Highway Materials

Aggregates
Soil Definition (Engineering)
refers to all unconsolidated

material in the earths crust, all

material above the bedrock
mineral particles (gravel, sand, silt, clay)
organic material (top soil, marshes)

Aggregates
mineral particles of a soil
specifically, granular soil group
gravel, sand, silt
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Granular Soil Group (Aggregates)
Physical weathering
action of frost, water, wind, glaciers, plant/animals
particles transported by wind, water, ice
soils formed are called granular soil type
grains are similar to the original bedrock
Larger grain sizes than clays
Particles tend to be more or less

spheres/cubes
Bound water is small compared to overall
mass
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Granular Soil Group (Aggregates)
ability to achieve greater densities
well graded granular material

increased soil strength

lower permeability
reduced future settlement

These improvements dictate the use

of aggregates in pavement layers

where wheel loads are greater
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
In combination with asphalt cement or

portland cement to form asphalt concrete

or cement concrete respectively
In subbases and bases of a roadway
structure
drainage structures
concrete blocks

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Types of Aggregates
Basic properties of these aggregates
Tests used to evaluate these properties

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Aggregate Sources
natural sand or gravel deposits *
crushed rock *
slag and mine refuse
rubble and refuse
artificial and processed materials
pulverized concrete and asphalt

pavements
other recycled and waste materials
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Natural sand and gravel deposits
sand and gravel pits
sand and gravel soils that have been

naturally sorted to eliminate most of the

silt or clay sizes then deposited in:
glacier formations (eskers, outwash plains)
river deposits
beaches of current and previous lakes and seas

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Sand / Gravel Pit Development
Stripping of topsoil, vegetation from surface
Excavation of material
material is loose - front end loaders

Crushing of the material

larger size aggregate is broke down to desired size
crushed gravel is considered high quality aggregate
washing of aggregate cleans dust removes silt/clay
Type of material depends on bedrock source
Limestone, sandstone,granite,etc.

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Crushed Rock
Type of aggregates produced from

quarries depends on the type of

bedrock
Classes of Rocks
Igneous rocks
Sedimentary rocks
Metamorphic rocks

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Crushed Rock
Igneous Rocks
Original bedrock formed from the cooling of molten
material
Coarse grained igneous rock (granite) cooled slowly
Fine grained igneous rocks (basalt) cooled rapidly
Sedimentary Rocks
Solidification of chemical or mineral sediments

deposited under ancient seas

Layered since original material was deposited in this
manner
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Crushed Rock
Sedimentary Rocks
Limestone
Calcium Carbonate
Dolomite
Calcium/Magnesium
Carbonate
Shale
Clay
Sandstone
Quartz
Chert
Fine sand
Conglomerate Gravel

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Crushed Rock
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous or Sedimentary rocks that have

been metamorphosed due to intense heat

and pressure
Slate
Marble
Quartzite
Gneiss

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shale
limestone
sandstone
granite

Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Crushed Rock
Igneous and Metamorphic rocks are very

hard and make an excellent source for

aggregates
Limestone

and Dolomite are common

sedimentary rocks, are softer than igneous
rocks but are acceptable for aggregates

Shale primarily composed of clay grains is

weak and disintegrates easily

Chert also disintegrates easily
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Quarry Pit Development
Opening and Stripping of the face of the

quarry
Blasting of rock with dynamite into sizes
that can be transported
Crushing of rock into the required
aggregate sizes

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Slag and Mine Refuse
Slag is a waste material resulting from the

treatment of ore to produce iron, steel, nickel, ..

Blast furnace slag from iron mills is a common aggregate

Mine tailings can also be used for aggregates

Rubble and Refuse

recycling of pulverized concrete from structures
recycled asphalt pavements in base courses
recycled rubber, crushed glass in base courses

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Types of Aggregates
Fine Aggregate
aggregate particles mainly between the 4.75

mm size and the 75m sieve.

Coarse Aggregate
aggregate particles mainly larger than 4.75
mm
Pit Run
aggregate from a sand or gravel pit with no

processing
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Types of Aggregates
Crushed Gravel
pit gravel (or sand) that has been put through a

crusher either to break the rounded gravel

particles into smaller sizes or to produce rougher
surfaces
Crushed Rock
aggregate from the crushing of bedrock. All
particles are angular and not rounded as in gravel
Screenings
chips, dust, powder that are produced from

crushing
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Types of Aggregates
Concrete Sand
sand that has been washed to remove dust

and fines
Fines
silt, clay, or dust particles smaller than

75m usually the undesirable impurities in

aggregates

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Types of Aggregates
Nominal Size
Not

economical to have 100% of the

particles of an aggregate be within a
specified size range.
Reducing the rejection from a pit in order to
efficiently use the material resources of a
pit
Usually 5% - 10% of the aggregate particles
can be allowed to be larger or smaller than
specs
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials Aggregates

Types of Aggregates
Nominal Size
Coarse

aggregates
19-4.75 mm nominal
aggregate
Fine aggregate 4.75 mm nominal aggregate
Clear
a single size coarse aggregate is called clear.

Most of the particles are between the

specified maximum size and a minimum size
which is defined as one-half of the maximum
19 mm clear aggregate
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Aggregate Properties
Gradation (grain size analysis)
grain size distribution for highway bases and
bituminous mixes that will provide a dense strong
mixture
ensure that the voids between the larger particles
are filled with medium particles. The remaining voids
are filled with still smaller particles until the smallest
voids are filled with a small amount of fines.
Ensure maximum density and strength using a
maximum density curve

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Theoretical Maximum Density Curves
Fuller Maximum Density Curve
P = (d/D)0.5
P = % passing sieve size d
D= the maximum sieve size (100%
passing)
Federal Highway Administration

P = (d/D)0.45
plotted on semi-log paper where sieve sizes are

raised to power 0.45

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregate Gradations
Strength or resistance to shear failure

in road bases and pavements is

increased greatly if the mixture is
dense graded

Pavement Design (CE2209)

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Highway Materials
Aggregate Gradations

a) larger particles are in contact with each

other developing frictional resistances to
shearing failure. Particles are tightly bond
together due to the inter-locking effect of
smaller particles. This effect is higher in (a)
than (b)
Pavement Design (CE2209)

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Highway Materials
Aggregate Gradations
b) Must limit the amount of fines
silt and clay particles are relatively weak
dust on larger aggregates will interface

with the aggregate/bituminous bond

Excessive fines in a base or subbase may
lead to drainage on frost heaving problems
Excessive fines (smaller aggregates) results
in weak structures because larger particles
are not in contact with each other strength

Sn (smaller particles) are weaker.

Therefore managing % of fines is important.

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Washed Sieve Analysis
as a result it is important in determining the

amount passing the 75m sieve

sample is dried and washed, wash water poured
out over the 75 m sieve
material retained is returned to the sample for
sieve analysis
total amount passing 75 m is equal to the amount
lost in washing and % passing 75 m sieve

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates
Example 4-1

Mass of sample
446.7 g
Mass after washing 414.1 g
Results of dry sieving:
Retained in
4.75 mm
0.0g
1.18 mm 205.3g
300 m 127.9g
75 m
76.4g
Pan
3.8g
Find the grain-size distribution:

Lost in washing over 75 m= 446.7 g - 414.1 g= 32.6

g
Passing 75 m in sieving=3.8 g
Total finer than 75 m=36.4 g
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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregates

Note: Only 0.7 g was lost during sieving, which

is an acceptable loss.) If a washed sieve
analysis is not required, usually for coarse
aggregates the procedure for grain-size
analysis
of soils is used
Pavement
Design (CE-2209)
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Highway Materials
Aggregates
Aggregate Properties
Gradation (grain size analysis)
High density mixtures are important in terms of
density and asphalt cement required. Asphalt must
coat each particle and fill in most of the void space.
If you fill in void space with cheaper material such
as aggregates you save asphalt

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)

Highway Materials
Aggregate Sampling and Testing

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Pavement Design (CE-2209)