One of the most important & inclusive materials used in construction is concrete. Well, that’s quite a straightforward fact. But, there is a component in concrete that makes the concrete itself significant.
Popularly known as aggregate. Concrete is a compound composed of cement, aggregate, and water. Generally classified as two different types, coarse & fine. Aggregate is commonly used as an inert filler. It comprises 60 to 80% of the volume and 70 to 85% of the weight of concrete.
By now, you have got the basic idea around aggregate, but what exact qualities make an aggregate influential?
Importance of aggregate in concrete?
Foremost, the impact of aggregate on various qualities and properties of concrete is undeniably significant. Workability, resilience, strength, weight, and contraction are all characteristics of concrete.
An aggregate gives the concrete body, and volume/mass minimizes shrinkage and aids in cost-cutting.
Apart from being essential ingredients in the production of concrete, mortar, and other building materials, they are prominently used in the construction and maintenance of buildings such as highways, sidewalks, parking lots, airport runways, and railways.
For economic reasons, the construction industry first saw aggregates as filler throughout the cement paste. Because aggregate is less expensive than cement, using such a large volume of aggregate in concrete is cost-effective.
However, the economy is not the sole reason to use aggregate. It is utilized all around the world because of its increased volume stability and durability over hydrated cement paste alone.
At the same time, most construction projects require a comprehensive evaluation of the aggregates’ source. That includes its type and size, as well as the material properties of the aggregates required at various phases of the construction process, during the design phase.
Qualities & properties of Aggregate in concrete & construction
The most important feature that you must know about aggregate is the shape and content ratio.
These are a few things that you must consider when using aggregate in concrete for construction:
1. When selecting aggregates, it is necessary to examine their shape. Round aggregates will require more cement paste than rough-textured and sharp aggregates.
2. Sharp aggregate is also more difficult to pump, so be sure it meets your requirements. They may jam and obstruct the voids during pouring or pumping if they are excessively lengthy. You should prefer aggregates that are spherical.
3. The importance of sand in concrete cannot be overstated. Although the stone will provide strength, sand also serves a crucial function — it is workable. It is critical to be able to shape your concrete to meet the needs of your customers. As a result, one may trip over sand.
4. Over sanding is also used when pumping concrete to improve flow and when pounding concrete to add fine detail.
Aggregates used for concrete should possess the following qualities
- It should be clean, firm, robust, and lasting, as well as free of anything that could impair the quality of the concrete.
- It must be free of veins, adhering covering, harmful amounts of disintegrating particles, alkali, and other potentially harmful chemicals.
- Flaky, coriaceous (cinders, slag), and extended fragments should also be avoided whenever feasible.
Tested aggregate always results in good quality concrete
Before performing a test on aggregates to find out whether they are fit to be used in concrete & for construction or not.
We need to understand the classification of aggregates. Fine aggregates and coarse aggregates are aggregate size classifications. Natural aggregates and manufactured aggregates are aggregate classifications based on their formation nature.
Well, talking about these classifications in detail is a task for some other time. Coming back to our topic of aggregate testing.
Keep in mind that correctly tested aggregates always result in superior concrete quality. The use of concrete is increasing every day, which raises aggregate demand.
Concrete experts conduct research on concrete and design novel artificial aggregates to fulfill the needs of the construction sectors.
People are gravitating toward green building trends, in which artificial aggregates play an important part in making concrete sustainable.
Hindustan Infrastructure Solution is an organization that strives toward environmental sustainability with the assistance of our highly skilled R & D staff.
As aforementioned, the aggregates, strength, toughness, hardness, form, and water absorption of aggregates should be examined.
Checkout, the list of tests you can carry out on aggregates-
- Soundness Test on Aggregate
- Shape Test on Aggregate
- Specific Gravity and Water Absorption Test on Aggregate
- Bitumen Adhesion Test on Aggregate
- Crushing Test on Aggregate
- Abrasion Test on Aggregate
- Impact Test on Aggregate
Lastly, the aggregate in concrete/construction must be thoroughly sifted. But, more crucially, it has a substantial impact on the ultimate qualities of any concrete mixture.
Hindustan Infrastructure Solution offers well-trained, experienced personnel and R&D to ensure that all of your construction equipment and material standards are met for ideal and flawless builds.
We are always putting on our innovative and creative hats in order to develop environmentally friendly tangible options.
