Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
Solved Examples
Example (1)
A sample of coarse aggregate (gravel) was tested in sieve analysis test.
The weight of sample was 20000 g. The results of test are as following
table.
Sieve size (mm) 37.5 20 10 5 Pan
Retained Weight (g) 960 5100 5000 6000 2940
a) Calculate the percentage of passing.
b) Specific surface area
Answer
a) The percentage of passing
Cumulative
Retained Cumulative Cumulative
Sieve size weights
weight weights weights
(mm) Passing %
(g) Retained (g) Retained %
(%Passing)
37.5 960 960 4.8 95.2
20 5100 6060 30.3 69.7
10 5000 11060 55.5 44.5
5.0 6000 17060 85.3 14.7
Pan 2940 20000 100 0.0
b) Specific surface area (assume specific gravity = 2.6)
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
6 K (100 − P1) P1 − P 2
S .S . A. = + + .....
100 do + d 1 d1 + d 2
2 2
6 1.3 (100 − 95.2) (95.2 − 69.7) (69.7 − 44.7) (44.7 − 14.7) (14.7 − 00)
S .S . A. = + + + +
2.6 100 5.0 + 3.75 3.75 + 2.0 2.0 + 1.0 1.0 + 0.5 0.5 + 0.236
2 2 2 2 2
S.S.A=3.22 cm2/g
Example (2)
A sample of coarse aggregate (crushed stone) and a sample of fine
aggregate (sand) were tested in sieve analysis test. The results of test are
as following table.
Sieve size (mm) 37.5 20 10 5 2.36 1.18 0.60 0.30 0.15
crushed
% 100 80 30 5 --- --- --- --- ---
stone
Passing
sand 100 100 100 95 80 65 40 25 5
The two samples were mixed by 3:2 for crushed stone and sand
respectively, find for the mix:-
a) Draw the grading curve
b) Nominal maximum size
c) Fineness modulus
Answer
crushed stone : Sand
3 : 2
3/5 2/5
% Pass.mixed agg . = % Pass.Crushed Stone (3 / 5) + % Pass.Sand ( 2 / 5)
Sieve size (mm) 37.5 20 10 5 2.36 1.18 0.60 0.30 0.15
crushed
100 80 30 5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
stone
%
sand 100 100 100 95 80 65 40 25 5
Pass.
Mix
(3:2) 100 88 58 41 32 26 16 10 2
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
a) The grading curve
0.15 0.3 0.6 1.18 2.36 5 10 20 37.5
Sieve size (mm) –Log Scale
b) Nominal maximum size = 37.5 mm ≈ 40 mm
c) Fineness modulus FM = ( Cum. Ret. % on 9 Sieves)/100
0 + 12 + 42 + 59 + 68 + 74 + 84 + 90 + 98
F .M mixed agg . = = 5.27
100
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
Example (3)
The grading, the specific gravity, bulk weight and the specific surface
area of coarse aggregate (gravel) and fine aggregate (sand) are as
following table.
Sieve size (mm) 37.5 20 10 5 2.36 1.18 0.60 0.30 0.15
% gravel 95 60 25 3 --- --- --- --- ---
Passing sand 100 100 100 98 75 60 25 15 2
Gravel Sand
Specific Gravity 2.6 2.55
Bulk weight (kg/m3) 1560 1530
specific surface area 4.4 56
2/
Calculate(cm g) ratio
the mix
a) To give specific surface area = 25 cm2/g
b) To give the maximum bulk weight
c) To give standard grading
Sieve size
37.5 20 10 5 2.36 1.18 0.60 0.30 0.15
(mm)
% 100- 50-
80-45 --- --- --- 30-8 --- 8-0
Passing 95 25
Answer
a) To give specific surface area of mix = 25 cm2/g
Assume Gravel : sand
X : (1-X)
S .S . Amixed agg . = S .S . Acoarse agg . ( X ) + S .S . A fine agg . (1 − X )
25 = 4.4 ( X ) + 56 (1 − X ) X = 0.6
Gravel : Sand
0.6 : 0.4
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
1.5 : 1
b) To give the maximum bulk weight
Assume Gravel : Sand
3
1m : V voids of gravel
➢ For gravel
2.6 1000 − 1560
Voids% = 100 = 40%
2.6 1000
Vv Vv
Voids% = 100 40 = 100 Vv = 0.4m3 = Vsand
Vt 1.0
Gravel : Sand
1 m3 : 0.4 m3
1x1560 : 0.4x1530
1560 : 612
2.55 : 1
a) To give standard grading
Sieve size
37.5 20 10 5 2.36 1.18 0.60 0.30 0.15
(mm)
% 100- 50-
80-45 --- --- --- 30-8 --- 8-0
Passing 95 25
Assume Gravel : sand
X : (1-X)
% Pas sin g mixed agg . = % Pas sin g coarse agg . ( X ) + % Pas sin g fine agg . (1 − X )
1- At Sieve 5 mm
35 = 3 ( X ) + 98 (1 − X )
Gravel : Sand
0.66 : 0.34
a. check At Sieve 37.5 mm
% Pas sin g mixed agg . = 95 (0.66) + 100 (.34 ) = 96 .7 range (100 − 95) ok
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
Canadian International College Behavior of Materials
Institutes of Engineering – New Cis 143
Cairo
Civil Engineering Department Fall 2024
b. check At Sieve 20 mm
% Pas sin g mixed agg . = 60 (0.66 ) + 100 (.34 ) = 74 range (80 − 45) ok
c. check At Sieve 0.6 mm
% Pas sin g mixed agg . = 00 (0.66 ) + 25 (.34 ) = 8.5 range (30 − 8) ok
d. check At Sieve 0.15 mm
% Pas sin g mixed agg . = 00 (0.66 ) + 2 (.34 ) = 0.70 range (8 − 0) ok
Dr. Ibrahim Abdel_latif
