AUTHOR: GODFREY MOENG MONYAKENG

DEPARTMENT: MINING AND GEOLOGICAL

COURSE: MINING ENGINEERING

YEAR: 3

ST ID: 17000196

LECTURER: DR.YENDAW

REPORT TITLE: LOS-ANGELES ABRASION TEST

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................... 3
2.INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 4
2.1. Aggregate Degradation .................................................................................................................. 4
2.2Methods used to determine the Aggregate Degradation .................................................................. 4
2.3 Los-Angeles Abrasion test .............................................................................................................. 4
3.PROCEDURE .................................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Apparatus ........................................................................................................................................ 7
3.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 7
4.RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Sample Calculations.............................................................................................................................. 8
5.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 9
6.REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 10

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1.ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out with the aim of finding the hardness property in terms of Abrasion
Resistance of an aggregate. This experiment was accomplished using the Los-Angeles Abrasion
Test method. After the experiment was carried out it was found that the abrasion resistance of the
material which was test was found to be 13.44% implying that the material was basaltic in nature.

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2.INTRODUCTION
2.1. Aggregate Degradation
Aggregates are substances that are mostly used as construction materials in roads and pavements.
Due to the frequent use of these constructions, it is important to know their degradation behavior.
(Tugrul, 2018) says that the use of determining their degradation behavior is to be able to determine
how long the constructions will last, when they will need a maintenance and how best to utilize
aggregates.

‘’The Los Angeles (LA) abrasion method is commonly used for determining the abrasion
characteristics and classification of the granular materials used in road and pavement
construction’’ (Mohajeran, 2017). ‘’The abrasion resistance of materials can significantly affect
the service life of road pavements when exposed to long-term dynamic traffic loads’’ (Mohajeran,
2017).

‘’Aggregates to be used in the concrete manufacture or in places where concrete is to be subjected

to abrasion should be resistant to abrasion’’ (Tugrul, 2018). ‘’Since aggregate forms a large part
of the concrete volume, it is planned to produce concrete resistant to external effects by using an
aggregate type with high abrasion strength’’ (Tugrul, 2018). ‘’An aggregate should generally be
hard, durable, uniform and clean, as well as highly abrasion-resistant’’ (Teymen, 2019).

2.2Methods used to determine the Aggregate Degradation

The following are the two methods used to determine the Aggregate abrasion value of aggregates
as stated by (Eduardi, 2017):

• Los Angeles Abrasion test

• Micro Deval test

2.3 Los-Angeles Abrasion test

‘’ The LA abrasion test is a standard method for measuring the abrasion resistance of unbound
granular materials’’ (Mohajeran, 2017). Abrasion test is carried out to test the hardness property
of aggregates (Tugrul, 2018). The principle of Los Angeles abrasion test is to find the percentage
wear due to relative rubbing action between the aggregate and steel balls used as abrasive charge
(Eduardi, 2017).

(Eduardi, 2017) says that the test sample shall consist of clean aggregate which has been dried in
an oven at 105 to 110°C to substantially constant weight and shall conform to one of the gradings
shown in Table 1. The grading or gradings used shall be those most nearly representing the
aggregate furnished for the work (Eduardi, 2017). The test sample and the abrasive charge shall
be placed in the Los Angeles abrasion testing machine and the machine rotated at a speed of 20 to
33 rev/min. For gradings A, B, C and D, the machine shall be rotated for 500 revolutions; for
gradings E, F and G, it shall be rotated for 1000 revolutions (Eduardi, 2017)

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The machine shall be so driven and so counter-balanced as to maintain a substantially uniform
peripheral speed (Eduardi, 2017). If an angle is used as the shelf, the machine shall be rotated in
such a direction that the charge is caught on outside surface of the angle (Eduardi, 2017). At the
completion of the test, the material shall be discharged from the machine and a preliminary
separation of the sample made on a sieve coarser than the l.70 mm IS Sieve (Eduardi, 2017). The
material coarser than the 1.70 mm IS Sieve shall be washed dried in an oven at 105 to 110°C to a
substantially constant weight, and accurately weighed to the nearest gram (Eduardi, 2017).

Table2.1.0 Collected from (Mohajeran, 2017)

Sieve size Weight of test sample for grade(g)

Passing(mm) Retained(mm) A B C D E F G
80 63 2500
63 50 2500
50 40 5000 5000
40 25 1250 5000 5000
25 20 1250 5000 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

Table2.1.1 Collected from (Mohajeran, 2017)

Number of Weight of charge in
Grading spheres grams
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

𝐴−𝐵
𝐴𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 = ( ) 𝑋 100
𝐴
‘’ A low LAV indicates that the material has high abrasion resistance. Conversely, a high LAV
indicates that the material has low abrasion resistance ‘’ (Mohajeran, 2017).‘’Larger the LAA

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value, softer will be the aggregate. Smaller the value, harder will be the aggregate’’ (Mohajeran,
2017).
The following is the table indicating the Abrasion degradation values of various types of rocks:
Table2.1.2 collected from (Mohajeran, 2017)
Aggregate type Los Angeles Abrasion value (%)
Basalt 10-17
Dolomite 18-30
Gneiss 33-57
Granite 27-49
Limestone 19-30
Quartzite 20-35

(Mohajeran, 2017) says that factors affecting the Los Angeles Abrasion value are the grainsize
and shape of the minerals, the nature and strength of the interlock between the mineral grains and
the degree of weathering of the rock

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3.PROCEDURE
3.1 Apparatus
-Los Angeles Abrasion Machine

-Balance (accuracy up to 1g)

-Steel spherical ball (abrasive charges)

-Test sieves (1.7, 4.75, 6.3, 10, 12.5, 25, 40, 50, 63, 80mm)

3.2 Methodology
The sample preparation involved passing the aggregate on sieve sizes of 6.3mm and 4.75mm such
that both retained a particular mass of the Aggregate. The reason for choosing those sieve sizes
was to maintain the chosen grade which is grade C of which the test for grade C requires samples
of sieve size already mentioned.

After attaining the masses on the sieves, they were taken to the mass balance for weighing to obtain
their masses. It was made sure that only a representative mass of 2500kg of the samples from each
sieve was obtained.

The next step of the experiment involved the preparation of the steel balls. The chosen grade class
for the experiment (which was class C) required that the number of the spherical steel balls used
to be 8. Eight spherical steel balls were chosen and taken for weighing at the mass balance. The
required weight of the steel balls was to be 3300+- 20 for class grade C but the actual mass which
was obtainable was 3216g.

The 2500kg of the samples obtained from the both 6.3mm and 4.5 mm sieves was taken to the
Los-Angeles Abrasion machine. The 8 spherical steel balls were then dropped into the machine
and the lid entry was closed and sealed. The machine was turned on, operable, and started to rotate
around its longitudinal axis at 30-30rev/minute.

The machine had a counter which allowed the user to input the number of revolutions desired. The
input was 500 revolutions as required by the test . After the 500 revolutions were complete, the
contents inside the Los-Angeles Abrasion machine were collected at the bottom.

The material was taken for further sieving through a sieve size of 1.70mm and then washed with
water. After washing with water it was taken for oven drying at about 110 degrees Celsius.

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4.RESULTS
The following are the results obtained from the Grade class (C) of the Abrasion test
Table4.0.

Initial mass of sample before (abrasion test) Mass of oven dried sample(after abrasion test)
5000g 4327.82g

Sample Calculations
Abrasion degradation value

𝐴−𝐵
𝐴𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 = ( 𝑋100)
𝐴
A=Mass of original sample

A=5000g

B=Mass of sample after Abrasion

B=4327.82g

5000𝑔 − 4327.82𝑔
𝐴𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 = ( 𝑋100)
5000𝑔

Hence Abrasion wear ratio= 13.44%

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5.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The results indicate that the Abrasion degradation of the material/ the aggregate was 13.44%.
Meaning that this material had a tendency to lose only 13.44% of its original mass.
The abrasion degradation value of the material of 13.44 simply implies that according to the
Degradation table of rock types, the material is basaltic in nature since the Basalt material has an
abrasion degradation value ranging between 10-17 % as shown in the table below:
Table5.0 collected from (Mohajeran, 2017)
Aggregate type Los Angeles Abrasion value(%)
Basalt 10-17
Dolomite 18-30
Gneiss 33-57
Granite 27-49
Limestone 19-30
Quartzite 20-35

The material used in the experiment which was now found to be basaltic in nature also implies that
this material has a very low abrasion degradation value. This means that the material has very high
resistance to agents that bring about weathering.

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6.REFERENCES
Eduardi, 2017. Research gate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?type=researcher&query=Los-
Angeles%20Abrasion%20test

Mohajeran, A., 2017. A new practical method for determining the LA abrasion value for aggregates.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038080617301154
[Accessed 16 July 2020].

Teymen, P. A., 2019. Estimation of Los Angeles abrasion resistance of igneous rocks from mechanical
aggregate properties. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319111075_Estimation_of_Los_Angeles_abrasion_resistanc
e_of_igneous_rocks_from_mechanical_aggregate_properties
[Accessed July 2020].

Tugrul, E., 2018. Determination of Los Angeles Abrasion Loss of the Basalt Aggregate Type of Elazığ
Province. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329514728_Determination_of_Los_Angeles_Abrasion_Loss_
of_the_Basalt_Aggregate_Type_of_Elazig_Province
[Accessed July 2020].

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