Aggregates are a fundamental resource to the built environment and are a significant  constituent in widely used construction materials such as concrete and asphalt. Aggregate properties heavily influence material properties during the construction and in-service performance. Understanding aggregate properties by testing plays a vital role in the construction industry by providing owners, designers, and contractors with valuable information throughout a project’s progress. Element offers physical, mechanical, and chemical aggregate testing services to ensure that your building materials perform as expected, are safe and fit for purpose. 

Element combines an unrivaled track record in materials testing with the ability to produce precise and accurate tests to make critical determinations about construction materials selection, engineering performance, and compliance with compulsory regulations and quality standards. 

We have skilled engineers with in-depth knowledge of the properties and composition of the different types of construction materials who provide professional advice and technical support to ensure complete satisfaction in your finished construction project.

Element provides a full range of concrete and aggregate testing services on-site and in our well-equipped, fully accredited laboratories. Our comprehensive package of physical, mechanical, and chemical aggregate testing helps determine the properties of aggregates and confirm compliance with your project or current standards.

With the experience of testing aggregate consignments from a few tones to many millions of tones in specialist quarry export facilities, you can be assured that customer testing is being carried out to the highest level upon which you can take informed factual decisions with certainty.

Aggregate testing services

  • Chemical testing such as organic matter content, chloride content, sulfate content, humus content, fulvo acid, loss on ignition, potential ASR, lightweight organic contaminator, fixed water content and alkali-silica reaction
  • Strength tests such as L.A. (Los Angeles) abrasion, aggregate impact value, aggregate crushing value, ten percent fines value, point load, and uniaxial compressive strength
  • Durability testing, including drying shrinkage, Micro-Deval and magnesium soundness
  • Physical properties such as moisture content, abrasion value, crushing value, 10% fines value, bulk density, particle density, water absorption, and un-compacted void content
  • Shape and size testing including grading, fines content, fines quality, shell content, angularity index, particle shape index, percentage of fractured particles, particle size distribution, flakiness and elongation index, shape index, crushed & broken surfaces, flat and elongated particles (5:1)
  • Fines quality and Impurity testing including material finer than 75μm/63μm, lightweight particles, clay lumps, and friable particles, shell content, sand equivalent, and methylene blue test
  • Specialist testing including Alkali-silica reactivity by accelerated mortar bar and concrete prism method abrasion and petrographic examination

The Element advantage

Element has vast experience in aggregate testing covering various British (BS), European (EN), and American (ASTM) standards, of which the majority of methods are accredited. Our well-equipped laboratories are designed to deal with large quantities of work, allowing us to provide our customers with the fastest possible turn-around times.  

For more information about our aggregate testing services, or to speak with an expert, contact us today

Our team of over 9,000 Engaged Experts in North America, Europe, The Middle East, Australia, Asia and Africa are ready to help you.