EFFECT OF OPTIMIZED TOTAL AGGREGATE GRADATION ON PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE FOR WISCONSIN PAVEMENTS

Most state paving specifications for portland cement concrete pavement allow a broad range of total aggregate gradation for concrete mixes. It has long been debated whether special efforts to control total aggregate gradation provide concrete improvements that justify potential increased costs. The results of an investigation examining the effect of optimizing total aggregate gradation on the properties of concrete used for paving in Wisconsin are reported. The investigation used concepts presented by Shilstone to optimize gradations consisting of carefully selected proportions of locally available aggregate. Unit weight, shrinkage, change in the water-to-cement (w-c) ratio at constant slump, change in slump at a constant w-c ratio, compressive strength, and possible segregation under vibration were measured in field test sections and laboratory mixes. This investigation showed that use of optimized total aggregate gradations instead of near-gap-graded gradations in pavement resulted in an increase in compressive strength of 10 to 20%, reduced water demand by up to 15% to achieve comparable slump, air contents achieved with 20 to 30% reductions in air entraining agent, potentially higher spacing factors in the air void system of hardened concrete, and reduced segregation following extended vibration (1 to 3 min). Not all efforts at gradation optimization in this study yielded measurable improvements in performance and the availability of local aggregates may still limit, to varying degrees, the ability to optimize. However, a reasonable effort to optimize gradation can lead to significant mix benefits.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1995/1478/1478-013.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EFFECT+OF+OPTIMIZED+TOTAL+AGGREGATE+GRADATION+ON+PORTLAND+CEMENT+CONCRETE+FOR+WISCONSIN+PAVEMENTS&author=S.+Cramer&author=M.+Hall&author=J.+Parry&publication_year=1995
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1478, Concrete and Concrete Pavement Construction. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Cramer, Steven M
  • Hall, Michael
  • Parry, James
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 100-106
• Monograph Title: Concrete and concrete pavement construction
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1478
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Aggregate gradation; Air voids; Benefits; Compressive strength; Concrete; Costs; Field tests; Laboratory tests; Local materials; Mechanical analysis; Optimization; Physical properties; Portland cement concrete; Segregation (Aggregates); Slump test; Water cement ratio; Weight
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concrete properties
• Old TRIS Terms: Air voids content; Unit weight
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Materials; I32: Concrete;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00711786
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 19 1995 12:00AM