TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY

KHWOPA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

An Undertaking of Bhaktapur Municipality
Libali, Bhaktapur, Nepal

A
Lab Report on
Transportation Engineering
Practical No: 02
Determination of Los Angeles Abrasion value of
Aggregate

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

Name: Roman Sharma Er. Ramesh Bala
Roll No: KCE077BCE054 Department of Civil Engineering
Group: C

Date of Submission: 2080/09/03

 DETERMINATION OF LOS ANGELES ABRASION VALUE OF
AGGREGATE
Objective
➢ To determine the Los Angeles abrasion value of the given aggregate.

Apparatus Required:
1. LOS ANGELES testing machine
2. Weighing balance
3. Abrasive charges
4. Sieves

Materials required:
• Aggregates

Theory
The Los Angeles (LA) abrasion method is commonly used for determining the abrasion
characteristics and classification of the granular materials used in road and pavement
construction. The abrasion resistance of materials can significantly affect the service life of
road pavements when exposed to long-term dynamic traffic loads. The LA abrasion method
suffers from several drawbacks including the time needed to perform the test, the operational
noise and dust and the space required by the machine. The objective of this study was to
investigate whether the modified compaction method can be a suitable alternative for
determining the LA abrasion value. This study was proposed in consideration of the
similarities in the treatment of materials by the LA abrasion method and the modified
compaction method. It was considered that the laboratory-modified compaction method
closely simulates the abrasion resistance of the unbound granular materials in the base course
and sub-base layers of road pavements that experience repetitive dynamic loads. As indicated
by the results of tests on nineteen different aggregate samples, a strong correlation exists
between the Los Angeles Abrasion Values (LAVs) and the values obtained when implementing
the modified compaction method, namely, the Compaction Abrasion Values (CAVs)

Los Angeles abrasion test on aggregates is the measure of aggregate toughness and abrasion
resistance such as crushing, degradation and disintegration. This test is carried out by AASHTO
T 96 or ASTM C 131: Resistance to Degradation of Small-Size Coarse Aggregate by Abrasion
and Impact in the Los Angeles Machine. The aggregate used in surface course of the highway
pavements are subjected to wearing due to movement of traffic. When vehicles move on the
road, the soil particles present between the pneumatic tyres and road surface cause abrasion
of road aggregates. The steel rimmed wheels of animal driven vehicles also cause
considerable abrasion of the road surface. Therefore, the road aggregates should be hard
enough to resist abrasion. Resistance to abrasion of aggregate is determined in laboratory by
Los Angeles test machine. The principle of Los Angeles abrasion test is to produce abrasive
action by use of standard steel balls which when mixed with aggregates and rotated in a drum
for specific number of revolutions also causes impact on aggregates. The percentage wear of
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the aggregates due to rubbing with steel balls is determined and is known as Los Angeles
Abrasion Value.

The Los Angeles test is a measure of degradation of mineral aggregates of standard gradings
resulting from a combination of actions including abrasion or attrition, impact, and grinding
in a rotating steel drum containing a specified number of steel spheres. The Los Angeles (L.A.)
abrasion test is a common test method used to indicate aggregate toughness and abrasion
characteristics. Aggregate abrasion characteristics are important because the constituent
aggregate in HMA must resist crushing, degradation and disintegration in order to produce a
high quality HMA.

Principle: To produce the abrasive action by use of standard steel balls which when mixed
with the aggregate and rotated in a drum for specific number of revolution cause impact on
aggregate. The %age wear due to rubbing with steel balls is determined and is known as
abrasion value. Prepare the sample by the portion of an aggregate sample retained on the
1.70 mm (No. 12) sieve and place in a large rotating drum that contains a shelf plate attached
to the outer wall.

Fig: Abrasion Testing Machine

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The sample should confirm to any of the grading shown in table 1.

Table 1

Table 2

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Table 3
S Maximum permeable
N Type of pavement layer
abrasion value in%
1 Water bound macadam, sub bound course 60
2 WBM base course with bituminous surfacing 50
3 Bituminous bound macadam 50
4 WBM surface course 40
5 Bituminous penetration macadam 40
Bituminous surface dressing, cement concrete
6 35
surface course
7 Bituminous concrete surface course 30

Procedure
1. Los Angeles test was done for Grade B in which 5 kg of sample was taken as W1 according
to the table 1.
2. The abrasive charge was chosen as B (i.e. 11 steel balls) from table 2.
3. The cover of Los Angeles machine was opened and the aggregates and steel balls were
fed into the cylinder. Cover was kept back and tightened.
4. The machine was rotated at uniform speed 30-33 revolutions per minute.
5. The machine was revolved for 500 revolutions for grading B.
6. Dust cover was removed and material was taken out carefully.
7. The steel ball was separated and the material was sieved on 1.7 mm IS sieve and weighted
as W2.
8. The percentage of loss of material was calculated.

Observation and Calculation

Grade of aggregates = B

Original weight of sample (W1) = 5 kg

(20mm pass-12.5mm retained) = 2.5 kg

(10.5mm pass-10mm retained) = 2.5 kg

Weight of sample retained on 1.75 mm IS sieve (W2) = 3.420 kg

Loss in weight (W1-W2) = 5-3.420 = 1.580 kg

W1−W2 1.580
Percentage wear or LA value = × 100% = × 100% = 31.64%
W1 5

Result
Hence, Los Angeles abrasion value for the given sample was found to be 31.64%.
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Discussion and Conclusion
Table 3 suggests that the aggregate is suitable for various applications, serving as a surface
course for bituminous concrete, bituminous surface dressing, and cement concrete surface
courses. Additionally, it proves effective in waterbound macadam, sub-bound courses,
bituminous penetration macadam, WBM surface courses, and bituminous bound macadam.

The Los Angeles Abrasion (LA) value of 31.6% places it in the medium range of abrasion
resistance. A higher value indicates diminished resistance to wear, rendering the aggregate
more vulnerable to damage when subjected to abrasive forces. Consequently, its application
in road pavement is versatile, encompassing road base courses, concrete production, railway
ballast, asphalt mixes, and fill material, among other uses.

While conducting the Los Angeles abrasion test experiment, we encountered certain errors
attributable to both personal and instrumental factors. One notable issue involved the
unintentional loss of a portion of the aggregate during testing, which could potentially impact
the accuracy of our results. Additionally, the least count in the weighing machine introduced
errors into our data, emphasizing the need for precision in our measurements.

The irregular shape and size of the aggregates used in the experiment presented a challenge,
introducing potential variability in the outcomes. Moreover, during the sieving process, there
was a risk of some aggregates becoming caught on the sieve, introducing additional sources
of error.

As civil engineers, it's really important for us to notice and deal with these challenges so that
our experimental results can be trusted. We need to pay close attention to the details and
follow the established procedures strictly. Doing this helps us reduce mistakes and makes our
findings stronger when we're testing materials for construction projects.

Precaution
1. The aggregates should weigh precisely 5 kg in total.
2. Sieve analysis should be properly done.
3. Rotation of the Los Angeles apparatus should be carefully counted as the counter in
instrument was out of order.
4. All material should be removed from the cylinder to the tray after the conduct of the test.
5. The test samples should be clean and dried at 105°C -110°C.

References
1. Los Angeles Abrasion Test Machine Diagram - Search Images (bing.com)
2. (PDF) A new practical method for determining the LA abrasion value for aggregates
(researchgate.net)
3. Los Angeles Abrasion Test on Aggregates -Values for Pavements (theconstructor.org)
4. Los Angeles Abrasion Test Procedure, Apparatus, Significance & Principle of the Test
(aboutcivil.org)
5. Los Angeles Abrasion Test Machine Diagram - Search Images (bing.com)

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