LABORATORY EXERCISE NO.

5
SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND
ABSORPTION

Submitted by:
DELSOCORA, ANGEL P.
BSCE – 2B

Submitted to:
ENGR. GILDA D.
BORBON
Instructor

Group Members:
ANGGOLING, FAHAD O.
CASTILLO, MARIEL U.
DENOSTA, CLARK JAMES A.
DORDAS, KARREN GRACE I.
QUISTADIO, JORENN HANS P.
VILLAREAL, MICHELLE O.
 Experiment No. 5: SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND ABSORPTION

I. Introduction
Discussion:
Basically, specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of material to
the weight of an equal volume of water. However, there are several variations on this
definition depending upon the material and the purposes for which the value of specific
gravity are to be use. In concrete work, the term specific gravity customary refers to the
density of the individual particles, not to the aggregated mass as a whole. The most common
definition of specific gravity in concrete aggregate is based upon the bulk volume of the
individual aggregate in saturated surface dry condition (SSD). The bulk (oven-dry) specific
gravity and the apparent specific gravity are use to a lesser degree. Solid unit weight in
pounds per cubic foot (pcf) of an aggregate is customarily defined as the specific gravity
times 62.4 pcf.
The absorption capacity is determined by finding the weight of an aggregate under
SSD condition and oven-dry condition. The difference of weights expressed as a percentage
of the oven-dry sample weight is the absorption capacity. Coarse aggregate are considered to
be saturated surface-dry when they have wiped free of visible moisture films with cloth after
the aggregates have been soaked in a water for a long period of time (over 24 hours). The
saturated dry condition of fine aggregate is usually taken as that at which a previously wet
sample just became free-flowing.

Objective:
Test method covers the determination of the specific gravity and absorption of coarse
aggregate.

Referenced Documents:
ASTM (C 127, C 136, C 70, C 702), AASHTOT85

Apparatus:
1. Balance, sensitive to 0.01lb or gram
2. Wire mesh basket
3. Drying oven
4. 3/8" sieve
5. Water tank
 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TESTING LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DATA SHEET

COARSE AGGREGATE

ITEM WEIGHT

SSD Weight in Air (B) 3520g

Weight in Water (C) 1550g

Oven Dry Weight (A) 3050g

COMPUTATION:

A
1. BULK SPECIFIC GRAVITY (DRY) =
B−C
3050 g
= 3520 g−1550 g
=1.5482

B
2. BULK SPECIFIC GRAVITY (SSD) =
B−C
3520 g
= 3520 g−1550 g
=1.7868

A
3. APPARENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY =
A−C
3050 g
= 3050 g−1550 g
=2.0333
 B−A
4. ABSORPTION = × 100
A
3520 g−3050 g
= 3050 g
×100=15.4098