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The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.

Title:

Use of the Micro-Deval Test for Assessing the Durability of Virginia Aggregates

Authors:

Schmidt, Benjamin N.

M. Shabbir Hossain

Year:	2007

VTRC No.:	07-R29
Abstract:	Aggregate is one of the most widely used construction material, and the key aspect of aggregate quality is durability. In this study, the Micro-Deval test, a new test developed in France and modified by Canadians, was studied to evaluate its suitability in assessing the durability of coarse and fine aggregates from Virginia sources. The Micro-Deval and several known aggregate tests were compared. The Micro-Deval test showed a very high potential in evaluating aggregate durability with higher precision and accuracy than the conventional tests such as the magnesium sulfate and Los Angeles abrasion tests. The Micro-Deval test was able to differentiate between good and poor performing aggregates at least 70 percent of the time and was able to identify the quality difference between similar aggregate types with varying degrees of weathering. Because of the study findings, the researchers recommend that the Micro-Deval test be used as a quality control tool for aggregate assessment to supplement the current measures of aggregate quality.