Impurities in Sand Clay, silt, salts, mica and organic matter are a source of impurities in sand. All sands are generally found to contain some percentage of silt and clay. Mica is easily discernible from its shining surface. A certain percentage of impurities are inevitable in sand; a maximum of 6 % of silt and … Read more
Sand Equivalent Value Test Purpose To determine the percent of undesirable particles in the fine aggregate fraction used in the design of Portland cement concrete mixtures. The method is also applicable for determining the relative proportions of detrimental fine dust or claylike material in soils. Equipment and Materials The Sand Equivalent test kit consists of … Read more
Test for Clay Lumps and Friable Particles Purpose Clay and friable particles may be present in the form of lumps in natural aggregates. If they are near the surface, these lumps can cause pitting under the influence of traffic. Specifications frequently limit these particles to a maximum of 1%. Equipment and Materials Weighing device accurate … Read more
Rodded Unit Weight of Coarse Aggregate Purpose Determination of the unit weight of coarse aggregates in a compacted condition. This test method is applicable to aggregates not exceeding 15 cm (6 inches) in nominal size. The unit weight so determined is necessary for the design of a concrete mixture by the absolute value method. Equipment … Read more
Tests on Aggregate Aggregate plays an important role in pavement construction. Aggregates influence, to a great extent, the load transfer capability of pavements. Hence it is essential that they should be thoroughly tested before using for construction. Not only that aggregates should be strong and durable, they should also possess proper shape and size to … Read more
Aggregates influence the properties of concrete/mortar such as water requirement, cohesiveness and workability of the concrete in plastic stage, while they influence strength, density, durability, permeability, surface finish and colour in hardened stage. Field Tests for Aggregate 1. Surface Moisture Content & Absorption The surface moisture in the aggregate, influences the water cement ratio, strength … Read more
While inspecting aggregate for quality control purpose, it is required to describe its physical properties, because physical properties of aggregate have an effect on the property of concrete. The physical properties of aggregate which should be described are given below. Name of parent rock & Group name Particle Shape Surface Texture Let us see how … Read more
Packing and Marking of Aggregate Sample Before dispatching, each sample of aggregate is packed separately in such a way so as to prevent loss of any fine material. Use container or sample bag to pack coarse aggregate. Use tight container or closely woven bags to pack fine aggregate and all-in-aggregate; so that there is no … Read more
Objective Determination of unit weight or bulk density and void of aggregates. Equipments Name Capacity 1. Balance Sensitive to 0.5% of weight of material 2. Cylindrical metal measure Of 3 litre capacity (for fine aggregate) Of 15 litre capacity (for aggregate upto 40mm) 3. Tamping rod 16 mm dia. and 60 cm long Sample Preparation … Read more
Sand Sample Reduction Using Sand Splitter Sand splitter is the accepted method for fine aggregate that is drier than the saturated-surface-dry condition. As a quick check to determine this condition, if the sand remains the shape that is molded in the hand, the sand is considered wetter than saturated-surface-dry. The sand splitter is a small … Read more