DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING LABORATORY
(CETB 411)

Los Angeles Abrasion Test

SECTION : 01
LECTURER : MR. MOHD ZAKWAN BIN RAMLI
DATE OF SUBMISSION :
GROUP MEMBERS :
NO NAME STUDENT ID
1 AIMAN BIN NORDIN CE097897
2 MOHD SAUFI BIN ALI CE097988
3 MUHAMAD SHAHIZAN BIN MASRON CE097990
4 KHO JIA YANG CE097615
5 LIM HUI YIN CE096354

MARKING SCHEME:
LABORATORY REPORT (P09 Psychomotor level 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)
Scale 1 2 3 4 5
a. Appearance,
formatting and
grammar/spelling
b. Introduction and
objective
c. Procedure
d. Results: data,
figures, graphs,
tables, etc.
e. Discussion
f. Conclusions
TOTAL
ABSTRACT:

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
reamed 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.

INTRODUCTION:

The Los Angeles test is a common test method to indicate aggregate toughness and
abrasion characteristics from a combination of action including abrasion and grinding resulting
in a rotating steel drum containing a specified number of steel balls. The number of steel balls
depend on the amount and grading of test sample. As the drum rotated, a self-plate picks up
the sample and the steel balls, carrying them until they are dropped to the opposite site of the
drum creating an impact-crushing effect. The contents then was rolled within the drum with an
abrading and grinding action until the self-plate impacts and the cycle is repeated. After the
prescribed number of revolutions, the contents are removed from the drum and the aggregate
portion is sieved to measure the degradation as percent loss.

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this experiment is to ascertain the degradation of aggregates by abrasion and
impact.
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS:

1. Los Angeles Abrasion Machine

2. Tray
3. Sieves (25mm, 20mm, 14mm, 10mm, 1.7mm and pan)
4. Sieves shaker
5. Balance
6. Fine haired brush (3mm)
7. Steel balls
8. Aggregates

PROCEDURES:

1. Approximately 5000g of aggregates including 2500g of 20mm to 14mm sizes, and 2500g
of 14mm to 10mm sizes are used in this test. The sample is then weighted.
2. After weighted, the sample is placed in the Los Angeles Abrasion Machine.
3. The eleven steel balls are added in the machine.
4. The drum is rotated for 500 revolutions at 30 to 33 rpm.
5. After the drum stopped, the sample is removed from the drum and is sieved on No.12 sieve
(1.7mm). The sample that is retained on the sieve is then weighted.

RESULTS:

Aggregate Weight of sample (g) Weight of sample (g) Loss Percent

size before after (g) wear
(mm) %

20 14 2500 400 2100 84

14 - 10 2500 825 1675 67
CALCULATION:

Percent wear (%) = 100

2100
Percent wear for 20 14 mm = 2500 100

= 84%

1675
Percent wear for 14 10 mm = 100
2500

= 67%

DISCUSSION:

1. As we already know from the explanation, the optimum percentage wear is 30 to 40

%. From the result we can see that the percent wear for both size exceeded the
maximum allowable percentage wear for that aggregate. This shows us that this
sample is not very safe to be used in the construction or structures that need to support
huge amount of loading.
2. The result shows us that this sample cannot withstand compaction and impact
imposed on them as they crushed and only a little of the sample remains in its original
sizes after being rotated in the drum for 500 rotations with 30-33 rpm.
3. Quality of the aggregates can be determined from the test that already been conducted
in the lab. As a person in charge at the construction site that need to control the
quality of aggregates for constructions, we can request for the Los Angeles Abrasion
test result that will show us the quality of the material either it meets our required
strength or not.

CONCLUSION:

From the result obtained we can conclude that this sample cannot resist large amount of
impact and force. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that this batch of aggregates is
not in the optimal range of Los Angeles Abrasion Test.
REFERENCES:

1. Open Ended Lab Manual for CETB 411 for Highway and Transportation Engineering
Laboratory.
2. https://theconstructor.org/building/building-material/determination-of-los-angeles-
abrasion-value/1361/
3. http://www.aboutcivil.org/to-perform-los-angeles-abrasion-test.html
4. http://www.pavementinteractive.org/los-angeles-abrasion/
APPENDICES:

2. Condition of aggregates sample 1. Condition of aggregates sample

Commented [MS1]:
before tested in the drum. after tested in the drum.

3. Condition of aggregates sample

after tested in the drum.