What Are Aggregates?

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Aggregates are immobile granular materials such as sand, gravel, or crumble stone that, along with water and Portland cement, are an indispensable ingredient in concrete.

If you want a good concrete mix, you need to make sure that the aggregates you use are clean and hard, with strong particles free of absorbed chemicals or coatings of clay and other thin materials that could cause the disintegration of concrete.

Around 60 to 75 per cent of the total volume of concrete is aggregate. They are divided into two different groups:

1. Fine aggregates consist of natural sand or crushed stone with the majority of particles passing through a ⅜ inch sieve.
2. Coarse aggregates are any particles greater than 0.19 inches. The most common range is between ⅜ and 1.5 inches in diameter. Gravels from the most of coarse aggregate used in concrete with crushed stone making up most of the remainder.

How Does Aggregate Work In Concrete?​

The aggregate is a key component of making concrete and it is used for many different reasons. The benefits include:

• Reduction of cracking
• Improve the structure
• Help with water drainage

Keep in mind that if you use a small size of aggregates, you will require more binding material which can, in turn, increase the cost.

As a result, cement manufacturers in Malaysia, such as Hanson Malaysia recommends a mixture of coarse and fine aggregates to avoid the problems mentioned above. Plus, this also creates a premium product that is affordable and price competitive.

Different Types Of Aggregates​

Cement companies in Malaysia offer different types of aggregates, namely gravel, sand, recycled concrete, slag, topsoil, ballast, type 1 MOT, and geosynthetic aggregates. These synthetic products are commonly used in civil engineering projects to stabilize terrain.

Let’s explain some of the important ones.

Crushed Concrete​

It is made by either gathering from demolished sites or excess from construction projects.
You can use crushed concrete if you need to trench fills, backfills, over-site fills and also as a granular sub-base for deeper areas over 150 millimetres.

There are six different types of crushed concretes:

• Type 1 50mm down to dust
• 6F2
• Type 3 0-63mm reduced fines
• Oversized clean 75mm-100mm (no fines)
• Tarmac Plainings
• Gabion Fill Granite 75mm-200mm

You can build walkways and many other things with crushed concrete and all you need is your creativity.

Sand​

Sand is a very popular construction material in Malaysia. It is made of silicon dioxide in the form of quartz. Sand is naturally made by the planet.

Ask your concrete supplier for sand if you need to manufacture brick, landscaping, concrete component, water filtration, or agriculture.

The different types of sands include:

• Sharp Sand
• Building Sand
• Washed Recycled Sharp Sand
• 0-4mm Reject Sand
• Concrete Sand (a key ingredient in cement)
• Soft-Washed Sand
• Play Sand

Sand has many uses, and it is affordable as there is an abundance on the planet. Sand is widely used in the construction industry because it gives strength, bulkiness, and other properties to construction materials, such as asphalt and concrete.

Gravel​

It is a tough wearing material. Gravel is a “loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones.” This group of unconsolidated rock fragments can be made in two different ways. First, gravel can form naturally in riverbeds, streams, and other geographical formations. Or it can be made when you crush large rocks together until you have irregular-shaped fragments.

Get gravel from your aggregate supplier in Malaysia if you need to do garden paths, borders, driveways, drainage or pebble dashing.

There are different types of gravel, including:

• 6mm & 10mm Gold and 10mm White great for garden decoration and footpaths.
• 20mm Gold, 20 & 40mm White, 20mm. Recycled for garden decoration and footpaths but will work for driveways and drainage as well.

Gravel is easy to find since asphalt is composed mainly of gravel.

Takeaways​

Finally, the selection of aggregates is an important process. Buyers are encouraged to consider the following characteristics:

• Grading
• Durability
• Particle shape and surface texture
• Abrasion and skid resistance
• Unit weights and voids
• Absorption and surface moisture