, roads, highways, bridges and
railroads. Although the demand for crushed stone aggregates has
increased, supplies of good quality aggregates close to urban
areas are becoming depleted (Grattan-Bellew, 1978; Witczak et
al., 1971). Moreover, increased fuel costs make transportation
from distant sources uneconomical, so less acceptable aggregates
are being used more frequently. Therefore, upgrading local low-
quality aggregates with poor mechanical properties, low durabil-
ity or poor particle shape is becoming more important (Koukis et
al., 2007).
Aggregate is the major constituent of concrete. Aggregate
generally constitutes 7580% of concrete by volume and there-
fore can be expected to have an important inuence on the
concretes properties (Al-Oraimi et al., 2006). Good quality
aggregates should consist of particles having adequate strength
and desirable engineering properties along with resistance to
exposure conditions (Al-Harthi and Abo-Saada, 1997). Also,
good quality aggregates should not contain materials (such as
coatings, reactive silica and sulfates) with the potential to cause
damage to the short- and long-term performance of the concrete
(Fookes, 1980). The essential requirements of aggregate for
concrete must be dened quantitatively by selecting relevant tests
and assessment procedures and specifying appropriate acceptance
criteria (Smith and Collis, 2001).
Sandstone is a widespread aggregate resource used in concrete
construction around the world. The geological properties of this
sedimentary rock are fairly diverse, and aggregates such as
quartzite, subarkose and greywacke can produce a range of
hardened concrete properties. Therefore, it is important that
sandstone aggregates can be easily characterised to obtain
predictable aggregate and concrete properties (Mackechnie,
2006).
In this study, representative samples of unweathered or slightly
weathered sandstones were collected as blocks of rock from cut
slopes and from rock quarries in the O

merli, Ayazaga, Cebecikoy

and C atalca regions of northwestern Turkey (Figure 1). The study
was conducted in four stages: (a) geological, petrographic and
chemical investigations; (b) aggregate tests (methylene blue
absorption, sand equivalent, saturated surface dried particle den-
sity, water absorption, Los Angeles coefcient, magnesium sulfate
value, akiness indices and alkalisilica reactivity); (c) scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) to observe the expansion after alkali
silica reaction testing; (d) making a comparison with the strength
of concrete, the testing concretes were prepared by using these
aggregates, and hardened concrete properties were determined.
Geological characteristics of the sandstones
There are many types of sandstone located near Istanbul. The
locations and geological characteristics of these sandstones are
given in Figure 1 and Table 1. The eight sandstone types used in
this study ranged in age from Ordovician to Lower Triassic. The
sandstone samples belonging to the Kurtkoy Formation (OS1,
OS4, OS5) or the Kartal Formation (K3, K4) were collected from
the Anatolian (i.e. east) side of Istanbul. The sandstone samples
belonging to the Trakya Formation (AS, CBS) and the S ermat
Quartzites (CS) were collected from the European (i.e. west) side
of Istanbul.
1067
Laboratory analysis
The petrographic and mineralogic characteristics of the sand-
stones were determined by thin section studies (Figure 2), and
were classied according to Folk (1968) classication. The results
are given in Table 2.
To determine the chemical characteristics of the sandstones,
chemical analyses were performed by semi-quantitative elemen-
tary analysis using X-ray uorescence (XRF) spectrometry
(Philips PW-2404). The chemical compositions of the sandstones
are given in Table 3. As seen in Table 3, the sandstones contain
variable compositions: 24
.
196
.
82% silicon dioxide (SiO
2
),
0
.
2617
.
54% aluminium oxide (Al
2
O
3
), 0
.
9612
.
21% iron (III)
oxide (Fe
2
O
3
), 034
.
9% calcium oxide (CaO), 0
.
532
.
43%
magnesium oxide (MgO), 0
.
153
.
5% potassium oxide (K
2
O) and
0
.
033
.
11% sodium oxide (Na
2
O). The loss on ignition values
vary between 0
.
74 and 28%.
The sandstone samples were broken into smaller pieces with a
hammer. The aggregate fractions were prepared from the smaller
pieces using a laboratory jaw crusher. The aggregate tests
included methylene blue, sand equivalent, saturated surface dried
particle density, water absorption, Los Angeles coefcient, aki-
ness indices, magnesium sulfate (MgSO
4
) and the accelerated
mortar bar test. The tests were performed in accordance with
European Standards (EN). Each test was performed at least three
times. The results of these tests are given in Table 4 and Figure 3.
Alkalisilica reactivity
The alkalisilica reaction (ASR) is an internal chemical reaction
between the alkaline components in the cementitious system and
certain silica-based mineral constituents in some aggregates. The
reaction results in the formation of a gel that absorbs water,
expands and produces internal stresses sufcient to cause the
concrete to crack (Binal, 2008; Moranville-Regourd, 1997; Nixon
Gr
CS
PT
Pl
Mi
Avcilar
Bakirky
Marmara Sea
N
Kartal
Tuzla
0 20 km
Gebze
Qal
Catalca
Ahmediye
Eo
Ca
Habibler
CBS
Ca
Pl
Qal
Cr
Pl
AS
Kemerbuiga
Beykoz
Sariyer
Cr
Istinye
Gr
Uskdar
Kadikoy
OS 1
Or-Dev
K3 and K4
OS 4
OS 5
Or-Dev
Cr
Gr
Hseyinli
Omerli
Pl-Qal
Ca
Mi
Pl-Qal
Pl-Qal
Pl-Qal
Cr
Black Sea
Istanbul
Ankara
Izmir
Turkey
0 200 km
Qal Quaternary units
Pl-Qal Plio-Quaternary units
Pl Pliocene units
Mi Miocene units
Eo Eocene units
Cr Cretaceous units
Gr Granitic rocks
Tr Triassic units
PT
Permo-Triassic
Sermat Quartzite
Ca
Carboniferous
Trakya formation
Or-Dev
Ordovician-Devonian
Kurtky and Kartal formations
Settlements
N
Quarry
Cut slopes
Black Sea
Subasi
,
Figure 1. Geological map of the Istanbul region showing location
of the sample sites
1068
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
and Page, 1987) causing loss of concrete strength (Marzouk and
Langdon, 2003; Struble and Diamond, 1981; Wakizaka, 1998). To
evaluate the aggregate constituents, especially in the presence of
deleterious components, and identify the potential for ASR,
petrographic analyses on the sandstone were carried out accord-
ing to ASTM C 295 (ASTM, 1994a). The reactivity of the
sandstones was also determined by means of accelerated mortar
bar tests (ASTM C 1260 (ASTM, 1994b).
The accelerated mortar bar test is a fast reliable test for the potential
alkaliaggregate reactivity of an aggregate source. This test was
performed on at least three samples in accordance with ASTM C
1260 (ASTM, 1994b), which is similar to CSA A23.2-25A (CSA,
1994). Concrete mixes were prepared using each of the sandstones
and were tested in a standard gradation with a high alkali Portland
cement (CEM I 42.5 R) and with distilled water. The chemical
characteristics of the Portland cement are given in Table 5. The
cement met all the requirements for use in the mortar bar test. The
bars were removed from the moulds after 1 day of storage in air at
208C and a relative humidity of more than 50% and cured in
alkaline solutions at 808C. Their lengths were measured after 24 h
and successive measurements were taken after 7, 14, 16 and 21
days. The percent linear expansion of concrete prisms at a given
curing time was determined as an average expansion of three
specimens. Results of the accelerated mortar bar tests are given in
Figure 3. According to the results obtained, the maximum expan-
sion at 14, 16 and 21 days was obtained in samples OS1 and OS4.
To observe the effects of the ASR and its products following the
accelerated mortar bar tests, the OS1 sample was examined using
SEM analysis. The morphological and microstructural features of
the mortar used in the accelerated mortar bar tests are shown in
Figure 4. The gure also displays the reaction features of the
ASR products, including the ASR gel and the shape and aperture
of microcracks formed during the ASR. The SEM results show
clearly that the circular cracks that formed on the surface of OS1
include the gel product.
Preparation of concrete specimens
The cement type used in this study was CEM II 42
.
5 R which
was checked to conform to EN 197-1 (CEN, 2000). The
chemical, physical and mechanical features of this cement are
given in Table 5.
In order to investigate the effects of different sandstone aggre-
gates on the strength of concrete, eight concrete mixtures were
designed. Tests were performed in accordance with TS 802 (TSI,
1985) standard. The mixture proportions of testing concretes are
given in Table 6. As seen in this table; all mixtures were designed
with a water/cement (w/c) ratio in the range between 0
.
61 and
1
.
05 and a free water content in the range between 179 and
287 kg/m
3
: In all mixtures, cement content was kept constant and
a lignosulfonate-based plasticisers admixture was used.
Hardened concrete properties were determined from six S
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1069
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
Figure 2. Polarising microscope photographs of the sandstones:
(a) OS1, (b) OS4, (c) OS5, (d) K3, (e) K4, (f) AS, (g) CBS, (h) CS
(Crossed nicol, 25X) (Q: quartz, F: feldspar, M: mica, Qrtz:
quartzite, Mu: muscovite)
1070
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
150 mm 3 150 mm 3 150 mm cubes. These cubes were cast.
After 24 h, concretes were removed from the mould and cured in
lime-saturated water until the age of test. Compressive strength
testing was performed to determine hardened concrete properties.
The results of these tests are given in Table 7.
The compressive strength tests were performed on the hardened
concrete specimens at ages of 7 and 28 days. The tests were
carried out according to the procedures given by EN 12390-3
(CEN, 2009a). Table 7 displays the results for compressive
strength at different ages. The results range between 9
.
1 and
33
.
4 MPa at 7 days and between 12
.
1 and 40
.
8 MPa at 28 days.
These values are the lowest for OS5 and the highest values for
the hardened concrete belong to CS at 7 and 28 days.
Results and discussion
Deleterious materials such as clay, silt and dust in aggregates may
result in expansion and shrinkage when wetted and dried, thereby
damaging the bond between the aggregate and the cement paste
(Koukis et al., 2007). The most important negative effect of ne
materials in aggregate is an increase in the quantity needed for
the concrete to achieve a given workability. When some coatings
are not removed during processing, ne material can impair the
aggregatecement bond (Fookes, 1980; Neville, 1995). To deter-
mine the quality of very ne particles in ne aggregates,
methylene blue and sand equivalent test results can indicate the
amount of potentially harmful ne material (Kandall et al., 1998).
Low absorption values may show a small amount of clay (Stapel
and Verhoef, 1989). There is no absolute value given that limits
these values in standards. However, results based on past research
indicate that if the methylene blue value is found to be below
1 g/kg, there is no negative effect on concrete strength, and a high
sand equivalent value for ne aggregate indicates a positive effect
on concrete properties (Eryurtlu et al., 2004; Hasdemir, 2004).
According to the test results reported in Table 4, except for the
quartz sandstone (K4) and quartzite (CS) samples, the methylene
Sample
code
Composition Cement Classication (Folk, 1968)
OS1 Quartz, feldspar, sericite, muscovite, rock fragments (schist,
quartzite, silicious sedimentary rock fragments)
Very little clay Subarkose/arkose
OS4 Quartz, feldspar, rock fragments (quartzite, schist, phyllite),
sericite, muscovite, opaque minerals
Clay Sublitharenitelitharenite/
methasandstone
OS5 Quartz, feldspar, clay, muscovite, rock fragments Clay Arkose/methasandstone
methasiltstone
K3 Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, sericite Carbonate Arkose
K4 Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, calcite, opaque minerals Carbonate and very
little clay
Quartz sandstone
AS Quartz, feldspar, muscovite Carbonate and very
little clay
Subarkose
CBS Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, rock fragments Very little carbonate Subarkose
CS Quartz, muscovite, opaque min. Mosaic texture Quartzite
Table 2. Petrographic characteristics of sandstones
Sample
code
Major element oxide: %
Losses on
ignition
Silicon dioxide
(SiO
2
)
Aluminium
oxide (Al
2
O
3
)
Iron (III) oxide
(Fe
2
O
3
)
Calcium oxide
(CaO)
Magnesium
oxide (MgO)
Potassium
oxide (K
2
O)
Sodium oxide
(Na
2
O)
OS1 3
.
68 59
.
92 17
.
23 10
.
74 0
.
29 1
.
4 3
.
18 2
.
98
OS4 5
.
12 57
.
48 17
.
54 11
.
58 0
.
44 1
.
87 2
.
69 3
.
11
OS5 4
.
77 57
.
68 18
.
20 12
.
21 0 2
.
04 2
.
81 2
.
95
K3 4
.
88 61
.
66 16
.
54 6
.
67 2
.
02 1
.
93 3
.
5 0
.
97
K4 28 24
.
1 4
.
65 4
.
58 34
.
9 1
.
24 0
.
77 0
.
31
AS 4
.
31 64
.
17 12
.
45 5
.
5 3
.
44 2
.
43 3
.
08 2
.
72
CBS 3
.
98 62
.
18 10
.
55 4
.
32 2
.
68 1
.
86 2
.
77 2
.
43
CS 0
.
74 96
.
82 0
.
26 0
.
96 0
.
27 0
.
53 0
.
15 0
.
03
Table 3. Percentages of major element oxide of the sandstones
1071
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
blue values of all sandstones are above 1 g/kg. The subarkose/
arkose (OS1), sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4) and arkose (OS5)
samples show higher methylene blue values and lower sand
equivalent values than the other sandstones. A higher methylene
blue value is related to a decrease in the sand equivalent (Figure
5). This result may be attributable to a higher percentage of clay
in these samples as indicated by the aluminium oxide (Al
2
O
3
),
potassium oxide (K
2
O), sodium oxide (Na
2
O) and iron (III) oxide
(Fe
2
O
3
) contents, which suggest the presence of feldspar, clay and
mica minerals (Table 2). In addition, the percentage of aluminium
oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III) oxide
correlated with the corresponding methylene blue absorption and
sand equivalent values (Figure 6). While the percentages of
aluminium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III)
oxide increased, the methylene blue absorption values increased
and the sand equivalent values decreased.
Aggregate tests and standard no. OS1 OS4 OS5 K3 K4 AS CBS CS
Methylene blue absorption: g/kg
EN 933-9 (2009)
2
.
25 2
.
5 4 1
.
25 0
.
5 1
.
8 1
.
8 0
.
25
Sand equivalent: %
EN 933-8 (1999)
30 53 35 38 65 36 65 79
Saturated surface dried 04 mm 2
.
75 2
.
70 2
.
77 2
.
70 2
.
70 2
.
68 2
.
68 2
.
65
particle density: g/cm
3
411
.
2 mm 2
.
70 2
.
65 2
.
64 2
.
73 2
.
71 2
.
71 2
.
70 2
.
66
EN 1097-6 (2000) 11
.
222
.
4 mm 2
.
69 2
.
62 2
.
66 2
.
73 2
.
73 2
.
72 2
.
71 2
.
66
Water absorption: % 04 mm 2
.
63 2
.
21 3
.
75 3
.
01 1
.
82 1
.
6 1
.
6 1
.
8
EN 1097-6 (2000) 411
.
2 mm 2
.
19 2
.
17 3
.
65 0
.
89 0
.
48 0
.
7 0
.
7 0
.
57
11
.
222
.
4 mm 2
.
03 2
.
19 3
.
62 0
.
45 0
.
37 0
.
7 0
.
5 0
.
45
Los Angeles coefcient (500 cycles): % 26 34 29 13 14 20 22 12
EN 1097-2 (2010)
Magnesium sulfate (MgSO
4
) value: %
EN 1367-2 (2009)
45 87 82 36 12 10 11 6
.
8
Flakiness index: %
EN 933-3 (1997)
31 26 35 13 10 19 20 30
Table 4. Results of aggregate tests
0
001
002
003
004
005
006
007
008
009
010
7 14 16 21
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e

o
f

e
x
p
a
n
s
i
o
n
i
n

l
e
n
g
t
h
:

%
Days
OS1
OS4
OS5
AS
CBS
K3
K4
CS
Figure 3. Changes in expansion values at 7, 14, 16 and 21 days
Cement properties CEM II 42
.
5 R
Chemical properties
Insoluble residue: % 0
.
87
Silicon dioxide (SiO
2
): % 21
.
94
Aluminium oxide (Al
2
O
3
): % 5
.
51
Iron (III) oxide (Fe
2
O
3
): % 2
.
67
Calcium oxide (CaO): % 62
.
26
Magnesium oxide (MgO): % 2
.
07
Sodium oxide (Na
2
O): % 0
.
23
Potassium oxide (K
2
O): % 0
.
63
Sulfur trioxide (SO
3
): % 2
.
13
Losses on ignition 3
.
03
Chloride (Cl): % 0
.
0145
Free calcium oxide (CaO): % 0
.
70
Physical properties
Relative density 3
.
11
Specic surface: cm
2
/g 4130
Water/cement ratio: % 28
Initial setting time: min 150
Final setting time: min 180
Volume expansion: mm 0
.
5
Compressive strength
2 days: MPa 28
.
4
7 days: MPa 48
.
2
28 days: MPa 60
.
6
Table 5. Cement properties used in test concretes and accelerated
mortar bar tests
1072
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
Figure 4. SEM photomicrographs of typical alkali silica gel
developed in OS1 sample
Concrete sample OS1 OS4 OS5 K3 K4 AS CBS CS
Cement: kg/m
3
300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300
Water: kg/m
3
236 235 287 213 211 205 215 179
Natural sand: kg/m
3
202 203 195 217 221 534 509 358
Crushed sand (0/4 mm): kg/m
3
572 565 489 611 621 255 269 452
Crushed stone no. 1 (4/11
.
2 mm): kg/m
3
491 485 499 394 397 442 454 529
Crushed stone no. 2 (11
.
2/22
.
4 mm): kg/m
3
489 480 502 636 646 591 564 529
Chemical additive: kg/m
3
2
.
4 2
.
4 2
.
4 3
.
78 3
.
78 1
.
80 1
.
80 2
.
12
Water/cement 0
.
84 0
.
83 1
.
05 0
.
71 0
.
70 0
.
68 0
.
72 0
.
61
Table 6. Concrete mix design
Concrete code Compressive strength: MPa
7 days 28 days
OS1 15
.
2 20
.
4
OS4 17
.
8 21
.
9
OS5 9
.
1 12
.
1
K3 24
.
2 30
.
3
K4 26
.
4 32
.
7
AS 20
.
6 40
.
4
CBS 21
.
5 37
CS 33
.
4 40
.
8
Table 7. The properties of hardened concrete
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 1 2 3 4
S
a
n
d

e
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
:

%
Methylene blue absorption: g/kg
y x
R
985 6779
065

Figure 5. Relationship between sand equivalent value and

methylene blue absorption
1073
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
0
05
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 5 10 15 20
M
e
t
h
y
l
e
n
e

b
l
u
e

a
b
s
o
r
p
t
i
o
n
:

g
/
k
g
Aluminium oxide (Al O ): %
(a)
2 3
y
R
029e
092

013x
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 5 10 15 20
S
a
n
d

e
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
:

%
Aluminium oxide (Al O ): %
(b)
2 3
y x
R
230 7810
085

20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 05 10 15 20 25 30 35
S
a
n
d

e
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
:

%
Sodium oxide (Na O): %
(d)
2
Sodium oxide (Na O): %
(c)
2
y x
R
809ln( ) 5062
074

20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 1 2 3 4
S
a
n
d

e
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
:

%
Potassium oxide (K O): %
(f)
2
y x
R
1230 7927
083

Potassium oxide (K O): %

(e)
2
M
e
t
h
y
l
e
n
e

b
l
u
e

a
b
s
o
r
p
t
i
o
n
:

g
/
k
g
M
e
t
h
y
l
e
n
e

b
l
u
e

a
b
s
o
r
p
t
i
o
n
:

g
/
k
g
M
e
t
h
y
l
e
n
e

b
l
u
e

a
b
s
o
r
p
t
i
o
n
:

g
/
k
g
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
S
a
n
d

e
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
:

%
Iron (III) oxide (Fe O ): %
(h)
2 3
y x
R
1715ln( ) 7986
079

Iron (III) oxide (Fe O ): %

(g)
2 3
0
05
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 1 2 3 4
y
R
038e
093

066x
0
05
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 1 2 3 4
y
R
030e
086

064x
0
05
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 5 10 15
y x x
R
001 013 033
087

2
Figure 6. Relationship between percentage of aluminium oxide
(Al
2
O
3
), sodium oxide (Na
2
O), potassium oxide (K
2
O), iron (III)
oxide (Fe
2
O
3
) and methylene blue absorption-sand equivalent
value
1074
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
The saturated surface-dried particle density of normal aggregates
should be a minimum of 2
.
6 g/cm
3
, in accordance with BS EN
812 (BSI, 1998). The saturated surface-dried particle density
values of the sandstone aggregates full this requirement.
The water absorption of aggregates can affect their physical and
mechanical properties (Smith and Collis, 2001). Increasing the
amount of water in a concrete mixture to accommodate the higher
water demand of the aggregate with high absorption requirements,
will decrease concrete strength. The water absorption value of
sandstone aggregates in different particle sizes varies between
0
.
37 and 3
.
75% (Table 4). Poitevin (1999) showed that high-
strength concrete can best be made with rock of low water
absorption (, 2%). Fookes (1984) also indicated that the water
absorption of aggregate should be less than 1
.
5%. According to
the test results of this study, subarkose/arkose, sublitharenite/
litharenite and arkose are not suitable for high-strength concrete
production because these aggregates absorb too much water.
The aggregates in the Los Angeles test suffered a combination of
attrition and impact, with the latter being probably more signi-
cant. The Los Angeles coefcient is inuenced by geological and
clast features of an aggregate (Smith and Collis, 2001). Toureng
and Denis (1982) showed that aggregates with a Los Angeles
coefcient (after 500 cycles) between 3040% can be used in
low-strength concrete (,36 MPa). Based on the Los Angeles test
results, all of the sandstone aggregates in this study full the Los
Angeles requirements for use in all types of applications (Table
4). A good correlation was obtained between the Los Angeles
coefcient and the percentage of aluminium oxide, sodium oxide
and iron (III) oxide (Figure 7). As the percentage of aluminium
oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III) oxide increased, the Los
Angeles coefcient also increased. Thus, the higher the Los
Angeles coefcient, the poorer the aggregate quality.
Durability tests evaluate the wetting and drying behaviour of
aggregates, with the addition of chemicals to hasten breakdown
(McNally, 1998). According to ASTM C 33 (ASTM, 1986),
which has a similar test procedure and equipment to EN 1367-2
(CEN, 2009b), the soundness values for coarse aggregates should
be less than on 18% loss. In this study, the magnesium sulfate
values of subarkose/arkose (OS1), sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4)
and arkoses (OS5 and K3) do not lie within this standard limit,
but the quartz sandstone (K4), subarkoses (AS and CBS) and
quartzites (CS) are within the standard limit (Table 4). In
contrast, the magnesium sulfate values of the sandstones studied
herein correlated with the percentage of aluminium oxide and
iron (III) oxide (Figure 8). Figure 8 shows that when the percent-
age of aluminium oxide and iron (III) oxide increases, the
magnesium sulfate values of sandstones also increase.
Aggregate shape is an important property and is inuenced by
the petrographic, fabric and structural characteristics of the rock
and production techniques (Ramsay et al., 1974; Smith and
Collis, 2001). Thin elongated particles can be an indicator of a
possible high Los Angeles coefcient and generally will result in
a harsh mix with poor handling properties and poor pumpability.
Fookes (1984) indicated that the akiness indices should be less
than 25%. An increase in the Los Angeles coefcient can occur
with an increase in the akiness index. Also, the sandstone
aggregate tensile strength can decrease with an increasing per-
centage of aky particles (Smith and Collis, 2001). In this study,
the akiness index values of subarkose/arkose (OS1), sublithar-
enite/litharenite (OS4) and arkoses (OS5) are higher than 25%.
Shakoor et al. (1982) and Pigeon and Pleau (1995) suggested that
rocks with water absorption values greater than 3% and 2%,
respectively, have the potential to be damaged in freezing and
thawing service conditions. According to the test results obtained
from this study, all sandstones except arkoses (OS5) have water
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 5 10 15 20
L
o
s

A
n
g
e
l
e
s

c
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t
:

%
Aluminium oxide (Al O ): %
(a)
2 3
y x x
R
003 027 1231
072

2
L
o
s

A
n
g
e
l
e
s

c
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t
:

%
Sodium oxide (Na O): %
(b)
2
y
R
1147e
094

028x
L
o
s

A
n
g
e
l
e
s

c
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t
:

%
Iron (III) oxide (Fe O ): %
(c)
2 3
y x
R
169 930
085

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 05 10 15 20 25 30 35
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Figure 7. Relationship between percentage of aluminium oxide
(Al
2
O
3
), sodium oxide (Na
2
O), iron (III) oxide (Fe
2
O
3
) and Los
Angeles coefcient
1075
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
absorption values of less than 3% (Table 4). The water absorption
values of samples can be related to the type of clay mineral
present and the feldspar and mica minerals. Based on petrographic
evaluation, the studied sandstones, subarkose/arkose, sublithare-
nite/litharenite and arkose contain feldspar and mica minerals.
The cement in these sandstones is composed of clay (Table 2).
According to ASTM C 1260 (ASTM, 1994b), the expansion at
16 days should be less than 0
.
10%. Expansions of less than
0
.
10% at 16 days are, in most cases, indicative of innocuous
behaviour. Expansions of more than 0
.
20% at 16 days are
indicative of deleterious aggregates. Expansions between 0
.
10%
and 0
.
20% at 16 days are known to be either innocuous or
deleterious. In such a situation, it may also be useful to take
comparative readings until 28 days or to perform other alkali
reactivity tests. According to CSA A23.2-94 (CSA, 1994), the
percent expansion at 14 days should be under 0
.
10%. An
expansion of less than 0
.
10% indicates non-reactive aggregates,
and expansions between 0
.
10% and 0
.
40% have a potential for
slow ASR. Many eld and laboratory investigations on concrete,
mortar or aggregate samples have demonstrated or suggested that
quartz, feldspars, micas, clay minerals, metamorphic or strained
quartz in sandstones can release signicant amounts of alkalis in
the concrete pore solutions or can react with the free alkalis in
cement (Blight et al., 1981; Choquette et al., 1991; Hunger et al.,
1996; Van Aardt and Visser, 1977). Based on petrographic
studies, all the studied sandstones are mainly composed of quartz,
feldspars, micas and clay minerals, and they did not display an
expansion of more than 0
.
10% (Figure 3). This result is expected
because the studied sandstones contain signicant amounts of
these minerals, and they do not contain metamorphic or strained
quartz.
The mortar bars were also examined using SEM. These observa-
tions conrm that the concrete samples made from the studied
sandstones are not affected by ASR. The subarkose/arkose (OS1)
had more expansion and showed the occurrence of alkalisilica
gel. Figure 4 displays a coating on the surface of the aggregate
exhibiting the characteristic expansion cracks. Reaction products
were observed at the aggregate surface and aggregatepaste
interface. The expansion in sample OS1 occurred predominantly
at the particle surface.
Based on the results of the aggregate tests, especially the
methylene blue, water absorption and magnesium sulfate tests
(Table 4), the sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4) and arkose (OS5)
samples are of extremely poor quality when compared with all
the other samples in the study. This result is expected because
these sandstones contain a higher percentage of clay cement, as
indicated by the highest aluminium oxide and iron (III) oxide
contents (Table 2). In addition, these two samples are metamor-
phosed (Table 2 and Figure 2) and their particle sizes range from
very ne to ne (OS5) to coarse (OS4). Therefore, based on these
potentially deleterious properties, the sublitharenite/litharenite
(OS4) and arkose (OS5) samples should not be used in concrete
production. Other low-quality sandstones such as subarkose
(OS1) and arkose (K3) can be used in low-strength concrete, but
they should not be used in freezing and thawing service
conditions.
The compressive strength of testing concretes produced from
different sandstones is shown in Table 7. As seen in this table,
crushed aggregates of subarkoses (AS and CBS) and quartzite
(CS) produce higher compressive strength than other sandstones.
The 28-day compressive strengths of concretes made with
subarkosearkose (OS1), sublitharenitelitharenite (OS4) and
arkose (OS5) aggregates are nearly 4050% lower when com-
pared to subarkose aggregate concrete.
Conclusion
Petrographic studies indicate that most of the sandstones tested in
this work are classied as subarkose, arkose, sublitharenite,
litharenite, quartz sandstone and quartzite. According to the test
results, sublitharenite/litharenite and arkose cemented with clay
should not be used as concrete aggregates, whereas quartz
sandstone, subarkose and quartzite can be used. However, the
hardened concrete properties produced with studied sandstones
support aggregate test results.
Additionally, subarkose and arkose should be evaluated carefully
before use as coarse aggregates in low-strength concrete owing to
their potential susceptibility to damage in freeze and thaw service
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 5 10 15 20
M
g
S
O
v
a
l
u
e
:

%
4
Aluminium oxide (Al O ): %
(a)
2 3
y
R
487e
086

013x
M
g
S
O
v
a
l
u
e
:

%
4
Iron (III) oxide (Fe O ): %
(b)
2 3
y
R
440e
095

024x
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Figure 8. Relationship between percentages of aluminium oxide
(Al
2
O
3
), iron (III) oxide (Fe
2
O
3
) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO
4
)
value
1076
Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz
conditions. However, these sandstones do not appear to be
susceptible to deleterious alkaliaggregate reactions.
The chemical composition of the sandstones (especially the
percentage of aluminium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide
and iron (III) oxide) provide generally positive information about
the aggregate quality.
Although there is an increasing demand for aggregates and
decreasing amounts of good quality aggregate resources in the
world, especially around large metropolitan areas, lower quality
aggregates should be used with caution in low-strength concrete,
with special attention paid to durability characteristics and test-
ing, especially for magnesium sulfate soundness, when used in
exterior service conditions.
Acknowledgement
This study was supported by the Research Fund of the Istanbul
University (project number: 517/05052006).
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Assessing the quality of sandstones for
use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz