Fine and Coarse Aggregates in Concrete Gradation Essay

Fine and Coarse Aggregates in Concrete Gradation - Essay Example Any aggregate that should be used for any construction must be based on certain quality information. Such information can be obtained after experimental tests have been done on the sample and measured to ascertain its standards. Basically, ASTM C33 is one of the accords for concrete specification for both fine and coarse aggregates (Ward, 2004). From the graphs, the fineness modulus can be obtained for both coarse and fine aggregates. Normally, the entire mass of the material should correspond with the original mass after sieving and should not be greater than 0.3%.If the results is greater than that value, then it should not be used because it will have exceeded the acceptance level (Ward, 2004). According to ASTM C 33, an aggregate which can fail to meet the sieve analysis provisions might be accepted, that is if it validates that the concrete prepared with such fine aggregate will have crucial properties andshould comply specific requirements. On the other hand, when a specified grading is chosen, close control should be done in order to minimise disparity. If a wider deviation is used in coarse aggregate ensued on a certain project, it is recommended to adjust the mix proportion in order to obtain a workable and effective concrete (Ward, 2004). Finally, the ASTM C 33 requires that, for any ongoing consignments from any source, the fineness modulus of a fine aggregate should not be more than 0.20. Furthermore, if the fineness modulus is very much different from that used in selection of proportions, then adjustments should be made in ratios of fine and coarse aggregates. Maintenance of uniformity in production of aggregates is more economical and cheap than adjustment of variations in grading. It can be deduced that the fineness modules depends on the coarser or softness of the material. The coarser the aggregate the higher the fineness modulus, similarly the finer the