Standard Method of Test Effect of Organic Impurities in Fine Aggregate on Strength of Mortar 1. SCOPE. 1.1 This test method covers the de termination of the effect on morta strength of the organic impurities in fine aggregate, whose presence is indicated by tesis with T 21. Comparison is made between compressive strengths of mortar made with washed and unwashed fine ag 1.2. The values stated in ST units are to be regarded as the Standard This strength may involve haz: ardous materials, operations, and equip. ment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated with its use. Its the responsi bility of whoever uses this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations Prior to use, 2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS. 2. AASHTO Standards M6 Concrete Aggregates M85_ Portland Cement M 152: Flow Table for Use in ‘Tests of Hydraulic Cement Balances Used in the Testing of Materials Sampling Aggregates Organic Impurities in Fine Aggregates for Concrete Specific Gravity and Absorption of Fine Aggregate T 8 66 AASHTO DESIGNATION: T 71-93! (ASTM DESIGNATION: C 87-83) Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (Using 50- mm or 2-in, Cube Specimens) Mechanical Mixing of Hydraulic Cement Pastes and Mortars of Plastic Consistency Reducing Field Sam- ples of Aggregate to Testing Size 22. ASTM Standard: C670 Preparing Precision Statements for Test Methods for Con: struetion Materials T 162 Ts 3. SIGNIFICANCE AND USE 341 This test method is of signif cance in making a final determination of the acceptability of fine aggregates with respect to the requirements of AASHTO M 6 concerning organic impu 3.2. This test method is only applica bie to those samples which, when tested in accordance with T 21, have produced 4 supematant liquid with a color darker than that of the reference standard color solution, 4. BASIS FOR COMPARISON 4.1. The fine aggregate shall be com: pared in mortar, as described in this test ‘method, with a sample ofthe same agere Bale that has been washed in a 3 percent solution of sodium hydroxide followed by thorough rinsing in water. The wash ing shall be repeated a sufficient number of times until the supernatant liquid ob tained in T 21 has a color lighter than standard (Note 1). The washing shall be performed in such a way as to minimize the loss of fines and so that the washed sggregate has a fineness modulus within 0.10 of that of the unwashed aggregate. ‘The washed and rinsed aggregate shall bbe checked with a suitable indicator such as phenolphthalein or litmus to assure that sodium hydroxide has been removed effectively prior 10 preparation of the mortar. 42. Unless otherwise specified or permitted, strength comparisons shall be made at 7 days in accordance with the following conditions: 42.1 Mix three batches of mortar with the aggregate washed in sodium hydroxide and three batches with the tunwashed aggregate on the same day. Al batches shall have the same quantity of fine aggregate. Mix the batches for the two conditions alternately 422 Mold three 50-mm or cubes from each batch, 42.3 Test the three cubes from each batch at the age specified. NOTE 1721 describes a standard proce. dure and an alternative procedure for the determination of color value. Ia the standard procedure there isa single reference standard color. In the allemative procedure five-col ‘red glass standards are used. The reference sMandard color is equivalent to color Plate Nod 5S. SAMPLING 5.1 Sample portions of fine aggre gate for this test shall be obtained from the same sample used for T 21, Needed reduction of samples to obtain test por- tions shall be in accordance with T 248. 5.2 Secure an additional field sample if needed from the aggregate supply in accordance with T 2.tm METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTING 6 6, REAGENTS AND MATERIALS 61. Portland cement shall be Type 1 or Type II, meeting the requirements of AASHTO M 85. 62 Sodium Hydroxide Solution (3 percent)—Dissolve 3 parts by mass of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in 97 pars water, APPARATUS. 7 Flow Table, Flow Mold, and Caliper, as described in AASHTO M 152. 72 Tamper, Trowel, Cube Molds, ‘and Testing Machine, as described in AASHTO T 106. 13 Mixer, Bowl, and Paddle, as de- scribed in T 162. 74 Balance, conforming to AASHTO M231 for Class G5. 8, TEMPERATURE 8.1 The temperature of the mixing ‘water, moist closet, and storage tank shall be maintained at 230 + 1.7C (73.4 +38), 9. PREPARATION OF MORTAR 9.1 In the event that the fine aggre- ‘gate being used includes particles so large that the adjustment bracket (as de scribed in T 162) cannot provide ade- quate clearance, the oversized particles shall be removed by sieving on the 4.75. mm (No. 4) or 2.36-mm (No. 8) sieve If this procedure is employed, the report shall so state and shall indicate the per: centage of material so removed NOTE 2—Cantion: The clearances be: tween the paddle and the bowl specified in TT 162 are suitable when using the Standard ‘mortar made with Onawa Sand, To permit the rixer to operate freely and to avoid serious damage to the paddle and bowl when coarser aggregates are used, it may be necessary to set, the clearance adjustment bracket to provide sreater clearances than specified. A clearance Of approximately 4.0 mm is equiced in T 162; a clearance of approximately £0 mm fas been found to be satisfactory for this method when used with fine aggregate from which the material retained on the 4:75-mm sieve has been removed 9.2. Use water and cement in quanti ties thac will yield a water-cement ratio fof 0.6 by niass. It has been found that (600 ¢ of cement and 360 mL. of water will usually be adequate for a 6-cube batch. NOTE 3Use of cement, water, and an appropriate amount of aggregate for a 6-cube batch, or larger, is recommended to assure uniform mixing of the moras 93. Using fine aggregate that has been brought to a saturated surface dry condition as described in T 84, prepare a quantity of aggregate estimated to pro- vide slightly more than needed to pro- duce a batch of the desired consistency. NOTE 4 the absorption has been deter: ‘mined in accordance with T 84, the aggregate may be prepared for test by adding toa known mass of dry aggregate the amount of water it will absorb, mixing thoroughly, and permit- ting the aggregate to stand in a covered pan for 60 minutes before use. The washed and unwashed aggregate may be presumed to have the same absorption NOTE 5—The mass ofthe prepared aggre: fate should be determined so thatthe amount fetually used in a batch may be calculated f= described in Section 10.1.3. Experience indicates that the quantity of fine agaregate ‘used in a Grcube batch will range from ap- proximately 1200 g for fine-graded material {0 approximately 2200 g for coarse-graded rater 9.3.1 The mortar shall be propor- tioned to produce a consistency of 100 * 5 in 25 drops of the flow table, as determined by the flow test described in T 106. 914. Prepare the mortar in a mechani- cal mixer in accordance with the proce- dure for mixing mortars described in T 162, as modified below. NOTE 6—Unwashed ageregat should be ‘used in the mital batch, so that washed aggre: gate is not wasted in case the batch must be discarded 9.4.1 During the period from 30 to 60 seconds from the start of mixing, and while still mixing at slow speed, slowly add a measured quantity of aggregate estimated to provide the proper consis- tency. 942 During the final 1 minute of mixing at medium speed, if the flow appears to be too high additional aggre~ gale may be added after the first 30 seconds ofthis mixing period. To do so, stop the mixer briefly, add the aggregate, and then complete the additional 30 sec- fonds of mixing 10. PROCEDURE 10.1 Make a determination of the flow as described in T 106. 10.1.1 Should the flow be too great, return the mortar to the mixing bowl, add additional aggregate, mix for 30 sec~ conds at medium speed, and make another determination of the flow. If more than two tials must be made to obtain a flow of 100 * 5, consider the mortar as tial mortar, and prepare test specimens from a new batch, 10.1.2 If the mortar is too dry, dis card the batch, 10.13 Determine the quantity of ag~ ‘regate used by subtracting the mass of the ponion remaining after mixing from the mass of the initial sample. Use this quantity of aggregate in all subsequent batches for the aggregate under test 10.2 Molding Test Specimens— Immediately following completion of flow test indicating acceptable consis- tency, retum the mortar from the flow table to the mixing bowl, scrape down the howl, and then remix the entire batch 15 seconds at medium speed, Upon com- pletion of mixing, shake the excess mor tar from the paddle into the bowl. Place the mortar in cube molds in two layers in accordance with the procedures de- seribed in T 106. 10.3 For subsequent batches, use washed and unwashed aggregate alter- nately and the quantity of aggregate de termined in Section 10.1.3. Follow the procedure for mixing mortars described in T 162. Following the final 1-minute mixing in T 162, do not perform a flow {est but instead allow the mortar to stand in the mixing bowl 90 sec without cov ering. During the last 15 seconds of this interval, quickly scrape down into the batch any mortar that may have collected68 fon the side of the bowl Then remix for 15 seconds at medium speed. Upon ‘completion of mixing, shake the excess mortar from the paddle into the mixing bowl. Place the mortar inthe cube molds in two layers in accordance with the procedure described in T 106. 104 Store the test specimens and determine compressive strength in accor- dance with T 106. 11, CALCULATION AND REPORT ALA Calculate the compressive strength of each specimen by dividing the maximum load it carried during the test by the cross-sectional area. Average the strengths of the three specimens from ‘each batch, Calculate three-strength ra- METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTING. tios by dividing the average strength for fa batch containing unwashed aggregate by the average strength for the corre- sponding (in respective order of mixing) Datch containing washed aggregate 11.2 Report the average of the three ratios, expressed as a percentage, as the relative strength for the aggregate un- der test 113 If oversized material was re moved from the sample as provided in Section 9.1, report the quantity and the sieve size on which it was retained 12. PRECISION AND BIAS 12.1 The following precision state ment is applicable when a test result is the average ratio, as defined by this test ‘method, of three pairs of mortar batch strength tests with all the batches mixed fon the same day and tested at the same age T7 12.2 The single laboratory coeffi- cient of variation has been determined to be 5.4 percent (Note 7). Therefore, results of two properly conducted tests in the same laboratory should not differ from each other by more than 15.3 per- cent (Note 7) oftheir average. The maxi- ‘mum range (difference between highest and lowest) of the three individual ratios used in calculating the average should not exceed 17 percent (Note 8). NOTE 7—These numbers represent, re spectively, the (18 percent) and (D28 percent) Timits as described in ASTM C 670. NOTE 8—Calculated as described in the section on precision of individual measure ments averaged to obtain a test result in ASTM C 670,