The ability of a sand to perform satisfactorily in concrete is determined by many factors, grading being just one. Aggregates make up 80 percent of the volume of concrete, yet aggregates producers know very little about how aggregates influence their concrete clients' business - either positively or negatively. Only through understanding how aggregates work in concrete can producers start to gain fair value for aggregates products and begin to use unwashed fines or other "marginal" material. This is the fifth in a multi-part series that will appear in Pit & Quarry.- Ed. In Part 4 of this series, we looked at the grading of an aggregate, and ended on a piece of advice: Here is some free advice to those who are looking at designing concrete using manufactured sands by using a grading curve: Do not waste your time. The most important things to be looking at are the impacts of texture and angularity, especially if you are blending your sands.
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