Aggregate Gradation

CIVL 3137 31
Gradation Analysis

percent coarser
or
percent retained

percent finer
or
percent pas sin g
Percent ages
are calculat ed
by mass
CIVL 3137 32
Gradation Chart
0
20
40
60
80
100
Opening Size (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

Total mass percent passing each sieve
Sieves
Shakers
Gilson Shaker
Mary Ann Shaker
CIVL 3137 35
Coarse Aggregate Sieves
Sieve
Designation
Opening
(in)
Opening
(mm)
3 in 3.00 75.0
2 in 2.00 50.0
1 in 1.50 37.5
1 in 1.00 25.0
3/4 in 0.75 19.0
1/2 in 0.50 12.5
3/8 in 0.375 9.50
Bold = Full sieve series
CIVL 3137 36
Fine Aggregate Sieves
Sieve
Designation
Opening
(in)
Opening
(mm)
No. 4 0.187 4.75
No. 8 0.0937 2.36
No. 16 0.0469 1.18
No. 30 0.0234 0.60
No. 50 0.0117 0.30
No. 100 0.0059 0.15
No. 200 0.0030 0.075

Bold = Full sieve series
CIVL 3137 37
Range of Sieve Sizes
Sieve
Designation
Opening
(in)
Opening
(mm)
3 in 3.00 75.0
. . .
. . .
. . .
No. 200 0.0030 0.075
CIVL 3137 38
Gradation Chart
0
20
40
60
80
100
0. 01 0. 1 1 10 100
Openi ng Si ze (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

(
%
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Opening Size (mm)
1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
Gradation Example
Gradation Example
CIVL 3137 41
Uniformly Graded Aggregate
0
20
40
60
80
100
0. 01 0. 1 1 10 100
Openi ng Si ze (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

.
1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
unif orml y
graded
unif orml y
graded
CIVL 3137 42
Uniformly Graded Aggregate
Grain-to-grain contact
High void content
Low but variable density
High stability if confined
Low stability unconfined
Difficult to compact
CIVL 3137 43
Open-Graded Aggregate
0
20
40
60
80
100
0. 01 0. 1 1 10 100
Openi ng Si ze (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

.
1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
open
graded
open
graded
CIVL 3137 44
Open-Graded Aggregate
Grain-to-grain contact
High void content
Low but variable density
High stability if confined
High stability unconfined
Difficult to compact
CIVL 3137 45
Dense-Graded Aggregate
0
20
40
60
80
100
0. 01 0. 1 1 10 100
Openi ng Si ze (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

.
1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
dense
graded
CIVL 3137 46
Dense-Graded Aggregate

Grain-to-grain contact
Low void content
High density
High stability if confined
High stability unconfined
Difficult to compact
CIVL 3137 47
Gap-Graded Aggregate
0
20
40
60
80
100
0. 01 0. 1 1 10 100
Openi ng Si ze (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

.
1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
gap
graded
open
graded
open
graded
CIVL 3137 48
Gap-Graded Aggregate
No grain-to-grain contact
Higher void content
Lower density
Low stability if confined
Low stability unconfined
Easy to compact
CIVL 3137 49
Fullers Curve
Fuller, W.B. and Thompson, S.E. The laws of
proportioning concrete," Transactions of the
ASCE, v. 159, 1907.
| |
=
|
\ .
0.50
i
i
d
p
D
p
i
= percent passing i
t h
sieve
d
i
= opening size of i
t h
sieve
D = maximum part icle size
CIVL 3137 50
Fullers Curves
0
20
40
60
80
100
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Opening Size (mm)
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

1" "
3
/ 8" 4 8 16 30 50 100 200
CIVL 3137 51
Maximum Density Curve
In 1962 FHWA published a modified version of
Fullers equation with a different exponent.
| |
=
|
\ .
0.45
0.50
i
i
d
p
D
p
i
= percent passing i
t h
sieve
d
i
= opening size of i
t h
sieve
D = maximum part icle size
CIVL 3137 52
0.45 Power Chart
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 1 2 3 4 5
Opening Size (mm) Raised t o t he 0.45 Power
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

P
a
s
s
i
n
g

"
3
/ 8" 4 8 30 200