Application of the Modified Methylene Blue Test to Detect Clay Minerals in Coarse Aggregate Fines

摘要

The purpose of this study was to implement a new, rapid field method to effectively and accurately detect harmful clay minerals in aggregate fines by using the modified methylene blue (MMB) test. The focus of this study was based on existing knowledge that expansive, or swelling, clays can cause performance problems in pavements whose coarse aggregate fraction contains an appreciable amount of clay. It has been shown through various research projects along with pavement sections in the field that have failed due to distresses caused by the presence of a considerable amount of deleterious clay minerals. As part of this study, nearly thirty aggregate sources, mainly throughout Texas, have been collected and tested using the MMB test. These samples also underwent chemical separation in order to determine the amount of clay contained within each sample. A strong correlation between the MMB test and the clay content detected by chemical separation results has been established. In other words, clay-rich samples have been reflected by the results of the MMB test, thus providing evidence of the test?s accuracy in detecting expansive clay minerals.In addition to the quantification of aggregate fines by mineralogy, performance testing using hot mix asphalt (HMA) and Portland cement concrete (PCC) mixes was also conducted. In one phase of the study, known amounts of standard clay minerals were introduced to the mixes, and performance testing was carried out. This was done in hopes of establishing a limit of tolerable amounts of clay in coarse aggregate fines that would not sacrifice concrete performance. In another phase of this study, natural stockpiled aggregates from select quarries throughout Texas known to contain clay minerals in the aggregate fines were used to make Portland cement concrete to see how they performed as the coarse aggregate fraction of the mixes. Through extensive methylene blue and concrete performance testing, the aim was to establish a threshold methylene blue value (MBV) that corresponds with the maximum permissible clay content within the aggregate fines.