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Material Testing

Aggregate Abrasion Value Test and Report

Why road aggregates must stand up to wear, and how the Los Angeles machine test measures it — apparatus, gradings, 500 or 1000 revolutions and the formula.

Constropedia Editorial First published October 2021 · Updated September 2026 · 2 min read

Objective and Significance

Abrasion Test is the measure of aggregate toughness and abrasion resistance such as crushing, degradation and disintegration. When aggregates are used in the construction of roads, they get worn out due to traffic. Tires of vehicles and small soil particles on road create abrasion to the road. This causes wearing out of tire as well as roads. This is why aggregates must withstand abrasion load for long-life roads. The aggregate abrasion test helps us to find out the abrasion resistance capacity of the aggregates.

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Aim

Determine abrasion value of aggregates using Los Angeles Abrasion Machine.

Apparatus

Los Angeles abrasion Machine: Inside Length = 50 cm and Inside Diameter = 70 cm

Los Angeles abrasion testing machine: a blue steel drum with a bolted cover on a frame, driven by a motor

Sieves: Sieves required are 80, 63, 50, 40, 25, 20, 12.5, 10, 6.3, 4.75, 2.36 and 1.70 mm

Stack of brass test sieves clamped in a green mechanical sieve shaker in a laboratory

Weigh Scale: To measure weight of sample

Illustration of a red analogue weighing scale with a dial

Abrasive Charges: Diameter = 48 mm and Weight = 390 to 445 g each; 12 spheres for gradings A, E, F and G, 11 for grading B, 8 for grading C and 6 for grading D

Twelve polished steel balls used as abrasive charges in the Los Angeles machine

Procedure

Gradation of Aggregates: The test sample should consist of clean aggregates which have been dried in an oven at 105 to 110 Degree C to a substantially constant weight and should conform to one of the gradings shown in the table below.

Table of test sample weights in grams for gradings A to G by sieve size passing and retained

The test sample and the abrasive charge should be placed in the Los Angeles abrasion testing machine and the machine rotated at a speed of 30 to 33 revolutions/minute for 500 revolutions (gradings A, B, C and D) or 1000 revolutions (gradings E, F and G). At the completion of the test, the material should be discharged and sieved through 1.70mm Sieves.

Result and Calculations

Formula:

Aggregate Abrasion Value = ((A-B)/A) X 100

where,
A = weight in gm of oven-dried sample.
B = weight in gm of fraction retained on 1.70 mm Sieves after washing and oven-dried up to constant weight.

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