But will the Micro-Deval test supplement to indicate aggregate toughness and test is the predominant test in the
ant test in the U.S.; it
or supplant the L. A. Abrasion test for
some aggregate applications? It has in
Ontario for measuring the quality of
aggregates for transportation
construction. It has replaced the L. A.
Abrasion test (more formally named Test
for Resistance to Degradation of
Aggregate by Abrasion and Impact in the
Los Angeles Machine) for coarse
aggregate and the magnesium sulfate
soundness test for fine aggregate.For
many decades throughout the world, the
L. A. Abrasion test (ASTM and
AASHTO) has been the standard for
evaluating coarse aggregate degradation
and toughness in dry conditions.It also is
a standard in the EU. Rogers wrote,
“Despite the name, the Los Angeles test
does not measure abrasion but rather
impact resistance.” Many believe that this
dry test is a measure principally of
breakdown due to impact and
degradation during handling, batching
and lay-down operations.
ASTM C 131, C 535
AASHTO T-96
The L. A. Abrasion Machine is used as a
quality control tool for aggregates,
including crushed rock, gravel and slag.
The testing method determines the
degradation when subjected to abrasion,
attrition, impact and grinding. The
sample is placed in the drum along with a
hardened steel abrasive charge. After
rotating the drum a specific number of
times, samples are removed and
examined for wear.
Durham Geo offers two models; a basic
model and an enclosed model. Both
machines are constructed from structural
steel with a welded 1/2 in (1.27 cm) thick
drum wall. The drum is fitted with a
removable shelf in accordance with
ASTM "preferred design"
recommendations. Rotation is provided
by an electric motor with speed reduction
and enclosed chain drive to allow the
drum to turn at 30-33 rpm. The enclosed
model is a new design that meets OSHA
sound and mechanical safety
requirements. An interlock prevents
operation unless the double hinged lid is
closed. Both models, (C-658 and C-660)
come with a 25 kg abrasive charge and a
heavy duty catch pan.
Overview
The Los Angeles (L.A.) abrasion test
(Figure 1) is a common test method used
abrasion characteristics. Aggregate
abrasion characteristics are important
because the constituent aggregate in
HMA must resist crushing, degradation
and disintegration in order to produce a
high quality HMA.
The standard L.A. abrasion test subjects a
coarse aggregate sample (retained on the
No. 12 (1.70 mm) sieve) to abrasion,
impact, and grinding in a rotating steel
drum containing a specified number of
steel spheres.
After being subjected to the rotating
drum, the weight of aggregate that is
retained on a No. 12 (1.70 mm) sieve is
subtracted from the original weight to
obtain a percentage of the total aggregate
weight that has broken down and passed
through the No. 12 (1.70 mm) sieve.
Therefore, an L.A. abrasion loss value of
40 indicates that 40% of the original
sample passed through the No. 12 (1.70
mm) sieve.
The standard Los Angeles abrasion test
is:
Background
Aggregates undergo substantial wear and
tear throughout their life. In general, they
should be hard and tough enough to resist
crushing, degradation and disintegration
from any associated activities including
manufacturing (Figure 2), stockpiling
(Figure 3), production (Figure 4), placing
(Figure 5) and compaction (Figure 6)
(Roberts et al., 1996). Furthermore, they
must be able to adequately transmit loads
from the pavement surface to the
underlying layers and eventually the
subgrade. These properties are especially
critical for open or gap graded HMA,
which do not benefit from the cushioning
effect of the fine aggregate and where
coarse particles are subjected to high
contact stresses (Wu et al., 1998).
Aggregates not adequately resistant to
abrasion and polishing may cause
premature structural failure and/or a loss
of skid resistance. Furthermore, poor
resistance to abrasion can produce
excessive dust during HMA production
resulting in possible environmental
problems as well as mixture control
problems.
Because of the preceding issues, a test to
predict aggregate toughness and abrasion
resistance is valuable. The L.A. abrasion
is used by 47 States (Wu et al., 1998).
Test Concept
The L.A. abrasion test measures the
degradation of a coarse aggregate sample
that is placed in a rotating drum with
steel spheres (Figure 7). As the drum
rotates the aggregate degrades by
abrasion and impact with other aggregate
particles and the steel spheres (called the
"charge"). Once the test is complete, the
calculated mass of aggregate that has
broken apart to smaller sizes is expressed
as a percentage of the total mass of
aggregate. Therefore, lower L.A.
abrasion loss values indicate aggregate
that is tougher and more resistant to
abrasion.
Summary
A sample of aggregate retained on the
No. 12 (1.70 mm) sieve is
placed inside a rotating steel
drum containing a specified
number of steel spheres or
"charge". As the drum rotates, a
shelf inside the drum picks up
the aggregate and steel spheres.
The shelf carries them around
until they drop on the opposite
side of the drum, subjecting the
aggregate to impact and
crushing. Then, the aggregate is
subjected to abrasion and
grinding as the drum continues
to rotate until the shelf picks up
the contents, and the process is
repeated. The drum is rotated for
a specified number of
revolutions. Afterward, the
aggregate is removed from the
drum and sieved on a No. 12
(1.70 mm) sieve. The aggregate
retained on the sieve is weighed
and the difference between this
weight and the original weight is
expressed as a percentage and
reported as the L.A. abrasion
loss value. Figure 11 shows
major equipment used in the
L.A. abrasion test.
Parameters Measured
Note 1 There is no standard L.A.
abrasion specification for Superpave mix
design; specifications are typically
established by state or local agencies.
Typically U.S. state specifications limit
the abrasion of coarse aggregate for
HMA use to a maximum ranging from 25
to 55 percent, with most states using a
specification of 40 or 45 percent (Figure
14). Requirements for Stone Matrix
Asphalt (SMA) tend to be lower;
AASHTO specifies a maximum L.A.
abrasion loss of 30 percent for SMA.