Standard Specification for

Materials for Aggregate and

Soil–Aggregate Subbase, Base,
and Surface Courses

AASHTO Designation: M 147-17

Technical Section: 1b, Geotechnical Exploration,
Instrumentation, Stabilization, and Field Testing
Release: Group 3 (August 2017)

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

444 North Capitol Street N.W., Suite 249
Washington, D.C. 20001

Accessed by account: (UCR) Universidad de Costa Rica | Date: Sat Sep 2 16:30:29 2017 | IP address: 163.178.101.228
 Standard Specification for

Materials for Aggregate and Soil–Aggregate

Subbase, Base, and Surface Courses

AASHTO Designation: M 147-17

Technical Section: 1b, Geotechnical Exploration,
Instrumentation, Stabilization and Field Testing
Release: Group 3 (August 2017)

1. SCOPE
1.1. This specification covers the quality and grading of sand–clay mixtures; gravel, stone, or slag
screenings; or sand, crusher run coarse aggregate consisting of gravel, crushed stone, or slag with
or without soil mortar or any combination of these materials for use in the construction of subbase,
base, and surface courses. The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS
2.1. AASHTO Standards:
 M 144, Calcium Chloride
 R 58, Dry Preparation of Disturbed Soil and Soil–Aggregate Samples for Test
 R 74, Wet Preparation of Disturbed Soil Samples for Test
 T 2, Sampling of Aggregates
 T 11, Materials Finer Than 75-µm (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing
 T 27, Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates
 T 88, Particle Size Analysis of Soils
 T 89, Determining the Liquid Limit of Soils
 T 90, Determining the Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of Soils

3. T 96, RESISTANCE TO DEGRADATION OF SMALL-SIZE COARSE

AGGREGATE BY ABRASION AND IMPACT IN THE LOS ANGELES
MACHINEGENERAL REQUIREMENTS
3.1. Coarse Aggregate:

3.1.1. Coarse aggregate retained on the 2.00-mm (No. 10) sieve shall consist of hard, durable particles or
fragments of stone, gravel, or slag. Materials that break up when alternately frozen and thawed or
wetted and dried shall not be used.

3.1.2. Coarse aggregate shall have a percentage of wear, by the Los Angeles test, T 96, of not more
than 50.

TS-1b M 147-1 AASHTO

Accessed by account: (UCR) Universidad de Costa Rica | Date: Sat Sep 2 16:30:29 2017 | IP address: 163.178.101.228
© 2017 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 Note 1—A higher or lower percentage of wear may be specified by the engineer, depending on
the materials available for the work.

3.2. Fine Aggregate:

3.2.1. Fine aggregate passing the 2.00-mm (No. 10) sieve shall consist of natural or crushed sand, and
fine mineral particles passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve.

3.2.2. The fraction passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve shall not be greater than two thirds of the fraction
passing the 0.425-mm (No. 40) sieve. The fraction passing the 0.425-mm sieve shall have a liquid
limit not greater than 25 and a plasticity index not greater than 6.

3.3. All material shall be free from vegetable matter and lumps or balls of clay. The soil–aggregate
material shall conform to the grading requirements of Table 1. The grading requirements for
composite aggregate material will be specified by the engineer.

Table 1—Grading Requirements for Soil–Aggregate Materials

Sieve Designation Mass Percentage Passing
Standard, Grading Grading Grading Grading Grading Grading
mm Alternate A B C D E F
50.0 2 in. 100 100 — — — —
25.0 1 in. — 75–95 100 100 100 100
3
9.5 /8 in. 30–65 40–75 50–85 60–100 — —
4.75 No. 4 25–55 30–60 35–65 50–85 55–100 70–100
2.00 No. 10 15–40 20–45 25–50 40–70 40–100 55–100
0.425 No. 40 8–20 15–30 15–30 25–45 20–50 30–70
0.075 No. 200 2–8 5–20 5–15 5–20 6–20 8–25

4. SUBBASE MATERIALS
4.1. Materials for subbase shall conform to the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 for Gradings A, B, C,
D, E, or F. The type and grading desired shall be specified.
Note 2—Where local experience has shown that lower percentages passing the 75-µm (No. 200)
sieve than are required in Table 1 are necessary for subbase materials in order to prevent damage
by frost action, the engineer should specify such lower percentages.

5. BASE COURSE MATERIALS

5.1. Materials for base course shall conform to the requirements of Section 3 for Gradings A, B, C, D,
E, or F. The grading desired shall be specified.
Note 3—Where local experience has shown that lower percentages passing the 75-µm (No. 200)
sieve than are required in Table 1 are necessary for base course materials in order to prevent
damage by frost action, the engineer should specify such lower percentages.

6. SURFACE COURSE MATERIALS

6.1. Materials for surface course shall conform to the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 for Gradings C,
D, E, or F. The gradings desired shall be specified.
Note 4—Where it is planned that the soil aggregate surface course is to be maintained for several
years without bituminous surface treatment or other superimposed impervious surfacing, the

TS-1b M 147-2 AASHTO

Accessed by account: (UCR) Universidad de Costa Rica | Date: Sat Sep 2 16:30:29 2017 | IP address: 163.178.101.228
© 2017 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
 engineer should specify a minimum of 8 percent passing 75-µm (No. 200) sieve in lieu of the
minimum percentages shown in Table 1 for Gradings C, D, or E, and should specify a maximum
liquid limit of 35 and plasticity index range of 4 to 9 in lieu of the limits given in Section 3.2.2.

7. MOISTURE CONTENT
7.1. All materials shall contain moisture equal to or slightly below the optimum necessary to ensure
that the design density requirements are obtained when materials are compacted.

8. ADMIXTURE
8.1. Calcium chloride used for the control of moisture shall meet the requirements of M 144.

9. METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTING

9.1. Sampling and testing shall be in accordance with the following standard methods of the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials:
 Sampling, T 2
 Sieve analysis, T 27 or T 88
 Preparing samples, R 58 or R 74
 Liquid limit, T 89
 Plastic limit and plasticity index, T 90
 Percentage of wear, T 96
 Passing 75-µm (No. 200 sieve), T 11

10. KEYWORDS
10.1. Aggregate base; aggregate subbase; aggregate surface course; gradation characteristics; sand–clay
mixtures.

TS-1b M 147-3 AASHTO

Accessed by account: (UCR) Universidad de Costa Rica | Date: Sat Sep 2 16:30:29 2017 | IP address: 163.178.101.228
© 2017 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
All rights reserved. Duplication is a violation of applicable law.