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Assessing the Quality of Sandstones for Use As Aggregate in Concrete

Article  in  Magazine of Concrete Research · December 2012

DOI: 10.1680/macr.11.00179

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Magazine of Concrete Research Magazine of Concrete Research, 2012, 64(12), 1067–1078
Volume 64 Issue 12 http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/macr.11.00179
Paper 1100179
Assessing the quality of sandstones for use Received 28/10/2011; revised 03/03/2012; accepted 23/03/2012
as aggregate in concrete
Thomas Telford Ltd & 2012
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Assessing the quality of

sandstones for use as
aggregate in concrete
Atiye Tugrul Murat Yılmaz
Istanbul University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological Istanbul University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geological
Engineering, Avcılar/Istanbul, Turkey Engineering, Avcılar/Istanbul, Turkey

Sandstones have been widely used as a source of concrete aggregates. Sandstones show a variety of textural,
mineralogic and chemical characteristics that may affect their physico-mechanical properties as well as their use as a
construction material. The aim of this paper is to assess the influence of the composition and texture of sandstones
on aggregate properties. In this study, Ordovician sandstones were compared with Carboniferous, Devonian and
Permo-Triassic sandstones used as concrete aggregates in Istanbul. The sandstone samples were tested to determine
their petrographic, mineralogic and chemical characteristics and aggregate properties. Then, the testing concretes
were prepared by using these aggregates, and hardened concrete properties were determined. According to the
results obtained, although Ordovician sandstones have poor aggregate quality as compared to other sandstones,
they were found to be suitable for use as coarse aggregate in low-strength concrete production.

Introduction quartzite, subarkose and greywacke can produce a range of

Rock aggregates are a material used in various types of construc-
tion works, such as buildings, roads, highways, bridges and
railroads. Although the demand for crushed stone aggregates has
increased, supplies of good quality aggregates close to urban
areas are becoming depleted (Grattan-Bellew, 1978; Witczak et
al., 1971). Moreover, increased fuel costs make transportation
from distant sources uneconomical, so less acceptable aggregates
are being used more frequently. Therefore, upgrading local low-
quality aggregates with poor mechanical properties, low durabil-
ity or poor particle shape is becoming more important (Koukis et
al., 2007).
Aggregate is the major constituent of concrete. Aggregate
generally constitutes 75–80% of concrete by volume and there-
fore can be expected to have an important influence on the
concrete’s properties (Al-Oraimi et al., 2006). Good quality
aggregates should consist of particles having adequate strength
and desirable engineering properties along with resistance to
exposure conditions (Al-Harthi and Abo-Saada, 1997). Also,
good quality aggregates should not contain materials (such as
coatings, reactive silica and sulfates) with the potential to cause
damage to the short- and long-term performance of the concrete
(Fookes, 1980). The essential requirements of aggregate for
concrete must be defined quantitatively by selecting relevant tests
and assessment procedures and specifying appropriate acceptance
criteria (Smith and Collis, 2001).
Sandstone is a widespread aggregate resource used in concrete
construction around the world. The geological properties of this
sedimentary rock are fairly diverse, and aggregates such as
hardened concrete properties. Therefore, it is important that
sandstone aggregates can be easily characterised to obtain
predictable aggregate and concrete properties (Mackechnie,
2006).
In this study, representative samples of unweathered or slightly
weathered sandstones were collected as blocks of rock from cut
slopes and from rock quarries in the Ömerli, Ayazağa, Cebeciköy
and Çatalca regions of northwestern Turkey (Figure 1). The study
was conducted in four stages: (a) geological, petrographic and
chemical investigations; (b) aggregate tests (methylene blue
absorption, sand equivalent, saturated surface dried particle den-
sity, water absorption, Los Angeles coefficient, magnesium sulfate
value, flakiness indices and alkali–silica reactivity); (c) scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) to observe the expansion after alkali–
silica reaction testing; (d) making a comparison with the strength
of concrete, the testing concretes were prepared by using these
aggregates, and hardened concrete properties were determined.
Geological characteristics of the sandstones
There are many types of sandstone located near Istanbul. The
locations and geological characteristics of these sandstones are
given in Figure 1 and Table 1. The eight sandstone types used in
this study ranged in age from Ordovician to Lower Triassic. The
sandstone samples belonging to the Kurtköy Formation (OS1,
OS4, OS5) or the Kartal Formation (K3, K4) were collected from
the Anatolian (i.e. east) side of Istanbul. The sandstone samples
belonging to the Trakya Formation (AS, CBS) and the Şermat
Quartzites (CS) were collected from the European (i.e. west) side
of Istanbul.

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Magazine of Concrete Research Assessing the quality of sandstones for
Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Qal Black Sea

Subasi
, Pl Cr Pl
Cr
Sariyer Cr
Eo Ca Kemerbuiga Pl-Qal
Gr Beykoz Pl-Qal
Catalca Habibler AS Istinye
Qal
Hüseyinli
CS PT Ahmediye CBS Gr Pl-Qal
Or-Dev K3 and K4
Ca
Ca OS 1
Pl Omerli

Mi Usküdar OS 5
Mi OS 4
Kadikoy
Bakirköy Or-Dev
Avcilar

Black Sea N
Marmara Sea Gr
Kartal
Istanbul
Ankara
Turkey Tuzla
Izmir
Gebze Cr
0 20 km Pl-Qal

0 200 km

Permo-Triassic N
Qal Quaternary units Eo Eocene units PT Settlements
Sermat Quartzite
Carboniferous Quarry
Pl-Qal Plio-Quaternary units Cr Cretaceous units Ca
Trakya formation
Ordovician-Devonian
Pl Pliocene units Gr Granitic rocks Or-Dev Cut slopes
Kurtköy and Kartal formations

Mi Miocene units Tr Triassic units

Figure 1. Geological map of the Istanbul region showing location

of the sample sites

Laboratory analysis
The petrographic and mineralogic characteristics of the sand-
stones were determined by thin section studies (Figure 2), and
were classified according to Folk (1968) classification. The results
are given in Table 2.
To determine the chemical characteristics of the sandstones,
chemical analyses were performed by semi-quantitative elemen-
tary analysis using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry
(Philips PW-2404). The chemical compositions of the sandstones
are given in Table 3. As seen in Table 3, the sandstones contain
variable compositions: 24.1–96.82% silicon dioxide (SiO2 ),
0.26–17.54% aluminium oxide (Al2 O3 ), 0.96–12.21% iron (III)
oxide (Fe2 O3 ), 0–34.9% calcium oxide (CaO), 0.53–2.43%
magnesium oxide (MgO), 0.15–3.5% potassium oxide (K2O) and
0.03–3.11% sodium oxide (Na2 O). The loss on ignition values
vary between 0.74 and 28%.
The sandstone samples were broken into smaller pieces with a
hammer. The aggregate fractions were prepared from the smaller
pieces using a laboratory jaw crusher. The aggregate tests
included methylene blue, sand equivalent, saturated surface dried
particle density, water absorption, Los Angeles coefficient, flaki-
ness indices, magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) and the accelerated
mortar bar test. The tests were performed in accordance with
European Standards (EN). Each test was performed at least three
times. The results of these tests are given in Table 4 and Figure 3.
Alkali–silica reactivity
The alkali–silica reaction (ASR) is an internal chemical reaction
between the alkaline components in the cementitious system and
certain silica-based mineral constituents in some aggregates. The
reaction results in the formation of a gel that absorbs water,
expands and produces internal stresses sufficient to cause the
concrete to crack (Binal, 2008; Moranville-Regourd, 1997; Nixon

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Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Permo-Triassic
Carboniferous

Carboniferous
and Page, 1987) causing loss of concrete strength (Marzouk and
Ordovician
Ordovician

Ordovician Langdon, 2003; Struble and Diamond, 1981; Wakizaka, 1998). To

Devonian
Devonian
evaluate the aggregate constituents, especially in the presence of
Age

deleterious components, and identify the potential for ASR,

petrographic analyses on the sandstone were carried out accord-
Generally circular – ellipsoidal –

Generally circular –few angular

ing to ASTM C 295 (ASTM, 1994a). The reactivity of the

sandstones was also determined by means of accelerated mortar
bar tests (ASTM C 1260 (ASTM, 1994b).
Circular – few angular

Circular – few angular

Circular – few angular

Few circular – angular

Few circular – angular

Circular–few angular

The accelerated mortar bar test is a fast reliable test for the potential
alkali–aggregate reactivity of an aggregate source. This test was
performed on at least three samples in accordance with ASTM C
few angular
Roundness

1260 (ASTM, 1994b), which is similar to CSA A23.2-25A (CSA,

1994). Concrete mixes were prepared using each of the sandstones
and were tested in a standard gradation with a high alkali Portland
cement (CEM I 42.5 R) and with distilled water. The chemical
Fine–moderate

Fine–moderate

characteristics of the Portland cement are given in Table 5. The

Fine–very fine

cement met all the requirements for use in the mortar bar test. The
Degree of

Moderate

bars were removed from the moulds after 1 day of storage in air at
sorting

208C and a relative humidity of more than 50% and cured in

Fine

Fine

Fine

Fine

alkaline solutions at 808C. Their lengths were measured after 24 h

and successive measurements were taken after 7, 14, 16 and 21
Very fine – fine–medium

days. The percent linear expansion of concrete prisms at a given

curing time was determined as an average expansion of three
specimens. Results of the accelerated mortar bar tests are given in
Medium–coarse

Figure 3. According to the results obtained, the maximum expan-

Fine–medium

Fine–medium
Fine–medium

sion at 14, 16 and 21 days was obtained in samples OS1 and OS4.
Particle size

Coarse

To observe the effects of the ASR and its products following the
Fine

Fine

accelerated mortar bar tests, the OS1 sample was examined using
SEM analysis. The morphological and microstructural features of
Mottled light purple

the mortar used in the accelerated mortar bar tests are shown in
Purplish–dark pink

White–light grey

Figure 4. The figure also displays the reaction features of the

Pinkish purple
Grayish black

Greyish black

ASR products, including the ASR gel and the shape and aperture
of microcracks formed during the ASR. The SEM results show
Colour

clearly that the circular cracks that formed on the surface of OS1
Grey

Grey

include the gel product.

Preparation of concrete specimens

Formation

The cement type used in this study was CEM II 42.5 R which
Kurtköy
Kurtköy

Kurtköy

Table 1. General characteristics of the sandstones

Şermat
Trakya

Trakya
Kartal
Kartal

was checked to conform to EN 197-1 (CEN, 2000). The

chemical, physical and mechanical features of this cement are
given in Table 5.
Cebeciköy, Western side of
Ayazağa, Western side of
Northern side of Ömerli
Northern side of Ömerli

In order to investigate the effects of different sandstone aggre-

Southwest of Ömerli

gates on the strength of concrete, eight concrete mixtures were

Southeast of Ömerli

designed. Tests were performed in accordance with TS 802 (TSI,

South of Ömerli
Sample Sample location

1985) standard. The mixture proportions of testing concretes are

given in Table 6. As seen in this table; all mixtures were designed
with a water/cement (w/c) ratio in the range between 0.61 and
Istanbul

Istanbul
Çatalca

1.05 and a free water content in the range between 179 and
287 kg/m3 : In all mixtures, cement content was kept constant and
a lignosulfonate-based plasticisers admixture was used.
code

OS1
OS4

OS5

CBS
K3
K4
AS

CS

Hardened concrete properties were determined from six

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Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Figure 2. Polarising microscope photographs of the sandstones:

(a) OS1, (b) OS4, (c) OS5, (d) K3, (e) K4, (f) AS, (g) CBS, (h) CS
(Crossed nicol, 25X) (Q: quartz, F: feldspar, M: mica, Qrtz:
quartzite, Mu: muscovite)

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Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Sample Composition Cement Classification (Folk, 1968)

code

OS1 Quartz, feldspar, sericite, muscovite, rock fragments (schist, Very little clay Subarkose/arkose
quartzite, silicious sedimentary rock fragments)
OS4 Quartz, feldspar, rock fragments (quartzite, schist, phyllite), Clay Sublitharenite–litharenite/
sericite, muscovite, opaque minerals methasandstone
OS5 Quartz, feldspar, clay, muscovite, rock fragments Clay Arkose/methasandstone –
methasiltstone
K3 Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, sericite Carbonate Arkose
K4 Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, calcite, opaque minerals Carbonate and very Quartz sandstone
little clay
AS Quartz, feldspar, muscovite Carbonate and very Subarkose
little clay
CBS Quartz, feldspar, muscovite, rock fragments Very little carbonate Subarkose
CS Quartz, muscovite, opaque min. Mosaic texture Quartzite

Table 2. Petrographic characteristics of sandstones

Sample Major element oxide: %

code
Losses on Silicon dioxide Aluminium Iron (III) oxide Calcium oxide Magnesium Potassium Sodium oxide
ignition (SiO2 ) oxide (Al2 O3 ) (Fe2 O3 ) (CaO) oxide (MgO) oxide (K2 O) (Na2 O)

OS1 3.68 59.92 17.23 10.74 0.29 1.4 3.18 2.98

OS4 5.12 57.48 17.54 11.58 0.44 1.87 2.69 3.11
OS5 4.77 57.68 18.20 12.21 0 2.04 2.81 2.95
K3 4.88 61.66 16.54 6.67 2.02 1.93 3.5 0.97
K4 28 24.1 4.65 4.58 34.9 1.24 0.77 0.31
AS 4.31 64.17 12.45 5.5 3.44 2.43 3.08 2.72
CBS 3.98 62.18 10.55 4.32 2.68 1.86 2.77 2.43
CS 0.74 96.82 0.26 0.96 0.27 0.53 0.15 0.03

Table 3. Percentages of major element oxide of the sandstones

150 mm 3 150 mm 3 150 mm cubes. These cubes were cast.
After 24 h, concretes were removed from the mould and cured in
lime-saturated water until the age of test. Compressive strength
testing was performed to determine hardened concrete properties.
The results of these tests are given in Table 7.
The compressive strength tests were performed on the hardened
concrete specimens at ages of 7 and 28 days. The tests were
carried out according to the procedures given by EN 12390-3
(CEN, 2009a). Table 7 displays the results for compressive
strength at different ages. The results range between 9.1 and
33.4 MPa at 7 days and between 12.1 and 40.8 MPa at 28 days.
These values are the lowest for OS5 and the highest values for
the hardened concrete belong to CS at 7 and 28 days.
Results and discussion
Deleterious materials such as clay, silt and dust in aggregates may
result in expansion and shrinkage when wetted and dried, thereby
damaging the bond between the aggregate and the cement paste
(Koukis et al., 2007). The most important negative effect of fine
materials in aggregate is an increase in the quantity needed for
the concrete to achieve a given workability. When some coatings
are not removed during processing, fine material can impair the
aggregate–cement bond (Fookes, 1980; Neville, 1995). To deter-
mine the quality of very fine particles in fine aggregates,
methylene blue and sand equivalent test results can indicate the
amount of potentially harmful fine material (Kandall et al., 1998).
Low absorption values may show a small amount of clay (Stapel
and Verhoef, 1989). There is no absolute value given that limits
these values in standards. However, results based on past research
indicate that if the methylene blue value is found to be below
1 g/kg, there is no negative effect on concrete strength, and a high
sand equivalent value for fine aggregate indicates a positive effect
on concrete properties (Eryurtlu et al., 2004; Hasdemir, 2004).
According to the test results reported in Table 4, except for the
quartz sandstone (K4) and quartzite (CS) samples, the methylene

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Tugrul and Yilmaz

Aggregate tests and standard no. OS1 OS4 OS5 K3 K4 AS CBS CS

Methylene blue absorption: g/kg 2.25 2.5 4 1.25 0.5 1.8 1.8 0.25
EN 933-9 (2009)
Sand equivalent: % 30 53 35 38 65 36 65 79
EN 933-8 (1999)
Saturated surface dried 0–4 mm 2.75 2.70 2.77 2.70 2.70 2.68 2.68 2.65
particle density: g/cm3 4–11.2 mm 2.70 2.65 2.64 2.73 2.71 2.71 2.70 2.66
EN 1097-6 (2000) 11.2–22.4 mm 2.69 2.62 2.66 2.73 2.73 2.72 2.71 2.66
Water absorption: % 0–4 mm 2.63 2.21 3.75 3.01 1.82 1.6 1.6 1.8
EN 1097-6 (2000) 4–11.2 mm 2.19 2.17 3.65 0.89 0.48 0.7 0.7 0.57
11.2–22.4 mm 2.03 2.19 3.62 0.45 0.37 0.7 0.5 0.45
Los Angeles coefficient (500 cycles): % 26 34 29 13 14 20 22 12
EN 1097-2 (2010) 45 87 82 36 12 10 11 6.8
Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) value: %
EN 1367-2 (2009)
Flakiness index: % 31 26 35 13 10 19 20 30
EN 933-3 (1997)

Table 4. Results of aggregate tests

0·10
CEM II 42.5 R
Percentage of expansion

0·09 OS1 Cement properties

0·08 OS4
0·07
in length: %

OS5 Chemical properties

0·06
0·05
AS Insoluble residue: % 0.87
0·04 CBS Silicon dioxide (SiO2 ): % 21.94
0·03 K3 Aluminium oxide (Al2 O3 ): % 5.51
0·02 K4 Iron (III) oxide (Fe2 O3 ): % 2.67
0·01
0
CS Calcium oxide (CaO): % 62.26
7 14 16 21 Magnesium oxide (MgO): % 2.07
Days Sodium oxide (Na2 O): % 0.23
Potassium oxide (K2 O): % 0.63
Figure 3. Changes in expansion values at 7, 14, 16 and 21 days
Sulfur trioxide (SO3 ): % 2.13
Losses on ignition 3.03
Chloride (Cl): % 0.0145
blue values of all sandstones are above 1 g/kg. The subarkose/
Free calcium oxide (CaO): % 0.70
arkose (OS1), sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4) and arkose (OS5)
Physical properties
samples show higher methylene blue values and lower sand
Relative density 3.11
equivalent values than the other sandstones. A higher methylene
Specific surface: cm2 /g 4130
blue value is related to a decrease in the sand equivalent (Figure
Water/cement ratio: % 28
5). This result may be attributable to a higher percentage of clay
Initial setting time: min 150
in these samples as indicated by the aluminium oxide (Al2 O3 ),
Final setting time: min 180
potassium oxide (K2O), sodium oxide (Na2 O) and iron (III) oxide
Volume expansion: mm 0.5
(Fe2 O3 ) contents, which suggest the presence of feldspar, clay and
Compressive strength
mica minerals (Table 2). In addition, the percentage of aluminium
2 days: MPa 28.4
oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III) oxide
7 days: MPa 48.2
correlated with the corresponding methylene blue absorption and
28 days: MPa 60.6
sand equivalent values (Figure 6). While the percentages of
aluminium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III) Table 5. Cement properties used in test concretes and accelerated
oxide increased, the methylene blue absorption values increased mortar bar tests
and the sand equivalent values decreased.

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Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Figure 4. SEM photomicrographs of typical alkali silica gel

developed in OS1 sample

Concrete sample OS1 OS4 OS5 K3 K4 AS CBS CS

Cement: kg/m3 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300
Water: kg/m3 236 235 287 213 211 205 215 179
Natural sand: kg/m3 202 203 195 217 221 534 509 358
Crushed sand (0/4 mm): kg/m3 572 565 489 611 621 255 269 452
Crushed stone no. 1 (4/11.2 mm): kg/m3 491 485 499 394 397 442 454 529
Crushed stone no. 2 (11.2/22.4 mm): kg/m3 489 480 502 636 646 591 564 529
Chemical additive: kg/m3 2.4 2.4 2.4 3.78 3.78 1.80 1.80 2.12
Water/cement 0.84 0.83 1.05 0.71 0.70 0.68 0.72 0.61

Table 6. Concrete mix design

Concrete code Compressive strength: MPa

90
7 days 28 days
Sand equivalent: %

80
70 y ⫽ ⫺9·85x ⫹ 67·79
OS1 15.2 20.4 R ⫽ 0·65
60
OS4 17.8 21.9
50
OS5 9.1 12.1 40
K3 24.2 30.3 30
K4 26.4 32.7 20
AS 20.6 40.4 0 1 2 3 4
CBS 21.5 37 Methylene blue absorption: g/kg
CS 33.4 40.8
Figure 5. Relationship between sand equivalent value and
Table 7. The properties of hardened concrete methylene blue absorption

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Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

Methylene blue absorption: g/kg

4·5 90
4·0 80

Sand equivalent: %
3·5 y ⫽ 0·29e0·13x
3·0 70
R ⫽ 0·92
2·5 60
2·0 50
1·5
40
1·0 y ⫽ ⫺2·30x ⫹ 78·10
0·5 30 R ⫽ 0·85
0 20
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
Aluminium oxide (Al2O3): % Aluminium oxide (Al2O3): %
(a) (b)
Methylene blue absorption: g/kg

4·5 90
4·0 80
y ⫽ 0·38e0·66x
Sand equivalent: %

3·5 y ⫽ ⫺8·09ln(x)⫹ 50·62

R ⫽ 0·93 70 R ⫽ 0·74
3·0
2·5 60
2·0 50
1·5 40
1·0
30
0·5
0 20
0 1 2 3 4 0 0·5 1·0 1·5 2·0 2·5 3·0 3·5
Sodium oxide (Na2O): % Sodium oxide (Na2O): %
(c) (d)
Methylene blue absorption: g/kg

4·5 90
4·0 80
Sand equivalent: %

3·5 y ⫽ 0·30e0·64x
R ⫽ 0·86 70
3·0
2·5 60
2·0 50
1·5 40 y ⫽ ⫺12·30x⫹ 79·27
1·0 R ⫽ 0·83
0·5 30
0 20
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
Potassium oxide (K2O): % Potassium oxide (K2O): %
(e) (f)
Methylene blue absorption: g/kg

4·5 90
4·0
80
y ⫽ 0·01x2 ⫹ 0·13x ⫹ 0·33
Sand equivalent: %

3·5
3·0 R ⫽ 0·87 70
y ⫽ ⫺17·15ln(x)⫹ 79·86
2·5 60 R ⫽ 0·79
2·0 50
1·5
40
1·0
0·5 30
0 20
0 5 10 15 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3): % Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3): %
(g) (h)

Figure 6. Relationship between percentage of aluminium oxide

(Al2 O3 ), sodium oxide (Na2 O), potassium oxide (K2 O), iron (III)
oxide (Fe2 O3 ) and methylene blue absorption-sand equivalent
value

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40
The saturated surface-dried particle density of normal aggregates

Los Angeles coefficient: %

35
should be a minimum of 2.6 g/cm3 , in accordance with BS EN y ⫽ 0·03x2 ⫹ 0·27x ⫹ 12·31
30
812 (BSI, 1998). The saturated surface-dried particle density R ⫽ 0·72
25
values of the sandstone aggregates fulfil this requirement.
20
15
The water absorption of aggregates can affect their physical and
10
mechanical properties (Smith and Collis, 2001). Increasing the
amount of water in a concrete mixture to accommodate the higher 5
water demand of the aggregate with high absorption requirements, 0
0 5 10 15 20
will decrease concrete strength. The water absorption value of
Aluminium oxide (Al2O3): %
sandstone aggregates in different particle sizes varies between (a)
0.37 and 3.75% (Table 4). Poitevin (1999) showed that high- 40

Los Angeles coefficient: %

strength concrete can best be made with rock of low water 35
absorption (, 2%). Fookes (1984) also indicated that the water 30 y ⫽ 11·47e0·28x
R ⫽ 0·94
absorption of aggregate should be less than 1.5%. According to 25
the test results of this study, subarkose/arkose, sublitharenite/ 20
litharenite and arkose are not suitable for high-strength concrete 15
production because these aggregates absorb too much water. 10
5
The aggregates in the Los Angeles test suffered a combination of 0
attrition and impact, with the latter being probably more signifi- 0 0·5 1·0 1·5 2·0 2·5 3·0 3·5
cant. The Los Angeles coefficient is influenced by geological and Sodium oxide (Na2O): %
clast features of an aggregate (Smith and Collis, 2001). Toureng (b)
40
and Denis (1982) showed that aggregates with a Los Angeles
Los Angeles coefficient: %

35 y ⫽ 1·69x ⫹ 9·30
coefficient (after 500 cycles) between 30–40% can be used in
30 R ⫽ 0·85
low-strength concrete (, 36 MPa). Based on the Los Angeles test
25
results, all of the sandstone aggregates in this study fulfil the Los
Angeles requirements for use in all types of applications (Table 20
4). A good correlation was obtained between the Los Angeles 15
coefficient and the percentage of aluminium oxide, sodium oxide 10
and iron (III) oxide (Figure 7). As the percentage of aluminium 5
oxide, sodium oxide and iron (III) oxide increased, the Los 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Angeles coefficient also increased. Thus, the higher the Los
Angeles coefficient, the poorer the aggregate quality. Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3): %
(c)

Durability tests evaluate the wetting and drying behaviour of
aggregates, with the addition of chemicals to hasten breakdown
(McNally, 1998). According to ASTM C 33 (ASTM, 1986),
which has a similar test procedure and equipment to EN 1367-2
(CEN, 2009b), the soundness values for coarse aggregates should
be less than on 18% loss. In this study, the magnesium sulfate
values of subarkose/arkose (OS1), sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4)
and arkoses (OS5 and K3) do not lie within this standard limit,
but the quartz sandstone (K4), subarkoses (AS and CBS) and
quartzites (CS) are within the standard limit (Table 4). In
contrast, the magnesium sulfate values of the sandstones studied
herein correlated with the percentage of aluminium oxide and
iron (III) oxide (Figure 8). Figure 8 shows that when the percent-
age of aluminium oxide and iron (III) oxide increases, the
magnesium sulfate values of sandstones also increase.
Aggregate shape is an important property and is influenced by
the petrographic, fabric and structural characteristics of the rock
and production techniques (Ramsay et al., 1974; Smith and
Collis, 2001). Thin elongated particles can be an indicator of a
Figure 7. Relationship between percentage of aluminium oxide
(Al2 O3 ), sodium oxide (Na2 O), iron (III) oxide (Fe2 O3 ) and Los
Angeles coefficient
possible high Los Angeles coefficient and generally will result in
a harsh mix with poor handling properties and poor pumpability.
Fookes (1984) indicated that the flakiness indices should be less
than 25%. An increase in the Los Angeles coefficient can occur
with an increase in the flakiness index. Also, the sandstone
aggregate tensile strength can decrease with an increasing per-
centage of flaky particles (Smith and Collis, 2001). In this study,
the flakiness index values of subarkose/arkose (OS1), sublithar-
enite/litharenite (OS4) and arkoses (OS5) are higher than 25%.
Shakoor et al. (1982) and Pigeon and Pleau (1995) suggested that
rocks with water absorption values greater than 3% and 2%,
respectively, have the potential to be damaged in freezing and
thawing service conditions. According to the test results obtained
from this study, all sandstones except arkoses (OS5) have water

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Magazine of Concrete Research Assessing the quality of sandstones for
Volume 64 Issue 12 use as aggregate in concrete
Tugrul and Yilmaz

100
90 feldspars, micas and clay minerals, and they did not display an
y ⫽ 4·87e0·13x expansion of more than 0.10% (Figure 3). This result is expected
80
R ⫽ 0·86
MgSO4 value: %

70 because the studied sandstones contain significant amounts of

60 these minerals, and they do not contain metamorphic or strained
50
quartz.
40
30
20 The mortar bars were also examined using SEM. These observa-
10 tions confirm that the concrete samples made from the studied
0 sandstones are not affected by ASR. The subarkose/arkose (OS1)
0 5 10 15 20
had more expansion and showed the occurrence of alkali–silica
Aluminium oxide (Al2O3): %
(a) gel. Figure 4 displays a coating on the surface of the aggregate
100 exhibiting the characteristic expansion cracks. Reaction products
90 y ⫽ 4·40e0·24x were observed at the aggregate surface and aggregate–paste
80 R ⫽ 0·95 interface. The expansion in sample OS1 occurred predominantly
MgSO4 value: %

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3): %
(b)
Figure 8. Relationship between percentages of aluminium oxide
(Al2 O3 ), iron (III) oxide (Fe2 O3 ) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 )
value
absorption values of less than 3% (Table 4). The water absorption
values of samples can be related to the type of clay mineral
present and the feldspar and mica minerals. Based on petrographic
evaluation, the studied sandstones, subarkose/arkose, sublithare-
nite/litharenite and arkose contain feldspar and mica minerals.
The cement in these sandstones is composed of clay (Table 2).
According to ASTM C 1260 (ASTM, 1994b), the expansion at
16 days should be less than 0.10%. Expansions of less than
0.10% at 16 days are, in most cases, indicative of innocuous
behaviour. Expansions of more than 0.20% at 16 days are
indicative of deleterious aggregates. Expansions between 0.10%
and 0.20% at 16 days are known to be either innocuous or
deleterious. In such a situation, it may also be useful to take
comparative readings until 28 days or to perform other alkali
reactivity tests. According to CSA A23.2-94 (CSA, 1994), the
percent expansion at 14 days should be under 0.10%. An
expansion of less than 0.10% indicates non-reactive aggregates,
and expansions between 0.10% and 0.40% have a potential for
slow ASR. Many field and laboratory investigations on concrete,
mortar or aggregate samples have demonstrated or suggested that
quartz, feldspars, micas, clay minerals, metamorphic or strained
quartz in sandstones can release significant amounts of alkalis in
the concrete pore solutions or can react with the free alkalis in
cement (Blight et al., 1981; Choquette et al., 1991; Hünger et al.,
1996; Van Aardt and Visser, 1977). Based on petrographic
studies, all the studied sandstones are mainly composed of quartz,
at the particle surface.
Based on the results of the aggregate tests, especially the
methylene blue, water absorption and magnesium sulfate tests
(Table 4), the sublitharenite/litharenite (OS4) and arkose (OS5)
samples are of extremely poor quality when compared with all
14 the other samples in the study. This result is expected because
these sandstones contain a higher percentage of clay cement, as
indicated by the highest aluminium oxide and iron (III) oxide
contents (Table 2). In addition, these two samples are metamor-
phosed (Table 2 and Figure 2) and their particle sizes range from
very fine to fine (OS5) to coarse (OS4). Therefore, based on these
potentially deleterious properties, the sublitharenite/litharenite
(OS4) and arkose (OS5) samples should not be used in concrete
production. Other low-quality sandstones such as subarkose
(OS1) and arkose (K3) can be used in low-strength concrete, but
they should not be used in freezing and thawing service
conditions.
The compressive strength of testing concretes produced from
different sandstones is shown in Table 7. As seen in this table,
crushed aggregates of subarkoses (AS and CBS) and quartzite
(CS) produce higher compressive strength than other sandstones.
The 28-day compressive strengths of concretes made with
subarkose–arkose (OS1), sublitharenite–litharenite (OS4) and
arkose (OS5) aggregates are nearly 40–50% lower when com-
pared to subarkose aggregate concrete.
Conclusion
Petrographic studies indicate that most of the sandstones tested in
this work are classified as subarkose, arkose, sublitharenite,
litharenite, quartz sandstone and quartzite. According to the test
results, sublitharenite/litharenite and arkose cemented with clay
should not be used as concrete aggregates, whereas quartz
sandstone, subarkose and quartzite can be used. However, the
hardened concrete properties produced with studied sandstones
support aggregate test results.
Additionally, subarkose and arkose should be evaluated carefully
before use as coarse aggregates in low-strength concrete owing to
their potential susceptibility to damage in freeze and thaw service

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Magazine of Concrete Research
Volume 64 Issue 12
conditions. However, these sandstones do not appear to be
susceptible to deleterious alkali–aggregate reactions.
The chemical composition of the sandstones (especially the
percentage of aluminium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide
and iron (III) oxide) provide generally positive information about
the aggregate quality.
Although there is an increasing demand for aggregates and
decreasing amounts of good quality aggregate resources in the
world, especially around large metropolitan areas, lower quality
aggregates should be used with caution in low-strength concrete,
with special attention paid to durability characteristics and test-
ing, especially for magnesium sulfate soundness, when used in
exterior service conditions.
Acknowledgement
This study was supported by the Research Fund of the Istanbul
University (project number: 517/05052006).
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