BASICS OF AGGREGATES

Aggregate Quality Monitoring Program

Tex-499-A
Michael Dawidczik, P.G.
Construction Division/Materials & Pavements Section
Geotechnical, Soils, & Aggregates Branch

October 11, 2017

2017 Transportation Short Course October 11, 2017
Table of contents

1 Aggregate Quality Monitoring Program (AQMP) 3-6

2 Purpose & Responsibilities of AQMP 7-15

3 Products & Laboratory Tests of AQMP 16-19

4 Laboratory Tests of AQMP in Detail 20-32

5 Process of Adding & Removing Sources from AQMP 33-40

6 Questions 41

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Aggregate Quality Monitoring Program

 Aggregate Quality Monitoring Program (AQMP) managed by the Geotechnical,

Soils and Aggregates Branch within TxDOT’s Construction Division/Materials
& Pavements Section (CST/M&P)

 Monitors the quality of aggregate products supplied to TxDOT projects

 Single sources are included based on the testing history of aggregate

products used for TxDOT construction projects
– Bituminous coarse aggregate
– Concrete fine aggregate
– Concrete coarse aggregate
– Micro-surfacing aggregate

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Aggregate Quality Monitoring Program

 Durability laboratory tests performed biannually for each source:

• L.A. Abrasion
• Magnesium Sulfate Soundness
• Micro-Deval
• Acid Insoluble
• Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CoTE)

 Statistical evaluation of recent testing history

– Rated values produced and published online & reported in Site Manager
– Bituminous Rated Source Quality Catalog (BRSQC)
– Concrete Rated Source Quality Catalog (CRSQC)

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What is the AQMP?

 Sources currently in the program are located in:

– Texas
– New Mexico
– Oklahoma
– Arkansas
– Louisiana
– Mexico.

 97 sources on the BRSQC

 168 sources on the CRSQC
 61 sources on both catalogs

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Aggregate Sources on the BRSQC and CRSQC

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The Purpose of the AQMP

 Provides requirements & procedures for CST/M&P to monitor aggregate

products demonstrating continuous quality and uniformity

 Allows TxDOT Districts to use the rated values from sources on the AQMP
without project specific testing
– Districts do not have to perform laboratory tests on AQMP
– Expedites acceptance of aggregate meeting specification requirements

 Provides continuous quality assurance of aggregate products

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Polling Question #1

Which District has the most sources

listed on the AQMP?

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2017 Transportation Short Course October 11, 2017 9
Responsibilities

CST/M&P

TxDOT Districts

Aggregate Producers

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Responsibilities

CST/M&P

 Requesting Quality Monitoring (QM) samples biannually

 Laboratory testing of QM, project & informational samples for
properties listed on AQMP
 Performing & reporting test results
 Maintaining the BRSQC and CRSQC
 Notifying Districts & aggregate producer of any quality concerns
 Evaluation of source’s quality control plan and test results

Did you know?

 Over the last 10 years, CST/M&P - Aggregates Lab on average has completed the
testing of 1650 samples annually.

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Responsibilities

TxDOT Districts

 Sampling QM & project samples and providing documentation

 Shipping or delivering samples to CST/M&P
 Offering split samples at the time of sampling with aggregate producer
 Job control (project level) testing
 Final acceptance of aggregate
 Submitting a QM sample from project when material has questionable
quality
 Safety - Signing in/out at the quarry & following site specific safety
procedures

Did you know?

 The San Antonio District has the most sources on the AQMP and the Tyler District
has the least.

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Responsibilities

Aggregate Producers

 Notifying CST/M&P of changes in ownership and maintaining current

contact information
 Submitting a mining & quality control plan, GPS data and requested
documents
 Submitting driving directions to the source from District Lab
 Maintaining identification of stockpiles at the quarry at all times
 Notifying CST/M&P and the District if split samples are desired

Did you know?

 Since 2000, the Aggregates Lab has tested aggregate from over 450 sources.

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Polling Question #2

How often are the aggregate MPLs

updated within a year?

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2017 Transportation Short Course October 11, 2017 15
Products and Tests Covered in AQMP

Laboratory Tests

Aggregate Products L.A. MgSO4 Acid Insoluble

Micro-Deval CoTE
Abrasion Soundness Residue
(Tex-461-A) (Tex-428-A)
(Tex-410-A) (Tex-411-A) (Tex-612-J)

Concrete Fine Aggregate

Concrete Coarse Aggregate

Bituminous Coarse Aggregate

Micro-Surfacing Aggregate

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Products and Tests Covered in AQMP

SAC A SAC B SAC C

Magnesium Sulfate Soundness

(Tex-411-A) 25 30 35
Maximum value
Acid Insoluble Residue
(Tex-612-J) 55 -- --
Minimum value
Crushed Face Count
(Tex-460-A) 85 85 85
Minimum value

Surface Aggregate Classification (SAC)

 As determined in Tex-499-A, Table 1

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Polling Question #3

How many project samples are

necessary to complete before the rated
values can be calculated?

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AQMP Tests

L.A. Abrasion

 Performed in accordance to Tex-410-A (ASTM C131)

 Resistance to degradation by impact and abrasion forces
 Test samples of different gradations A, B, C, and D
 500 revolutions at 33 rpms
 Steel spheres with a diameter of ~2 inches and weight of ~1 lb
 Loss determined by material passing the #12 sieve
 Specification limits vary

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L.A. Abrasion (Tex-410-A)

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L.A. Abrasion

Specification Limits

Item 330,
340, 341, Limestone Rock Asphalt (LRA), Dense-Graded HMA, Concrete 40%
421

Item 302, Seal Coat & Superpave HMA 35%

344

Item 342, Permeable Friction Course (PFC), Stone Matrix

346, 347, Asphalt (SMA), Thin Overlay Mixtures (TOM), & 30%
348 Thin Bonded Friction Courses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45%

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AQMP Tests

Magnesium Sulfate Soundness

 Performed in accordance to Tex-411-A

 Resistance to degradation/disintegration by wetting and drying cycles
 Wetting duration of 16-18 hours submerged in magnesium sulfate solution
 Drying duration of 4-6 hours in 230°F oven
 Rinse cycle in 110°F water until samples completely free of salt
 Magnesium Sulfate soundness solution temperature and specific gravity
controls
 Loss determined by normalized gradation specific to product type
 Specification limits vary

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Magnesium Sulfate Soundness (Tex-411-A)

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Magnesium Sulfate Soundness (Tex-411-A)

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Magnesium Sulfate Soundness

Specification Limits

Item 330,
340, 341, Limestone Rock Asphalt (LRA), Dense-Graded HMA, Concrete 30%
421

Item 302, Seal Coat & Superpave HMA, Microsurfacing

344, 350 25%

Item 342,
346, 347, PFC, SMA, TOM, & Thin Bonded Friction Courses 20%
348

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35%

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AQMP Tests

Micro-Deval

 Performed in accordance to Tex-461-A

 Resistance to degradation by abrasion forces
 Aggregate added to 3/8” diameter steel spheres and water for test
 Tested at 100 rpms for 120, 105, 95 or 15 minutes depending on gradation
 Rinsed over stacked sieves and oven dried to determine the loss
 No specification limit, used as quality control test

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Micro-Deval (Tex-461-A)

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AQMP Tests

Acid Insoluble Residue

 Performed in accordance to Tex-612-J

 Resistance to dissolution by Hydrochloric (HCl) acid
 Test sample consists of 25 grams
 HCl acid added to sample until reaction is complete
 Sample rinsed with distilled or deionized water
 Specification limits for concrete fine aggregate and bituminous coarse
aggregate to determine SAC

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Acid Insoluble Residue

Specification Limits

Item 421
Fine Hydraulic Cement Concrete 60%
Aggregate

SAC A Hot-Mix Asphalt & Seal Coats 55%

SAC B & C No Requirement

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70%

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AQMP Tests

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CoTE)

 Performed in accordance to Tex-428-A

 Determine the thermal expansion of aggregate in concrete
 Standard mix design
 Test cylinders are cured for 28 days before testing
 Temperature cycling from 50°F to 120°F and reduced to 50°F
 3 cycles and continuous data collection
 Specification limit of 5.5 µstrains/°F for Item 360
 No project level testing for a source which has a rated value on the CRSQC

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Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (Tex-428-A)

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Polling Question #4

Does a source have to be on the AQMP

in order to supply aggregate to a TxDOT
project?

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2017 Transportation Short Course October 11, 2017 34
AQMP Process of Adding Sources

Provide Supply
Informational Producer – Aggregate
Quarry Catalogs Updated
Sample Product to
Information TxDOT Project Testing &
Approval of
Project
Aggregate Samples
Producer
and District
Informed
Mining Plan
Submitted

Site
Manager Ratings
Updated Developed for
Aggregate
Product

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AQMP Process of Adding Sources
Provide
Informational Producer –
Sample Quarry
Information

 One informational sample can be sampled and tested from final product
stockpiles for each aggregate product per aggregate source
 Raw uncrushed/unprocessed rock will not be tested
 The results from the informational sample can be used to solicit material to
contractors for potential use for TxDOT projects
 The informational sample does not count towards the AQMP and does not
pre-approve a stockpile or source
 Owner of aggregate source completes Producer-Quarry Information form
 Ship samples to CST/M&P at Cedar Park Campus in Austin

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AQMP Process of Adding Sources

Supply
Aggregate
Product to
TxDOT Project Testing &
Approval of
Project
Samples

 Once the aggregate product from a source is being supplied to a TxDOT

project(s), the aggregate producer will coordinate with the TxDOT District
to begin sampling the stockpiles designated for the project
 Stockpile approval is on a stockpile by stockpile basis

 CST/M&P performs durability testing as testing lab for TxDOT Districts

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AQMP Process of Adding Sources

 The aggregate producer is responsible for furnishing the mining

plan and quality control testing of their aggregate

 Mining plan - a topographical or aerial map showing the

property lines and shaded areas of current and future Mining Plan
Submitted
production

 Flow chart - description of the production of the aggregate

from the ground to the final product in stockpiles

 Aggregate supplier’s quality control testing plan and testing

frequency

 Driving directions to pit or quarry

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AQMP Process of Adding Sources

 Five project samples per aggregate product conforming to the items

found in Section 4 of Tex-499-A are used to develop the rated value
 One month between each project sample
 Test results meet all the standard specification quality
requirements
 Statistical ratings of the test results meet the standard
specification requirements

 The results of the aggregate product are reviewed prior to being

approved for addition to the AQMP
Site
 Site Manager updated for District use Manager
Updated
Ratings
Developed for
Aggregate
Product

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AQMP Process of Adding Sources

Catalogs Updated

Aggregate  The aggregate producer and the TxDOT District will be

Producer
and District
notified via e-mail of the source’s addition to the AQMP
Informed

 The e-mail will contain the rated values, the AQMP

producer code and the Site Manager producer code

 The online catalog will be updated accordingly with the

next scheduled update

 For out of state/country sources, TxDOT must have

access to aggregate stockpile(s) within Texas to
sample for the AQMP to check for routine compliance
and material consistency

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Basics of Aggregates

Questions?

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