AGGREGATE TESTING

When using rock as aggregate, there are three main aspects to consider to determine
their suitability. These are the composition, texture and degree of alteration of the
rock, the resistance to surface wear (AAV, PSV, etc) and the resistance to impact and
crushing (AIV, ACV, etc).

In general, the best aggregates come from fresh, fine to medium grained igneous rocks,
for example, dolerite, granite and basalt. Granites tend only to fail the criteria if
weathered or mica-rich.

Gritstones are the most useful sedimentary rocks as most others are too easily crushed.
Extensive testing would be required to confidently allow any other sedimentary rocks to
be utilised.

Metamorphic rocks vary too much to be of specific use and many are used simply as fill
material for roads with the exception of high grade, coarse grained gneisses, which
exhibit behaviour similar to that of granite.

The following tests are the most commonly used to provide a range of values from which
both the suitability for and quality of aggregate can be ascertained.

PHYSICAL TESTS

SHAPES AND DIMENSIONS

Flakiness Index (IF)

• Applied to aggregate >6.5mm in size

• IF = the weight % of particles, in a minimum sample of 200 pieces, whose
smallest dimension is <0.6 times the average dimension
• The aggregate is then split into several fractions, with the 10 - 14mm fraction
used in aggregate mechanical tests
• 'Flaky' sieves are used to measure the IF

Elongation Index (IE)

• IE = weight % of particles whose longest dimension is >1.8 times the average

dimension
• Three dimensions can be measured, longest (l), intermediate (m) and smallest (s)
• If these three dimensions are present, 2 ratios can be calculated:

m (intermediate)
x (Elongation Ratio) =
l (longest)
s (smallest)
y (Flakiness Ratio) =
m (intermediate)

and plotted in one of four quadrants of a Zingg diagram to define shape (bladed,
tabular, prolate and equant)

1 of 5
 • Equidimensional aggregate is preferable for all engineering applications

Angularity Number (AN)

• Provides a guide to aggregate compaction in bulk

V (voids) = 100 ( 1-W )

cGa

• Where W = weight of a standard volume of aggregate

c = volume of a standard cylinder
Ga = apparent dry density
• The angularity number AN = V - 33 (where 33 is % voids in a well rounded gravel)
giving the equation;

AN = 67 - 100W
cGa

• AN varies from 0 - 9 for crushed rock

DENSITY AND WATER ABSORPTION

Relative Density

• For aggregates >10mm, a 2kg sample is saturated and weighed in water (mass B)
• This sample is then surface dried and weighed (weight A)
• It is finally oven dried for 24 ± 0.5hr at 100 - 110º, cooled and weighed (weight
C)

C
Relative Density (oven dried) =
A-B

A
Relative Density (saturated and surface dry) =
A-B

(A - C)
Water Absorption (% dry mass) = x 100
C

MECHANICAL TESTS

STRENGTH

Aggregate Impact Value (AIV)

• Gives a relative measure of the aggregate to sudden impact as opposed to the

continuous loading method in many other tests
• A standard sample (10 - 14mm) is subjected to 15 blows from a 13.5 - 14.1kg
falling hammer over a height of 381 ± 6.5mm
• Degradation of the sample generates fines

2 of 5
 • The fines generated are passed through an arbitrary sieve size of 2.36mm to
obtain a fraction of the original weight
• This fraction is subtracted from the total weight which gives the percentage of
fines, the AIV
• Two tests are carried out to the nearest 1% and shouldn't differ by more than ±
1
• These values should not exceed 30 and <25% is preferable for acceptability

Aggregate Crushing Value (ACV)

• Very similar to the AIV test but provides a measure of resistance to crushing
under gradual continual loading
• A ~2kg sample is subjected to continuous loading via a piston in a loading frame
• A total load of 400kN is achieved in 10 minutes
• The fines are then passed through the 2.36mm test sieve and calculated as a
percentage of the original weight
• Two tests are carried out to the nearest 1% and shouldn't differ by more than ±
1

Ten Percent Fines Value

• A variation of the ACV

• Gives a measure of the crushing resistance of the aggregate
• Represents the load required to produce 10% fines rather than the amount of
crushing for a specific load
• A uniform loading is applied to produce plunger penetration of 15mm (in gravels),
20mm (in normal aggregates) and 24mm (for honeycombed surfaces) in 10
minutes.
• The <2.36mm faction should fall between 7.5 - 12.5% of the initial weight

14x where x = maximum force (kN)

Force required to produce 10% fines
and y = mean % fines from 2 tests at x
= y+4
force

DURABILITY

Aggregate Abrasion Value (AAV)

• Provides an estimate of surface wear

• The lower the value, the greater the resistance (<8% specified for general road
use)
• ~33cm3 of clean 10 - 14mm aggregate is set into polyester resin with 6mm
protruding
• The sample is held against a rotating lap 28 - 30rpm by a total load of 2kg for
500 revolutions
• Quartz sand is fed in front of the sample at 0.7 - 0.9kg/min
• The loss in weight of sample + resin during the test is expressed as a percentage
of the original weight
• The mean of two tests is used for certainty

3 of 5
 • Identifies hard and brittle rocks

Polished Stone Value (PSV)

• Helps to predict the susceptibility of rocks to polishing when used in the wearing
surface of a road
• The greater the value, the greater the resistance
• The apparatus is designed to simulate the action of dust laden tyres on a bonded
aggregate surface
• A 200 x 28mm area of aggregate is set in resin to form an arc that can be
mounted on the road wheel of the apparatus
• A solid rubber tyre then bears down on the test area with a force of 725N
• Corn emery and water are fed to the tyre surface gradually building up to emery
flour
• The polish on the resulting specimen surface is tested using a standard pendulum
arc friction tester on which the calibrated scale yields the coefficient of
friction as a percentage, the PSV
• Motorways require a minimum PSV of 65 for wearing course material

CHEMICAL TESTS

These tests provide measurements of 'soundness'.

Soundness = the ability of the aggregate to resist excessive volume changes

Magnesium Sulphate Soundness Test (MSSV)

• A 10 - 14mm sample of aggregate is subjected to immersion in a saturated

solution of MgSO4 followed by drying at 105 - 110ºC
• This is repeated 5 times and allows the crystallisation of sulphate within pores
to disrupt the rock
• Degradation is measured by the weight of <10mm material produced expressed
as a percentage of the original weight
• The mean of two tests gives the MSSV
• Shape, size, porosity and permeability of particles all influence the outcome
• Only applicable to ascertain exceptional performance i.e. motorways, airfield
runways, etc
• Arbitrary limit of >80% for acceptability

The Slake Durability Test

• Similar to the sulphate test

• A number of small samples of ~50g each are placed in a wire mesh drum and
rotated in water for 10 minutes then dried and the cycle is repeated
• As with the MSSV, the weight loss is expressed as a percentage of the original
weight, the slake durability index
• This test is only really relevant to the poorest grades of aggregate for use in
road sub-bases

4 of 5
Organic Content

• Organic matter may be present in a variety of natural aggregates

• A small sample is immersed in a heavy liquid with a density slightly below two
• All mineral grains will sink i.e. quartz has a density of 2.65, whereas organic
particles will float
• These are then decanted, dried and weighed to determine their percentage of
the original weight

Sulphate Content

• Very harmful to concrete

• The presence of large amounts of sulphate may lead to cracking and expansion
• All methods of testing involve the extraction of sulphates with hydrochloric acid
and the gravimetric determination of the sulphate ions by precipitation with
barium chloride

References

1. Aggregates: Sand, gravel and crushed rock aggregates for construction purposes
(2nd Ed). M. R. Smith & L. Collis (1993). Geological Society Engineering Geology
Special Publication No. 9.
2. Geology for Civil Engineers. C. D. Gribble & A. L. McLean.

5 of 5