Aggregate Testing Lab Equipments – Tests You Can Conduct With Them

In terms of constructing pavements, aggregate plays a significant role. Aggregates dictate the load-transfer ability of pavements to a massive extent. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance that you test them thoroughly before using them for construction purposes. Apart from being strong and durable, aggregates must possess proper shape and size to ensure the constructed pavement acts monolithically. You have to test the aggregate to determine its strength, hardness, toughness, water absorption, and shape. For this task, you’ll require the products sold by Aggregate Testing Lab Equipments Manufacturers.

The abrasion test: With this test, you can determine the hardness property of the aggregate you use. In doing so, you can decide whether they are suitable for the kind of pavement construction work you have to undertake. The Los Angeles abrasion test is the most preferred variant. Engineers from all over the world resort to this technique to ascertain the hardness of the aggregate in question.

The crushing test: The pavement material of your choice is inappropriate if it crushes under compressive stress. By conducting the crushing test, you’ll realize whether your choice of the aggregate material is correct or not. The aggregate crushing value gives you a relative measurement of the resistance to crushing under a deliberate application of crushing load.

The soundness test: The ultimate purpose of this test is to study the resistance of the aggregate to weathering. You can do it by conducting several accelerated weathering test cycles. Porous aggregates subjected to freezing and thawing will result in full-fledged disintegration prematurely. The only way to ascertain the durability standards of the aggregate, you have to subject it to an accelerated soundness test.

The impact test: As the name suggests, this test lets you check how good the aggregate of your choice is against impacts. Nobody wants the surface of the pavement to break if something heavy drops on it from a specific height. If it does shatter, you’ll know it isn’t the right material for the purpose. Contact the best Aggregate Testing Lab Equipments Suppliers if you require the right tools to conduct the process.

The shape test: The percentage value of the flaky and elongated particles present in the aggregate mass helps you determine the particle shape. Flaky or elongated aggregate materials are detrimental to higher workability. It even destabilizes mixes. The flakiness index is the percentage by weight of the aggregate particles that have a dimension smaller than 0.6 times the mean size. On the other hand, the elongation index is the percentage value by weight of the particles with the greatest dimension length of at least 1.8 times the mean dimension.

Specific gravity and water absorption

Reputable dealers can provide you apparatuses you need to test the properties of the aggregate material. The specific gravity and water absorption traits of aggregates are properties worth analyzing. The former lets you determine the quality and strength of the material you’re using. On the other hand, the latter tells you about the percentage of water absorbed by the air-dried aggregate you’re using. With this data, you should be able to design concrete and bituminous mixes depending on the project.