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Lecture No.

06

Subject: Sources of
Aggregates
Objectives of Lecture
To explain the sources of aggregates
used for making concrete.
Aggregates
The total aggregates (fine aggregates + coarse
aggregates) are used in concrete as filler and
generally occupy 60 % to 75 % of the concrete
volume (70 % to 85 % by weight).

Fine aggregates generally consist of natural sand or


crushed stone with most particles smaller than 0.2
in.

Coarse aggregates consist of one or a combination


of gravels or crushed aggregate with particles
predominantly larger than 0.2 in. and generally
between and 1 in.
Fine Aggregates
Coarse Aggregates
Sources of Aggregates

Freshly mixed normal weight concrete (2200 to 2400 kg/m3)


can be produced using:
Natural gravel and sand are usually dug or dredged from a pit,
river, lake, or seabed.

Crushed aggregate is produced by crushing quarry rock,


boulders, cobbles, or large size gravel.

Crushed air-cooled blast-furnace slag is also used as fine or


coarse aggregate.

Recycled concrete, or crushed waste concrete, is a feasible


source of aggregates and an economic reality where good
quality aggregates are scarce.
Various light weight materials such as expanded
shale, clay, slate, and slag are used as aggregates
for producing lightweight concrete (1350 to 1850
kg/m3).

Other lightweight materials such as pumice, scoria,


perlite, vermiculite, and diatomite are used to
produce insulating lightweight concretes (250 to
1450 kg/m3).

Heavy weight aggregates such as barlite, magnetite


and iron are used to produce heavy weight concrete
and radiation-shielding concrete.
Lightweight Aggregates
Expanded clay (left)

Expanded shale
(right)
Constituents in Naturally
Occurring Aggregates
Naturally occurring concrete aggregates are a mixture of rocks
and minerals (see Table 5-1)
Minerals
Silica (ex. Quartz)
Silicates (ex. Clay)
Carbonate (ex. Calcite, dolomite)
Igneous rocks
Granite
Basalt
Sedimentary rocks
Sandstone
Limestone
Shale
Metamorphic rocks
Marble
slate
Range of particle sizes found in
aggregate for use in concrete
Making a sieve analysis test of
coarse aggregate in a Lab
Amount of cement
paste required in
concrete is greater
than the volume of
voids between the
aggregates.
Fine aggregate grading limits
Type of aggregate and drying
shrinkage
Harmful materials in aggregates
Aggregates can
occasionally contain
particles of iron oxide
and iron sulfide that
result in stains on
exposed concrete
surface.
Cracking of concrete from alkali
silica reactivity
Influence of Adding mineral admixture on
alkali-silica reactivity (ASR)
Heavily reinforced concrete is
crushed with a beam-crusher
Recycled-concrete aggregate
Local Aggregates Sources
Eastern Province:

Fine aggregates:
Most of the fine aggregate in the eastern province is dune sands with silica contents
ranging from 79% to 98%.
Coarse Aggregates:

The coarse aggregates are limestone and they contain high content of calcite and
some quartz.
Central Province:

Fine aggregates:

Good quality fine aggregates are available throughout the central province; they
contain quartz, feldspar, and calcite. In general, the fine aggregates contain 82% to
99% silica.
Coarse Aggregates:
The coarse aggregates are limestone, diorite, and amphibolites. These
aggregates contain calcite, quartz, and dolomite.
Western Province:

Fine aggregates:

The fine aggregates contain quartz, feldspar, calcite, and


mica. In general, the fine aggregates in the western
region contain less silica (60% to 76%) compared to
sands from eastern and central regions.
Coarse Aggregates:

The coarse aggregates are amphibolites, hornblende


diorite, etc. They contain about 50% SiO2.
Unwashed local aggregate is the
largest contributor of chlorides in
concrete in the Gulf region. The local
aggregate in the eastern region of
Saudi Arabia is composed of crushed
limestone which is usually porous,
absorptive, relatively soft and
excessively dusty. The dust and fines
are heavily contaminated with sulfate
and chloride salts.
The following Tables present some test results on
selected local coarse aggregates:
Table 1. Mineralogical composition of the selected coarse aggregates
determined by X-ray diffraction technique.
Sample # Name of quarry Location Mineralogical composition, % by weight

Calcium carbonate Quartz (SiO2)


(CaCO3)

1 Al-Suhaimi Abu-Hadriyah 99.0 1.0

2 Al-Osais Abu-Hadriyah 95.0 5.0

3 Al-Moosa Hofuf 80.0 20.0


4 Al-Aflaq Hofuf 75.0 25.0
5 Al-Muneer Riyadh road 85.0 15.0

6 Al-Summan Riyadh road 75.0 25.0


Table 2. Materials finer than ASTM # 200 sieve in
the selected coarse aggregates.

Sample # Name of Location Material finer than Acceptable


quarry ASTM No. 200 value, %
sieve, % [ASTM C
33, Saudi
Aramco]
1 Al-Suhaimi Abu-Hadriyah 0.50 1.0

2 Al-Osais Abu-Hadriyah 0.65

3 Al-Moosa Hofuf 0.46


4 Al-Aflaq Hofuf 0.17
5 Al-Muneer Riyadh road 0.20

6 Al-Summan Riyadh road 0.44


Table 3. Specific gravity and water absorption for the
selected coarse aggregates.

Sample # Name of Location Specific Absorption, Acceptable


quarry gravity % value, %
[Saudi
Aramco]
1 Al-Suhaimi Abu-Hadriyah 2.52 2.32 2.5

2 Al-Osais Abu-Hadriyah 2.53 2.4

3 Al-Moosa Hofuf 2.43 1.80


4 Al-Aflaq Hofuf 2.45 1.2
5 Al-Muneer Riyadh road 2.59 1.06

6 Al-Summan Riyadh road 2.6 1.1


Table 4. Loss on abrasion in the selected coarse
aggregates.

Sample Name of Location Loss on Acceptable value,


# quarry abrasion, % [Saudi
% Aramco]

1 Al-Suhaimi Abu-Hadriyah 32.40 40

2 Al-Osais Abu-Hadriyah 33.20


3 Al-Moosa Hofuf 35.05

4 Al-Aflaq Hofuf 25.89


5 Al-Muneer Riyadh road 23.66

6 Al-Summan Riyadh road 22.60


Table 5. Chloride and sulfate concentrations in the
selected coarse aggregates.

Sample # Name of Location Chloride Allowable Sulfate Allowable


quarry concen- chloride concentratio sulfate
tration, concentrati n, % conce
% on, % n-
[Saudi tration
Aramco] ,%
[Saudi
Aramc
o]
1 Al-Suhaimi Abu-Hadriyah 0.066 0.03 0.206

2 Al-Osais Abu-Hadriyah 0.028 0.059 0.4

3 Al-Moosa Hofuf 0.026 0.083

4 Al-Aflaq Hofuf 0.011 0.035


5 Al-Muneer Riyadh road 0.017 0.059

6 Al-Summan Riyadh road 0.022 0.067


In conclusion
Tests conducted on the selected coarse aggregates indicated that
the quality of coarse aggregates from quarries on the Riyadh road is
relatively better than the coarse aggregates from quarries in Hofuf
and Abu-Hadriyah.

The quantity of fine materials in all the coarse aggregates was less
than the allowable value of 1%. However, the quantity of fine
materials in the coarse aggregates from quarries in Abu-Hadriyah
was more than that in the coarse aggregates from quarries in Hofuf
and on the Riyadh road.

The loss on abrasion in all the coarse aggregates was less than the
allowable value of 40%. The loss on abrasion in the coarse
aggregates from quarries in Abu-Hadriyah was generally more than
that in the coarse aggregates from quarries in Hofuf and on the
Riyadh road.
In conclusion
The water absorption in the coarse aggregates from
quarries in Abu-Hadriyah was more than that in the
coarse aggregates from quarries in Hofuf and on the
Riyadh road.

The chloride concentration in the coarse aggregates


from the Al-Suhaimi quarry in Abu-Hadriyah was two
times the allowable value of 0.03%, while in other
coarse aggregates, the chloride concentration was
less than the threshold value.

The sulfate concentration in all the coarse


aggregates was less than the value specified by the
Saudi Aramco specifications.

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