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3 Different Aggregates Commonly Used in Construction Projects
Aggregate building materials don’t get the limelight they deserve in the construction sector. While they might not be the most aesthetically exciting material, the use of aggregates in construction has been deemed as the building block of any civil engineering project. An aggregate is a hard, granular, mineral-like material, either used on its own or in combination with cement, lime, and bituminous binders.
The production of aggregates dates back to the Roman Empire, and it’s still used widely to bring innumerable building projects to life. Laying down the foundation for roads, buildings, and bridges, you’ll find different types of aggregates in use in the UK’s construction industry.
Aggregates, however unglamorous they may seem, are more than just your everyday rocks after all. Found on quarry sites, they’re crushed into varying sizes using heavy machinery and then used for a myriad of applications.
Having dominated the construction material business since 1996, Storefield Aggregates is a leading supplier of construction materials, such as aggregates, bulk bags, and heavy machinery on hire. We understand aggregates like no one else and ensure quality products for all your construction needs.
In this blog, we explore the commonly used aggregates for construction projects in the UK.
Understanding the Use of Aggregates in Construction
Aggregates are raw materials derived from natural resources and extracted from quarries and pits. Gravel, sand, crushed stone, limestone, quartz and zinc are the commonly used aggregates in the civil engineering industry. They’re used on their own, as well as with a binding medium like cement, asphalt, and water to form compound construction materials.
When you use aggregates in any construction project, they need to have uniform and consistent material properties. After mining, they’re crushed, washed, and separated according to size. Each of these processes is as important as the next as it determines the quality of the final product.
Use of Aggregates in Construction and Other Sectors
With so many variations in source, material and size, different types of aggregates can be used for different construction applications, such as the production of concrete, cement, sub-bases and asphalt, precast concrete including bricks, paving and blocks, and drainage systems.
Not only are aggregates the fundamental building blocks, but they’re also essential in our everyday lives. For instance, sand (a type of aggregate) is used in glass construction while some antacids contain crushed limestone, which is another type of aggregate.
Different Types of Aggregates
Primarily, aggregate building materials are either natural, secondary, or recycled.
Primary Aggregates (or Natural Aggregates)
Natural or primary aggregates are natural materials that have undergone only mechanical processing, i.e. rock crushing. Natural aggregates include sand, gravel, and crushed rock sourced from quarries or marine areas.
Secondary Aggregates
Secondary aggregates are usually by-products of industrial processes where the mineral material undergoes a thermal change. Manufactured iron or steel slag, from steel blast furnace production, and china clay, from granite deposits, are examples of secondary aggregates.
Recycled Aggregates
Recycled aggregates are formed when used, inorganic or mineral construction materials are further reprocessed. Construction or building demolition waste, reclaimed asphalt from road surfacing works, crushed glass, and used railway ballast are common recycled aggregates.
Together, secondary and recycled aggregates are also known as manufactured aggregates. Based on their size, aggregates are also classified as fine aggregates and coarse aggregates.
Reach out to Storefield Aggregates for your aggregate needs.
3 Commonly Used Aggregate Building Materials
1. Sand
Sand is undoubtedly one of the most widely used of the different types of aggregates. Formed by the natural weathering and erosion of rock, sand is a durable fragment, rich in silica, and obtained from pits or marine dredging.
Depending on the source, sand particles are classed as either bedrock or superficial deposits. Bedrock deposits are found as bedded formations, while superficial deposits lie at the bottom of river valleys and riverbeds.
Sand is essential for creating a base for roads, producing cement, concrete, plaster, mortar, and stucco, filling trenches and excavations, filtration and septic systems, and outdoor landscaping.
2. Gravel
A coarse aggregate, like sand gravel, is also excavated from open pits and marine dredging. Gravel consists of durable fragments of rock formed from natural processes of erosion and weathering. Similar to sand, gravel is sourced from bedrock and superficial deposits, but in the UK, marine deposits are an important gravel source.
3. Type 1 Aggregate
Type 1 Aggregate is a premium material specified in the UK Manual of the Contract Department for Highway Works. This aggregate gives roads a strong and stable foundation and also creates durable working platforms and unpaved access roads.
Storefield Aggregates supplies quality natural, manufactured, and recycled aggregates used in various applications. Use our tonnage calculator to determine your requirements for loose or bulk bag aggregates for your project. Contact us to receive a competitively priced quote.
Contact Storefield Aggregates for Your Construction Project Needs
The versatility and diversity of different types of construction aggregates make them a key component for any construction or building project.
From bulk construction waste removal to hiring heavy plant vehicles, Storefield Aggregates is at your service to meet all your building and construction needs.
Contact us today with your requirements to receive a detailed quote.
