of the International Association of ENGINEERING GEOLOGY N ~ 30 PARIS 1984 /

BULLETIN de I'Assocation Internationalede GI~OLOGIEDE L'INGI~NIEUR J

THE INFLUENCE OF THE SHAPE OF THE COARSE AGGREGATE ON S O M E H Y D R A U L I C C O N C R E -

TE PROPERTIES

INFLUENCE DE LA FORME DES G R A V I L L O N S SUR LES PROPRIETES DES BETONS HYDRAU-

LIQUES.

FRAZAO E~B. & SBRIGHI NETO C. *

Abstract

Diabase coarse aggregates with different shape indexes were used in hydraulic concrete prepared with various mix proportions
of cement : aggregates. Constant workability for all the mixtures was maintained. Compressive and tensile strength tests were
performed on concrete specimens cured for 28 days.
The experimental data ailow establishment of the relevant influence of the shape of the coarse aggregates on compressive
strength, on cement consumption and on the water/cement ratio values of concrete. The precise influence of the shape of the
coarse aggregates was not determined on the tensile strength values of concrete.

R6sum6

Des gravillons de diabase {dol6ritc) de diff4rentes formes ont 6t6 utilis6s dans des bdtons exp4rimentaux dans lesquels on a
fait varier les proportions ciment-granulats, en maintenant constante la maniabilit6, kes r6sistances & la compression et & la
traction ont 6td mesur6es dans des 4chantillons h 28 jours. Les donnfes exp6rimentaies ont permis d'6tablir une influence
importante de la forme des graviiIons sur la r6sistance & ta compression, la consommation de ciment et le rapport eau-ciment
du b4ton. I1 n'a pas 6t6 observ6 d'influence significative sur la r6sistance & la traction du b6ton.

1. I n t r o d u c t i o n 2. C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e m a t e r i a l s

Several authors have pointed out the influence of the shape
of coarse aggregate on important hydraulic concrete proper-
ties. The shape affects workability, internal friction angle,
compaction and, therefore, all the properties depending on
the amount o f water required for concrete preparation
(Souza Coutinho, 1973). Mechanical properties and econo-
mic factors are also extensively affected. Important amounts
o f flaky and elongated particles in coarse aggregate require
a large consumption of cement, sand and water in concrete
preparation. (Bureau of reclamation, 1975). Allen (1948),
describes low compaction, poor surface finishing, structural
weakness and large cement consumption as caused by a
large amount of flaky particles. Kaplan (1959) found some
influence of shape index and angularity of coarse aggregate
on flexural and compressive strength of concrete ; this
influence is more important on high strength concretes
(Kaplan, 1959 ; Neville, 1981). Yoshida, Fraz~o and Giroldo
(1972), found good correlation between high cubicity and
high resistance for basalt aggregates samples submitted to
Los Angeles and crushing tests.
There is, however, relatively little work concerning the
quantification of the influence of the coarse aggregate
shape on concrete properties.
This paper describes an experimental investigation into the
influence of the shape of diabase crushed stone on some
hydraulic concrete properties.
2.1. Coarse aggregate
The coarse aggregate employed is a basaltic rock from a
quarry in Paulinia, S~o Paulo State, Brazil. Petrographically,
it is a medium grained, olivine-diabase, composed of plagio-
clase (andesine), pyroxene (augite) and fayalitie olivine ;
quartz and alkali-plagioclase, in grartophyric intergrowth,
and opaques occur as accessory minerals ;carbonates and
phyllosilieates occur as secondary minerals.
2.2. Fine aggregate
The free aggregate employed is a natural sand, with a predo-
minance of quartz gains ; feldspar and mica occur seconda-
rily. The morphology of the grains is in general sub-spheri-
cal and sub-rounded. Other properties of the sand, as deter-
mined according ASTM (1982) are : modulus of fineness
= 2.38 ; specific gravity = 2.630 kg/m a ;clay lumps= 0.4 % ;
materials finer than 75 ~m = 1.5 % and organic impurities
< 300 ppm.
2.3. Cement
The cement employed has the physical and chemical charac-
teristics prescribed for type I cement by ASTM (1982a).
Its specific gravity is 3.140 kg/m 3 and its "Blaine" specific
surface is 3.170 mZ/g.
3. C h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f c o a r s e a g g r e g a t e s h a p e

* Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas do Estado de SffoPaulo - IPT The shape o f the coarse aggregate was evaluated by the
- C.P. 7141, S~o Paulo, S.P. Brazil. method DPT M-86/69 standardized by the National Road
 222

Department (Brazil) - DNER. The procedure consists of cement : coarse aggregate : fine aggregate, as follows :
submitting the aggregate to sieving in a series of sieves of 1:1.30:2.70 (1:4) : 1:1.76:3.24 (1:5) ; 1:2.22:3.78 (i :6) and
square-mesh woven wire cloth and then in a series of 1:2.68:4.32 (1:7). The coarse aggregate used had the same
round-hole plate screens. Afterwards, the aggregate must shape index above mentioned.
pass through two thickness gauges of I/2 (type I) and 1/3 For each mixed proportion adopted, constant workability
(type II) of each round-hole plate screen opening specified. and cement consumption were maintained. The workability
The shape index is calculated as follows : was evaluated by the "slump test", maintaining the slump
f = PI + 1/2 P2 at about 60 -+ 10 ram. Compressive and splitting strength,
100. n as determined according to ASTM (1982b) were carried
on concrete speciments cured for 28 days.
where : f = shape index ; P1 = sum of the percentage weight
of the particles higher than thickness gauge type I opening ;
P2 = sum of the percentage weight of particles higher than 7. R e s u l t s
thickness gauge type II opening and n = number of aggre-
gate size fractions tested. The shape index varies from 0 to 7.1. Results of the tests on coarse aggregate
1 ; f = 0 means that the totality of the aggregate is flaky
and f = 1 means that the totality of the aggregate is cubic. Table 2 shows the results o f Los Angeles abrasion and
crushing tests. The abrasion loss shows variation from
24 % to 16 %, as the shape index f values vary from 0.30
4. P r e p a r a t i o n o f the test samples to 0.97. The crushing loss shows variation from 23 % to
14 % for the same variation o f f values.
The aggregate was sieved in a series of square-mesh woven
wire cloth with 25 mm, 19 mm, 12.5 mm, 9.5 mm and
4.76 mm openings (ASTM, 1982b). The particles retained Tab. 2 : Results of Los Angeles abrasion and crushing tests
were then sieved in roundhole plate screens which openings on coarse aggregate samples havingdifferent
were similar to the openings of the sieves first used and, shape indexes
also, in thickness gauges type I and II. The material retained
by thickness gauge type I was considered cubic and the Los Angeles
material passing by thickness gauge type II was considered Shape Cubic : flaky abrasion tests, Crushingtests,
flaky. The material with size between thickness gauges indexes relation (%) loss (%) loss (%)
types I and II was discarded.
The coarse aggregate was mixed in percentages as follows : 0.30 100 ! 24 23
100% flaky ;66.7% flaky :33,3% cubic ;50% flaky : 50%
0.52 33.3:66.7 22 19
cubic ;33.3 % flaky : 6 6 . 7 % cubic ; a n d 100% cubic. The
values of calculated shape index are as follows : f = 0.30 ; 0.75 66.7:33.3 20 15
f = 0.52 ; f = 0.75 and f = 0.97, respectively.
Table 1 shows the grain size distribution adopted for the 0.97 100 16 14
aggregate in concrete preparation. /~ (%)

Tab. 1 : Screensused and amount of coarse aggregate A= higher-lower percent values

prepared for the tests
7.2. Results of the tests on concrete
Round-hole plate Thickness gages Amount of
screens opening (ram) opening (nun) material prepared Table 3 shows the results of compressive and tensile strength
Passing Retained Gage I Gage II kg % tests performed on concrete specimens. Fig. 1 and 2 show
the distribution of compressive and tensile tests values, res-
25.0 19.0 12.5 8.0 90 15 pectively, as a function of m i x proportion values for diffe-
rent shape indexes of coarse aggregate. The results of com-
19.0 12.5 9.5 6.3 240 40
12.5 9.5 6.3 4.2 240 40 Tab. 3 : Results of compressive (ac28) and tensile (ot28)
strength tests on concrete samples with coarse
9.5 4.8 4.8 3.2 30 5 aggregate having different shape indexes

Mix proportions
5. M e c h a n i c a l tests o n coarse aggregate Shapes 1:4 1:5 1:6 1:7
indexes
The mechanical tests on coarse aggregate were performed ~rc28 crt28 crc28 at28 crc28 at28 ac28 at28
aiming at a previous evaluation of the influence of the
shape index on the concrete properties. This aggregate 0.30 45 3.8 36 3.4 27 2.7 15 1.8
was submited to Los Angeles abrasion (ASTM, 1982b)
and crushing tests (BSI, 1967). 0.52 49 4.1 37 3.4 29 2.5 18 1.8

0.75 50 4.0 40 3.4 28 2.4 18 2.0

6. M e c h a n i c a l tests o n c o n c r e t e
0.97 52 4.0 40 3.1 34 2.6 22 ] 2.3
Concrete cylindrical specimens (15 cm diameter x 30 cm
length) were prepared with different mix proportions of Note : ac28 and crt28 in MPa.
 223

"~ 60,0 ~ o. 5,0~

;E It

5 4,5-
50,0 -
K3 4,0

\ 3)5
40,0- \

Q
3,0-

30,0
\\
i
2,52

20,0-
0 - f:O,30
,%-,,.. 0 - f=O)30
[] - f:0.52 2,0 t [~ + f:0,52
1,5
a - f =0.75 A - f:0,75

@ . f:0,97 Q - f:0,97
10,0 T --
~ ,-~ ~':~ 1,0
1:3 1:4 1:5 1:3 ~!4 ~:~ ):s (:7 1 ':8
miz proportions
rnlr proporhon~)

Fig. 1 : Compressive strength values for concrete cured for 28 Fig. 2 : Splitting tensile strength values for concrete cured for 28
days (Oc28) as a function of various mix proportions for days (ot28) as a function of various mix proportions for
different coarse aggregate shape indexes. different coarse aggregate shape indexes.

pressive tests show that the higher the cubicity of the coarse
aggregate. The results of compressive tests show that the
higher the cubicity of the coarse aggregate the higher the
compressive strength of concrete. The results of tensile
tests, however, show no significant influence of the shape
index on tensile strength.
Table 4 shows the data concerning the amount of cement
necessary to gain 1 MPa in compressive strength, according
to the shape index and mix proportion variations. The
r values represent the relation between the amount
of cement per cubic metre of concrete and the medium
value of compressive strength for each mix proportion and
shape index. If one considers the 1:4 mix proportion, e.g.,
as the f values vary from 0.30 to 0.97, the r values
vary from 0.30 to 0.97, the r values vary from 0.99
to 0.88 respectively. This represents a reduction of 12 %
in the amount of cement necessary to reach the same corn-
Tab. 4: Cement consumption needed to gain 1 MPa
of compressive strength on concrete with coarse
aggregate havingdifferent shape indexes.
Water/cement ratio (w/c) necessaryto obtain
constant workability
Mix proportions
Shape 1:4 1:5
indexes
r w/c acr w/c ocr
ac28
0.30 0.99 0.43 1.00 0.51 1.14 0.58 1.76 0.74
0.52 0.93 0.41 1.00 0.50 l.lO 0.58 1.52 0.71
0.75 0.91 0.39 0.93 0.46 1.11 0.53 1.49 0.69
0.97 0.88 0.38 0.92 0.45 0.94 0.54 1.24 0.64
pressive strength. In the 1:7 mix proportion, for example,
considering the f values variation from 0.30 to 0.97 corres-
ponds to r values from 1.86 to 1.24, respectively. This
represents a reduction of 42 % in the amount of cement
necessary to reach the same compressive strength. These
data show that the use of cubic aggregate implies a reduc-
tion of up to 40 kg of cement per cubic metre of concrete
to obtain the same compressive strength. Table 4 shows
also the water/cement ratio values for different shape
indexes and mix proportions of concrete. It is noted that
for any mix proportion, the water/cement ratio is reduced
if the f values vary from 0.30 to 0.97. This means that the
higher the cubicity the better will be the mechanical pro-
perties and concrete durability.
8. C o n c l u s i o n s
According to the conditions established in this investigation
it can be concluded that :
- For a similar workability value, the higher the cubicity
of coarse aggregate the higher the compressive strength
values of concrete.
- For a similar workability value, the shape indexes of
coarse aggregate were not properly correlated with
tensile strength of concrete.
- For the same range of compressive strength values, the
1:6 1:7 high cubicity of coarse aggregate leads to a reduction of
up to 40 kg of cement per cubic metre of concrete.
r
w/c crc28 w/c - For concretes with high compressive strength values
( > 30 MPa), the high cubicity of coarse aggregate pro-
motes higher gain in strength for the same cement con-
sumption.
- For the same workability value, the high cubicity implies
a lower water/cement ratio and thus allows higher me-
chanical strength values to be obtained as well as higher
durability of concrete.

*r 12 - 9 - 21 - 42 --

* Differential of r due to the shape indexes influence.

 224
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