Aggregate Impact Value Test

Definition:
The aggregate impact value is defined as a relative measure of the
resistance of an aggregate to sudden shock or impact, which (in some
aggregates) may differ from its resistance to a slow compressive load.

The aggregate impact value test is an important test of aggregates. It is

done to obtain the resistance and impact of aggregates (stones). In this test a
machine is used, which is called impact testing machine.
Importance of Aggregate Impact Value Test:
The aggregates have sufficient toughness to resist their disintegration due
to impact. This property is measured by aggregate impact value test. So
that aggregate impact value test is used to determine the relative measure
of the resistance of aggregate to sudden shock or impact, which in
some aggregate differs from its resistance to a slowly applies compressive
load.

Advantages of Aggregate Impact Test:

The advantages of aggregates impact value test are that the apparatus
and procedure of the test are simple. With this test, we can obtain the
resistance and impact of aggregates (stones) even in field condition.
The test can be done in a short period whether it is at construction site.
Principle of Impact Value Test:
Impact value test determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material
during fracture. This absorbed energy gives a measure of toughness of a
given material and acts as a tool to study temperature-dependent brittle-
ductile transition. It is used to determine whether the material is brittle or
ductile in nature.

Impact Testing Machine:

Impact testing machine is commonly used to determine the service life of a
part or material. It evaluate an object's capacity to withstand high-rate
compressive loading. Impact resistance can be among the most challenging
qualities to measure which is measured by impact testing machine. The
 capacity evaluate this characteristic is particularly useful in assessing product
liability and safety.

Aggregate Impact Value Test Procedure as per IS: 2386 Part-4

(1963)
Apparatus Required for Aggregate Impact Value Test:-
 Impact testing machine
 Cylinder
 A straight metal tamping rod of circular cross-section 16 mm in diameter, 45
cm to 60 cm in length and rounded at one end.
 IS Sieves
 Oven
 Weighing balance
IS code for Aggregate Impact Value Test:-
 IS: 2386 (Part 4) -1963, Methods of test for aggregate for concrete
 IS: 383: 1970, Specification of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate from
natural source for concrete
 IS: 9377: 1979, Specification of apparatus for aggregate impact value test

Procedure of Aggregate Impact Value Test:-

1. Take test samples of aggregates passing through 12.5 mm IS sieve and
retained on 10 mm IS sieve.

2. Dry theme in an oven for 4 hours at a temperature of 100 °C to 110 °C

and then cool at room temperature.
3. Fill the aggregates up to about 1/3 full in the cylindrical measure and
tamp for 25 times with rounded end of the tamping rod.

4. Fill the rest portion of the cylindrical measure by two layers (1/3 + 1/3)
and tamp each layer for 25 times.
5. Cut off the overflow of aggregates in cylindrically measure by tamping
rod using its straight edge or by a knife.
6. Then weigh the entire aggregates sample of the measuring cylinder with
an accuracy to 0.01 g.
 7. Transfer the aggregates carefully from the cylindrical measure into the
cup, which is firmly fixed in position on the base plate of machine.
8. Then tamp it for 25 times with rounded end of the tamping rod.
9. The hammer is raised until its lower face be 38 cm above the upper
surface of aggregate in the cup and allow it to fall freely on the
aggregates.
10. The test sample (aggregate) is subjected to a total of 15 such
blows each being delivered at an interval of not less than 1 second.
11. Then remove the crushed aggregate from the cup and sieve the
whole of it on 2.36 mm IS sieve until no significant amount passes
through the sieve.
12. Weigh the fraction (aggregates) passing through the 2.36 mm IS
sieve with an accuracy to 0.1 g.
13. Repeat the above steps with other fresh sample.
14. Let the original weight of the oven dry sample of aggregates be
W1 g and the weight of fraction (aggregates) passing 2.36 mm IS sieve
be W₂ g.
15. Then aggregate impact value is expressed as the percentage of
fines formed in terms of the total weight of the sample.

Observations:-
Table: Impact value of sample aggregates
Observation Trail Trail
1 2

Total weight of the

aggregate filling the
cylindrical metal measures
W₁ g

Weight of
aggregate passing through
2.36 mm sieve W₂ g

Aggregate impact value

= (W₂/W₁) ⨉ 100 %
Calculations:-
Formula for Aggregate Impact Value Test:

Result:-
Aggregate Impact Value = ………. %

Recommended Values of Aggregate Impact Test:-

Classification of aggregates using Aggregate Impact Value is as given below:

Aggregate Classification
Impact
Value

<20% Exceptionally Strong

10 – 20% Strong

20-30% Satisfactory for road

surfacing

>35% Weak for road surfacing

Specified limits of percent aggregate impact value for different types of

road construction by Indian Roads Congress are given below:
Sl. Type of Pavement Aggregate Impact
No. Value Should Not
More Than

1. Wearing Course 30

a) Bituminous surface
dressing

b) Penetration macadam

c) Bituminous carpet
concrete

d) Cement concrete

2. Bitumen bound 35
macadam base course

3. WBM base course 40

with bitumen surfacing

4. Cement concrete base 45

course
 Los Angeles abrasion test

Los Angeles abrasion test on aggregates is the measure of aggregate toughness and abrasion
resistance such as crushing, degradation and disintegration. This test is carried out by AASHTO
T 96 or ASTM C 131: Resistance to Degradation of Small-Size Coarse Aggregate by Abrasion
and Impact in the Los Angeles Machine. The aggregate used in surface course of the highway
pavements are subjected to wearing due to movement of traffic. When vehicles move on the road,
the soil particles present between the pneumatic tyres and road surface cause abrasion of road
aggregates. The steel rimmed wheels of animal driven vehicles also cause considerable abrasion
of the road surface. Therefore, the road aggregates should be hard enough to resist abrasion.
Resistance to abrasion of aggregate is determined in laboratory by Los Angeles test machine. The
principle of Los Angeles abrasion test is to produce abrasive action by use of standard steel balls
which when mixed with aggregates and rotated in a drum for specific number of revolutions also
causes impact on aggregates. The percentage wear of the aggregates due to rubbing with steel
balls is determined and is known as Los Angeles Abrasion Value.

Contents: [show]
Determination of Los Angeles Abrasion Value
The Los Angeles abrasion test on aggregates are done for following purposes:

1. To determine the Los Angeles abrasion value.

2. To find the suitability of aggregates for use in road construction.
Apparatus for Los Angeles Test
The apparatus as per IS: 2386 (Part IV) - 1963 consists of:

1. Los Angeles Machine

 2. Abrasive charge: Cast iron or steel balls, approximately 48mm in diameter and each
weighing between 390 to 445 g; six to twelve balls are required.
3. Sieve: 1.70, 2.36, 4.75, 6.3, 10, 12.5, 20, 25, 40, 50, 63, 80 mm IS Sieves.
4. Balance of capacity 5 kg or 10 kg
5. Drying oven
6. Miscellaneous like tray
Procedure for Los Angeles Test
The test sample consists of clean aggregates dried in oven at 105° - 110°C. The sample should
conform to any of the gradings shown in table 1.

1. Select the grading to be used in the test such that it conforms to the grading to be used in
construction, to the maximum extent possible.
2. Take 5 kg of sample for gradings A, B, C & D and 10 kg for gradings E, F & G.
3. Choose the abrasive charge as per Table 2 depending on grading of aggregates.
4. Place the aggregates and abrasive charge on the cylinder and fix the cover.
5. Rotate the machine at a speed of 30 to 33 revolutions per minute. The number of
revolutions is 500 for gradings A, B, C & D and 1000 for gradings E, F & G. The
machine should be balanced and driven such that there is uniform peripheral speed.
6. The machine is stopped after the desired number of revolutions and material is discharged
to a tray.
7. The entire stone dust is sieved on 1.70 mm IS sieve.
8. The material coarser than 1.7mm size is weighed correct to one gram.
Table 1: Grading of Test Samples - *Tolerance of ± 12 percent permitted.

Sieve size
Weight of test
(square
sample in gm
hole)

Passing Retained on
A B C D E F G
(mm) (mm)

80 63 2500*

63 50 2500*

50 40 5000* 5000*

40 25 1250 5000* 5000*

25 20 1250 5000*

20 12.5 1250 2500

12.5 10 1250 2500

10 6.3 2500

6.3 4.75 2500

4.75 2.36 5000

Table 2: Selection of Abrasive Charge

Grading No of Steel balls Weight of charge in gm.

A 12 5000 ± 25

B 11 4584 ±25

C 8 3330 ± 20

D 6 2500 ± 15

E 12 5000 ± 25

F 12 5000 ± 25

G 12 5000 ± 25

Observations of Los Angeles Test

Original weight of aggregate sample = W1 g Weight of aggregate sample retained = W2 g Weight
passing 1.7mm IS sieve = W1 - W2 g Abrasion Value = (W1 - W2 ) / W1 X 100 Results Los Angeles
Abrasion Value =
Recommended Los Angeles Test Values for Pavements
Los Angeles test is commonly used to evaluate the hardness of aggregates. The test has more
acceptability because the resistance to abrasion and impact is determined simultaneously.
Depending upon the value, the suitability of aggregates for different road constructions can be
judged as per IRC specifications as given:

Sl. Max. permissible abrasion

Type of Pavement
No. value in %

1 Water bound macadam sub base course 60

2 WBM base course with bituminous surfacing 50

3 Bituminous bound macadam 50

4 WBM surfacing course 40

5 Bituminous penetration macadam 40

Bituminous surface dressing, cement concrete

6 35
surface course

7 Bituminous concrete surface course 30

 slump cone test

Concrete slump test or slump cone test is to determine the workability or consistency of concrete
mix prepared at the laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the work. Concrete
slump test is carried out from batch to batch to check the uniform quality of concrete during
construction. The slump test is the most simple workability test for concrete, involves low cost
and provides immediate results. Due to this fact, it has been widely used for workability tests
since 1922. The slump is carried out as per procedures mentioned in ASTM C143 in the United
States, IS: 1199 – 1959 in India and EN 12350-2 in Europe. Generally concrete slump
value is used to find the workability, which indicates water-cement ratio, but there are various
factors including properties of materials, mixing methods, dosage, admixtures etc. also affect the
concrete slump value.

Factors which influence the concrete slump test:

1. Material properties like chemistry, fineness, particle size distribution, moisture content
and temperature of cementitious materials. Size, texture, combined grading, cleanliness
and moisture content of the aggregates,
2. Chemical admixtures dosage, type, combination, interaction, sequence of addition and its
effectiveness,
3. Air content of concrete,
4. Concrete batching, mixing and transporting methods and equipment,
5. Temperature of the concrete,
6. Sampling of concrete, slump-testing technique and the condition of test equipment,
7. The amount of free water in the concrete, and
8. Time since mixing of concrete at the time of testing.

Equipments Required for Concrete Slump Test

Mold for slump test i.e. slump cone, non porous base plate, measuring scale, temping rod. The
mold for the test is in the form of the frustum of a cone having height 30 cm, bottom diameter 20
cm and top diameter 10 cm. The tamping rod is of steel 16 mm diameter and 60cm long and
rounded at one end.

Sampling of Materials for Slump Test

A concrete mix (M15 or other) by weight with suitable water/ cement ratio is prepaid in the
laboratory similar to that explained in 5.9 and required for casting 6 cubes after conducting

Slump test.

Figure-1: Measuring Slump of Concrete

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Procedure for Concrete Slump Cone Test

1. Clean the internal surface of the mould and apply oil.
2. Place the mould on a smooth horizontal non- porous base plate.
3. Fill the mould with the prepared concrete mix in 4 approximately equal layers.
4. Tamp each layer with 25 strokes of the rounded end of the tamping rod in a uniform
manner over the cross section of the mould. For the subsequent layers, the tamping should
penetrate into the underlying layer.
5. Remove the excess concrete and level the surface with a trowel.
6. Clean away the mortar or water leaked out between the mould and the base plate.
7. Raise the mould from the concrete immediately and slowly in vertical direction.
8. Measure the slump as the difference between the height of the mould and that of height
point of the specimen being tested.
 Figure-2: Concrete Slump Test Procedure
NOTE: The above operation should be carried out at a place free from Vibrations or shock and
within a period of 2 minutes after sampling.

Slump Value Observation:

The slump (Vertical settlement) measured shall be recorded in terms of millimeters of subsidence
of the specimen during the test.

Results of Slump Test on Concrete

Slump for the given sample= _____mm When the slump test is carried out, following are the
shape of the concrete slump that can be observed:

Figure-3: Types of Concrete Slump Test Results

 True Slump – True slump is the only slump that can be measured in the test. The
measurement is taken between the top of the cone and the top of the concrete after the
cone has been removed as shown in figure-1.
 Zero Slump – Zero slump is the indication of very low water-cement ratio, which results
in dry mixes. These type of concrete is generally used for road construction.
 Collapsed Slump – This is an indication that the water-cement ratio is too high, i.e.
concrete mix is too wet or it is a high workability mix, for which a slump test is not
appropriate.
 Shear Slump – The shear slump indicates that the result is incomplete, and concrete to be
retested.
Compaction Factor Test for Concrete Workability
Compaction factor test is the workability test for concrete conducted in laboratory. The
compaction factor is the ratio of weights of partially compacted to fully compacted concrete. It
was developed by Road Research Laboratory in United Kingdom and is used to determine the
workability of concrete. The compaction factor test is used for concrete which have low
workability for which slump test is not suitable.

Apparatus
Compaction factor apparatus consists of trowels, hand scoop (15.2 cm long), a rod of steel or
other suitable material (1.6 cm diameter, 61 cm long rounded at one end ) and a balance.

Sampling
Concrete mix is prepared as per mix design in the laboratory.

Procedure of Compaction Factor Test on Concrete

1. Place the concrete sample gently in the upper hopper to its brim using the hand scoop and
level it.
2. Cover the cylinder.
3. Open the trapdoor at the bottom of the upper hopper so that concrete fall into the lower
hopper. Push the concrete sticking on its sides gently with the road.
4. Open the trapdoor of the lower hopper and allow the concrete to fall into the cylinder
below.
5. Cut of the excess of concrete above the top level of cylinder using trowels and level it.
6. Clean the outside of the cylinder.
 7. Weight the cylinder with concrete to the nearest 10 g. This weight is known as the weight
of partially compacted concrete (W1).
8. Empty the cylinder and then refill it with the same concrete mix in layers approximately 5
cm deep, each layer being heavily rammed to obtain full compaction.
9. Level the top surface.
10. Weigh the cylinder with fully compacted. This weight is known as the weight of fully
compacted concrete (W2).
11. Find the weight of empty cylinder (W).
Note: The test is sufficiently sensitive to enable difference in workability arising from the initial
process in the hydration of cement to be measured. Each test, therefore should be carried out at a
constant time interval after the mixing is completed, if strictly comparable results are to be
obtained. Convenient time for releasing the concrete from the upper hopper has been found to be
two minutes after the completion of mixing.

Calculation of Compaction Factor Value

The compaction factor is defined as the ratio of the weight of partially compacted concrete to the
weight of fully compacted concrete. It shall normally to be stated to the nearest second decimal
place.

Compaction Factor Value= (W1-W) / (W2-W)Twitter Blue Subscription Service Launches

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Result of Compaction Factor

Compaction factor of the concrete = The Compaction factor values ranges from 0.7 to 0.95.