Testing Aggregate Impact and Abrasion

Aggregate toughness and hardness are important for concrete used on pavement surfaces and industrial floors that must carry heavy loads. Toughness means an aggregate can resist failure from impact. Hardness means it can resist wear.

To ensure the durability of a concrete airport runway, the aggregates within the concrete require sufficient toughness to withstand impact forces and hardness to resist wear.

The toughness of aggregates is tested on aggregates passing a half-inch sieve and retained on a three-eighths-inch sieve.

The aggregates are weighed and fille...