Fineness Modulus For Sand

By Luke M. Snell and Bryan Castles

1


This paper was published in the Proceedings of the 10th
Annual Mongolian Concrete Conference. Papers at this
conference are published in either Mongolian or English.
The Mongolian Concrete Conference is the major concrete
conference in Mongolia. Luke Snell was instrumental in
starting this conference in 2002 and has contributed
articles and/or presented at each conference. This article is
also used in the ACI Concrete Construction Special
Inspector Classes in the USA and Saudi Arabia; it is very
useful in explaining the concept of Fineness Modulus.

Aggregates make up 60% 75% of the absolute volume of a typical concrete mix. Fine aggregate is
generally considered to be smaller than the No. 4 (4.75 mm) screen while the coarse aggregate is
considered to be larger than the No. 4 (4.75 mm) screen.
When aggregates are well graded from the smallest size, No. 100 (0.150 mm) to the largest
allowable sized aggregate (typically 19 mm to 25 mm), the cement and water content (paste content) can
be reduced. Well-graded aggregates help the concrete producer to make economical, strong, and durable
concrete.
Duff Abram, an early pioneer in concrete technology, proposed a method of using the fineness
modulus (FM) for concrete mixture proportioning. His research showed that aggregates with the same FM
would produce concrete with the same strength.
The following, taken from ACI Terminology, defines FM:
A factor obtained by adding the total percentages of material in the sample that are coarser than each of
the following sieves (cumulative percentages retained), and dividing the sum by 100: 0.15 mm (No. 100),
0.30 mm (No. 50), 0.60 mm (No. 30), 1.18 mm (No. 16), 2.36 mm (No. 8), 4.75 mm (No. 4), 9.5 mm (3/8
in.), 19.0 mm (3/4 in.), 37.5 mm (1-1/2 in.), 75 mm (3 in.), 150 mm (6 in.).
FM results from a calculation using data from a sieve analysis. The sieves used for sand are
typically the 0.15 mm (No. 100), 0.30 mm (No. 50), 0.60 mm (No. 30), 1.18 mm (No. 16), 2.36 mm (No.
8), and the 4.75 mm (No. 4). Typically graded sand is shown in Figure 1. The individual piles represent
the material retained on the indicated screen.

Figure 1
In general, FM defines how fine or coarse the sand is. A small number indicates fine sand; a large
number indicates coarse sand. For mix proportioning, fine sand would require more cement and a greater
tendency to develop cracks. A coarse sand will produce a concrete mixture that is harsh and difficult to
finish and will cause segregation.
For these reasons, ASTM C33 provides guidelines for gradation and FM for fine aggregates that
can be used in concrete; the recommended range for FM is 2.3 to 3.1. Table 1 presents the
recommended gradation limits.

1
Luke M. Snell and Brian Castles are Senior Materials Engineers for Western Technologies Inc.,
Phoenix, Arizona.
Sieve Size, mm % Passing By Mass
9.5 100
4.75 95 100
2.36 80 100
1.16 50 85
0.60 25 60
0.30 5 30
0.15 0 10
Table 1
When developing a mixture proportions for concrete, the FM of the sand would be used to balance
the amount of coarse aggregate needed so that cement and water content is reduced. The Portland
Cement Association (PCA) recommends the volumes shown in Table 2 be used to develop mixture
proportions for a 25mm coarse aggregate.
FM of Sand
% Volume of
The Coarse Aggregate
2.4 71
2.6 69
2.8 67
3.0 65
Table 2
FM can also be used as a part of an aggregate production quality control program. FM values
plotted in a control chart provide a simple check of consistency of aggregate production. Table 2 is a
typical control chart from an aggregate production facility. ASTM C33 recommends that sand be rejected
or the mixture design be adjusted, if the FM varies more than 0.2.
Calculation of FM for a Washed Sand
Sieve, mm
Mass
Retained, gm
Individual %
Retained
Cumulative %
Retained
Used for
FM
4.75 16.2 3 3 Yes
2.36 66.3 13 16 Yes
2.00 30.3 6 23 No
1.18 70.3 14 37 Yes
0.600 96.5 19 56 Yes
0.425 50.1 10 66 No
0.300 60.0 12 78 Yes
0.150 96.4 19 97 Yes
Pan 15.2 3 100 No
Total 501.3
Table 3
FM = (Sum of Cumulative % Retained on Selected Sieves) / 100
FM = (3 + 16 + 37 + 56 + 78 + 97) / 100 = 2.87
If the same sand (unwashed) were to be considered for use on the same project, the FM would be
calculated as shown following:




Calculation of FM for a Unwashed Sand
Sieve, mm
Mass
Retained, gm
Individual %
Retained
Cumulative %
Retained
Used for
FM
4.75 16.2 3 3 Yes
2.36 66.3 12 15 Yes
1.18 100.6 18 33 Yes
0.600 96.5 17 50 Yes
0.425 50.1 10 66 No
0.300 110.1 20 70 Yes
0.150 96.4 17 87 Yes
Pan 71.1 13 100 No
Total 557.2
Table 4
FM = Sum of Cumulative % Retained On Selected Sieves = 258 = 2.58

100 100
Since the FM varies by more than 0.2, the unwashed sand should be rejected or the mixture design
would need to be adjusted.
FM is relatively simple to calculate and can be helpful to the concrete producer. By calculating the
FM, the concrete producer can develop a low cost mixture design. By continuously monitoring the FM, the
concrete producer can have a consistent quality of concrete.