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Aggregates

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Construction Materials

Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to aggregates, which are the most consumed natural resource after water. The chapter begins with the main definitions of the term, including those from ASTM, EN, and ISO standards. Next heading establishes the main types of aggregates according to the production method: natural, manufactured, or recycled. Natural aggregates can be further subdivided into sand and gravel, and crushed stone. Geological occurrences of natural aggregates (different possibilities since natural aggregates are generated by a great variety of geologic processes) are then discussed as well as the main extraction methods used in sand and gravel and crushed stone exploitation. The principal processing techniques used in aggregate production (crushing, screening, and washing) are described. Then, this chapter describes the properties of aggregates and their associated tests, organized them into five main groups: general, geometrical, mechanical and physical, thermal and weathering, and chemical properties and tests. A heading devoted to aggregate for use as railway ballast is included whereas other important applications of aggregates such as concrete, mortar, and roads are taken into account in the corresponding chapters. The environmental considerations of aggregate quarrying are finally kept in mind because aggregate is extracted close to major centers of demand (e.g., big cities) to minimize cost of transport.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Bustillo Revuelta

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  1. Manuel Bustillo Revuelta
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Correspondence to Manuel Bustillo Revuelta .

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Bustillo Revuelta, M. (2021). Aggregates. In: Construction Materials. Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65207-4_2

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