SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

LABORATORY 6

COURSE HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE ECG344

LEVEL OF OPENNESS 0

CATEGORY TRADITIONAL

DEGREE OF OPEN-ENDED (%) 0

PERIOD OF ACTIVITY 1 WEEK

TITLE LA ABRASION TEST

Introduction
Level 0 or known as a traditional method of conducting laboratory activities will
not be able to provide the avenue for students to enhance independent learning
activities and inculcate creativity and innovation. The traditional method is fully
prescriptive where the three elements namely problem, ways & means and
answers are guided/fully given to the students. However, it is still necessary to
be implemented as part of the whole laboratory course activity especially to first
and second year students.

In these laboratory activities, students are required to set-up an aggregate tests

in order to evaluate the strength (toughness and durability) characteristic of
aggregate. Students are encouraged to develop their critical analysis skills by
analyzing and presenting the experimental results appropriately.

Objectives

PREAMBLE I. To determine LA abrasion value of aggregate.

II. To determine the suitability of aggregate use for road construction.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the laboratory activities, students would be able to:
1. Identify the aggregate impact value (strength value of aggregate)
of road stone
2. Analyze the data correctly and present in typical format
3. Work in a group to produce a technical report

Theoretical Background
Aggregates play an important role in the design and construction of highway
and air-field pavements. They are also major part of rigid (concrete) and flexible
(asphalt) pavements. The aggregate used in the pavement are subjected to
wearing due to movement of traffic. Aggregates used in road construction
should be strong enough to resist crushing and abrasion action under traffic
wheel loads. This applies in particular to aggregate present in wearing courses

©UiTM OCT 2021

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
LABORATORY 6

and surface treatment. If the aggregate is weak, the stability of pavement

structure is likely to be adversely affected.
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 to causes impact on aggregate. The test will give a
measure of aggregates hardness, as specified and required for use in both road
and highway pavement construction projects.

Problem Statement
Pavement structure comprises of several layers, surfacing, base, sub-base and
sub-grade. The most important layer which has direct contact with traffic is
PROBLEM surfacing layer. The surfacing layer consists of aggregate and binder. The
(Guided) aggregates must possess adequate strength and durability to withstand moving
and static load. Soft aggregates will be quickly ground to dust while harder
aggregates have higher resistance to abrasion and grinding effects. Laboratory
tests are carried out to determine the characteristic of such aggregates.
WAYS & MEANS
(Guided)
Apparatus
i. Los Angeles Abrasion Machine
ii. Steel balls (spheres)
iii. Sieve shaker
iv. Sieves sizes of 25 mm, 20 mm, 14 mm, 10 mm, 1.7 mm and pan
v. Metal trays
vi. Scoops
vii. Electronic balance of accuracy to 0.01g
viii. Laboratory oven
ix. Fine haired brush (3 mm)

Procedures
i. Approximately 5000g of aggregates including 2500 ± 10g of 20 to 14mm,
and 2500 ± 10g of 14 to 10mm sizes are used.
(Note : this is for aggregates graded mainly between 20mm and 10mm
sizes).
ii. Prepare the aggregates sample in such ways that the aggregates is first
washed, followed by dried and weighted.
iii. Place the aggregates sample in the LA Abrasion machine.
iv. Add eleven (11) steel balls in the machine.
v. Rotate the drum for 500 revolutions at a speed of 30 to 33 rpm.

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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
LABORATORY 6

vi. After the drum has stopped for the prescribed number of revolutions, the
sample is removed and the aggregate portion is sieved using sieve of size
1.70mm (No. 12).
vii. The sample that is retained on the sieve is washed and then dried in the
laboratory oven at temperature of between 105 and 110OC for twenty four
hours.
viii. After a-day oven-dry heating at 105 to 110OC to obtain constant weight, the
aggregate sample is taken out from the oven and it is cooled in the lab
atmosphere. Then, weigh the sample immediately to the nearest 1g (MS
30: Part 11: 1995).
Table 1: Grading of test samples (ASTM, 1994)

Table 2: Grading and mass of charge

The difference between the original weight and the final weight of the test
sample is expressed as a percentage of the original weight of the test sample.
This value is reported as the percentage of wear.
RESULTS
(Open) Aggregate Abrasion Value = ((A-B)/A) X 100
where,
A = weight in g of oven-dried sample.

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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
LABORATORY 6

B = weight in g of fraction retained on 1.70 mm Sieves after washing and oven-

dried up to constant weight.

The group will be required to prepare the technical report of the laboratory study
highlighting the procedures adopted, data acquisition process/analysis carried
out and the relevancy of the parameters obtained to address the problem given.
A technical report should be submitted one (1) week after the laboratory test
with the relevant results, analyses and application to civil engineering projects.

The report must be submitted 7 days after the completion of the test.

©UiTM OCT 2021