Cement and Concrete Research 31 (2001) 1421 – 1425

Effect of coarse aggregate type on mechanical properties of

high-performance concrete
Ke-Ru Wu*, Bing Chen, Wu Yao, Dong Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Concrete Materials Research, Tongji University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China

Received 26 June 2000; accepted 20 June 2001

Abstract

Tests were carried out to study the effect of the coarse aggregate type on the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, fracture
energy, characteristic length, and elastic modulus of concrete produced at different strength levels with 28-day target compressive strengths of
30, 60, and 90 MPa, respectively. Concretes considered in this paper were produced using crushed quartzite, crushed granite, limestone, and
marble coarse aggregate. The results show that the strength, stiffness, and fracture energy of concrete for a given water/cement ratio (W/C)
depend on the type of aggregate, especially for high-strength concrete. It is suggested that high-strength concrete with lower brittleness can be
made by selecting high-strength aggregate with low brittleness. D 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Concrete; Aggregate; Mechanical properties; Compressive strength

1. Introduction and lower brittleness, proper texture and mineralogical

characteristics may improve the mechanical properties of
Strength performance remains the most important prop- the concrete. This paper reports the results of a study
erty of structural concrete, from an engineering viewpoint. undertaken to investigate the effect of four different types
The relation between concrete composition and mechanical of coarse aggregate on the compressive strength, flexural
properties has long been a matter of research interest [1– 4]. and splitting tensile strength, fracture energy, elastic mod-
The strength of the concrete is determined by the character- ulus, and characteristic length of concrete designed to
istics of the mortar, coarse aggregate, and the interface. For achieve three different strength levels.
the same quality mortar, different types of coarse aggregate
with different shape, texture, mineralogy, and strength may
result in different concrete strengths. However, the limitation
of the water/cement ratio (W/C) concept is becoming more 2. Experimental work
apparent with the development of high-performance con-
crete, in which the aggregate plays a more important role [5]. 2.1. Raw materials
For high-strength concrete, which is usually made with a
W/C less than 0.4, the strength of the mortar and the bond at 2.1.1. Cement
the interface may be similar to the strength of the coarse ASTM type I, made by the Wusong cement factory, with
aggregate. In such a case, it may be possible to make use of a 28-day compressive strength of 63.5 MPa.
the full strength potential of the coarse aggregate particles.
At the same time, with the strength improved, the brittleness 2.1.2. Ultrafine slag powder
of concrete is also increased, which limits the use of The slag was provided by the Shaofeng cement factory of
concrete. Thus, using a coarse aggregate of higher strength Hunan, and had a specific surface of 600 m2/kg.

2.1.3. Aggregate
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-21-6598-3463; fax: +86-21-6598-
The fine aggregate was river sand with a fineness
3465. modulus of 2.85 from Yangzi river. The coarse aggregates
E-mail address: [email protected] (K.-R. Wu). are defined as crushed particles with particle size between

0008-8846/01/$ – see front matter D 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 0 0 8 - 8 8 4 6 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 5 8 8 - 9
1422 K.-R. Wu et al. / Cement and Concrete Research 31 (2001) 1421–1425

Table 1
Relative proportions of concrete mix
Bindera
Water Cement Slag Coarse aggregate Sand Superplasticizerb (%)
0.26 0.7 0.3 1.41 0.94 1.25
0.44 0.7 0.3 2.91 1.94 1.25
0.55 0.7 0.3 3.0 2.0 0.5
Fig. 1. Three-point bend specimen.
a
For W/C = 0.26, total binder = 674 kg/m3; for W/C = 0.44, total
binder = 382 kg/m3; for W/C = 0.55, total binder = 340 kg/m3.
b
Percentage by mass of binder. where W0 is the area under the load-deflection curve (N m),
mg is the self-weight of the specimen between supports (kg),
5 and 20 mm, and included: crushed quartzite (CQ) from dmax is the maximum displacement (m), and Alig is the fracture
Shanghai, crushed granite (CG) from Fujian, limestone (LS) area [d(b  a)] (m2); b and d are the height and width of the
from Hunan, and marble (MB) from Anhui. beam, respectively; a is the depth of the notch.

2.1.4. Superplasticizer 2.3.4. Elastic modulus (E)

A sulphonated naphthalene formaldehyde superplasticizer This was determined by the initial slope ( P/D) of the
was used. P – d curve for a three-point bend beam and was calculated
by the following equation:
2.2. Mixture proportions    
P S2 a S
E¼ 6V þ
In order to investigate the effect of aggregate on the D 4bd 2 d d
different strength levels of concrete, three concrete mixtures
were designed to have 28-day compressive strengths of 30, For S/d = 4,
60, and 90 MPa. For the same strength level concrete mixture,  2 
the mixture proportions of all aggregates were the same and a a=d a  a 2
V ¼ 5:5819:57 þ 36:82
the maximum size of the coarse aggregate was 20 mm. The d 1a=d d d
details of concrete mix proportions are given in Table 1. 
 a 3  a 4
34:94 þ12:77
2.3. Tests d d

2.3.1. Compressive strength ( fc) where S is the span of specimen (m); b and d are the height
Three 100
100
100 mm specimens were cast for each and width of the beam, respectively; a is the depth of the
concrete mixture. notch. In this experiment, the slope was obtained by linear
regression of the curve of P –d when the load achieved 40%
2.3.2. Tensile splitting strength ( fst ) of the maximum load.
This was determined by three 100
100
100 mm speci-
mens and the value was calculated by the following equation: 2.3.5. Characteristic length
The brittleness of concrete can be expressed by its
2P characteristic length lch (m), lch = EGF/ft2, where ft is the
fst ¼ ¼ 0:637P=A
pA tensile strength (MPa).

where P is the failure loading (N) and A is the area of cross-

section (mm2). Table 2
Test results of concrete
2.3.3. Fracture energy W/C Aggregate fc (MPa) fst (MPa) E (GPa) GF (N/m) lch (m)
This was determined by means of three-point bend tests 0.26 CQ 98.2 8.4 48.2 166.1 0.113
according to the RILEM TC50-FMC (Fracture Mechanics CG 99.1 7.9 36.2 150.2 0.087
of Concrete) recommendation for determination of the LS 83.4 7.3 33.2 157.3 0.098
fracture energy of concrete [6]. The beam length, width, MB 79.8 7.6 33.7 165.2 0.096
0.44 CQ 70.4 5.2 39.5 158.1 0.231
and depth were 515, 100, and 100 mm, respectively. The CG 65.8 5.3 36.2 145.2 0.187
beam specimen used in this study is shown in Fig. 1 and the LS 60.5 5.0 31.5 156.3 0.197
fracture energy Gf of the concrete can be calculated by the MB 62.1 5.1 31.0 146.3 0.174
following equation: 0.55 CQ 44.8 4.1 37.5 143.1 0.319
CG 43.2 4.2 28.3 135.2 0.216
W0 þ mgdmax LS 46.6 3.9 30.1 152.3 0.301
GF ¼
Alig MB 45.0 4.2 29.0 142.1 0.234
 K.-R. Wu et al. / Cement and Concrete Research 31 (2001) 1421–1425 1423

Fig. 4. The relationship between splitting tensile strength of concrete and

Fig. 2. Mechanical properties of rock. aggregate.

The mechanical properties of the aggregates were also aggregate. However, for normal-strength concrete, the effect
determined. The tests were performed on cores that were of the type of coarse aggregate on the compressive strength
drilled from rock at the production sites of the aggregates. is not significant. For normal-strength concrete, bond cracks
The core diameter was 60 mm. The properties determined exist to a considerable extent before the concrete is sub-
were compressive and splitting tensile strengths, the mod- jected to any external load. Under load, these small or
ulus of elasticity, and the fracture energy. The length of the microscopic cracks extend and interconnect, until, at ulti-
specimens was 120 mm in the first three tests and 300 mm mate load, the whole internal structure is completely dis-
in the fracture energy tests. In the fracture energy tests, the rupted. The aggregates had, in comparison with concrete,
depth of the notch was half of the core diameter. relatively high strength and their full potential strength was
not used. In high-strength concrete, the strength of paste and
interface of cement – aggregate bond is also improved.
3. Results and discussion Under load, the cracks may extend through the aggregate,
which makes use of the full strength potential of the coarse
3.1. Test results aggregate particles. Therefore, in high-strength concrete, the
coarse aggregate plays an important role in the strength. The
The mechanical properties of the concrete mixes and the relationship between compressive strength of concrete and
rocks for the coarse aggregates are shown in Table 2 and the coarse aggregate agrees with results obtained in the other
Fig. 2, respectively. The results correspond to the mean studies [7,8].
values of at least three tests. In contrast to the compressive strength results, the results
of the splitting tensile tests show that the splitting tensile
3.1.1. Compressive and splitting tensile strengths strength of concrete is influenced by the splitting tensile
Fig. 3 shows the relationship between the compressive strength of aggregates to a small extent (Fig. 4).
strength of concrete and the coarse aggregate. As W/C is
lowered, namely for high-strength concrete, the strength of 3.1.2. Fracture energy and characteristic length
concrete is enhanced with increasing strength of coarse Fig. 5 shows the relationship between fracture energy of
concrete and aggregates, for the various W/C and different
types of coarse aggregates. As the figure shows, the fracture

Fig. 3. The relationship between compressive strength of concrete and

aggregates. Fig. 5. The relationship between fracture energy of concrete and aggregate.
1424 K.-R. Wu et al. / Cement and Concrete Research 31 (2001) 1421–1425

Fig. 6. The relationship between fracture energy and compressive strength Fig. 8. The relationship between the elastic modulus of concrete and
of concrete. aggregate.

energy of concrete for a given W/C increases with increas- shows that the fracture energy of concrete with granite
ing fracture energy of aggregates in three cases, whereas in aggregate is less than with quartzite by 10 – 20% at the
one case, it decreases. The reason may be that besides the same strength level. From the results, it is found that the
fracture mechanical properties of the aggregates, assuming type of aggregate has an influence on the fracture energy of
that the mechanical properties of the aggregates are the same concrete and certain aggregates can reduce the brittleness of
as the rocks, other properties, such as the particle form, the high-strength concrete.
mineralogy, and the roughness of the surface of the aggre- The brittleness of concrete can be expressed by its
gates, may have effects on the fracture energy. In handbooks characteristic length lch. As far as the effects of the strength
and design codes, the fracture energy is normally expressed of concrete and the types of the aggregates on the char-
as a function of the concrete compressive strength. Fig. 6 acteristic length are concerned, the same tendencies as the
shows the results of the fracture energy tests as a function of fracture energy are observed. Furthermore, the results show
compressive strength. As can be observed, the fracture that the brittleness of concrete increases, that is, the char-
energy increases with increasing strength of concrete for acteristic length reduces, with increasing strength, as shown
any given coarse aggregate type. In normal-strength con- in Fig. 7.
crete, coarse aggregate acts as crack arrestors during the
fracture process and the cracks pass through the hardened 3.1.3. Elastic modulus of concrete
cement paste or propagate around the aggregate. In high- The elastic properties of concrete are known to be
strength concrete, the strength of the hardened cement paste influenced by elastic properties of the constituent materi-
is by definition, high because a very low W/C is used and als and nature of the interfacial zone between aggregates
the porosity of the hardened cement paste is very low. This and paste [8]. Due to the inherent stiffness and large
situation results in a better bond strength and a more volume fraction it occupies in concrete, the aggregate
monolithic behavior of concrete. Subsequent fracture of exerts the major influence on the elastic modulus of
concrete takes place through the coarse aggregate particles. concrete. Not only aggregate stiffness, but also aggregate
Therefore, in high-strength concrete, the fracture energy of type, affects the elastic modulus. In Fig. 8, for the same
aggregate has a greater influence on the fracture energy of W/C, the elastic modulus of quartzite concrete is the
concrete than is the case in normal-strength concrete. Fig. 6 highest. The reason may be that the modulus of quartzite
is higher than the other aggregate by 30 –50%. As the
strength of concrete is reduced, the influence of aggregate
on elastic modulus of concrete becomes smaller. At the
same time, the elastic modulus increases with increasing
strength of concrete.

4. Conclusion

The impact of the type of coarse aggregate on the

strength of concrete is more significant in high-strength
concrete. In high-strength concretes in the present study,
about 10 – 20% higher compressive and splitting tensile
strengths are obtained with crushed quartzite compared to
Fig. 7. The influence of strength of concrete on characteristic length. marble aggregate. However, in concrete with a target
 K.-R. Wu et al. / Cement and Concrete Research 31 (2001) 1421–1425 1425

strength of 30 MPa, strength differences between concretes Poisson ratio, and strength of concrete made with thirteen different
coarse aggregates, RILEM Bull., no.1, New Series. 1986, pp. 17 – 28.
made with different coarse aggregates are reduced. The
[3] D.E. Davis, M.G. Alexander, Properties of Aggregate in Concrete
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mechanical properties of the aggregates, the type of coarse rie, South Africa, 1989.
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[6] RILEM Committee FMC 50, Determination of the fracture energy of
mortar and concrete by means of the three-point bend tests on notched
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