TABLE CONTENT

NO. TITLE PAGE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 OBJECTIVE 1

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1

4.0 APPARATUS & MATERIAL 2

5.0 PROCEDURE 2-3

6.0 DATA 3

7.0 DISCUSSION 3-4

8.0 CONCLUSION 5

9.0 APPENDIX 6-7

10.0 REFERENCE 8
1.0 INTRODUCTION (Abdul Ronie Hafiz)

Road stones used in surfacing courses are subjected to wearing action. This is due to the
contact between vehicle tyres and road surfaces. The higher the weight of the vehicle, the
higher the amount of load applied to the road surface. Thus, producing a greater resistance
towards the aggregates. Therefore, a hard enough aggregate should be used in order to
maintain the surfacing course of the road against wearing action and abrasion due to traffic.
However, there does not appear to be a satisfactory test to measure the resistance of
aggregates against abrasion but the Los Angeles test is one of the most common tests applied.
Los Angeles test is a combination of abrasion test and impact test suitable to be used for
aggregates.

2.0 OBJECTIVES (Abdul Ronie Hafiz)

The objective of Los Angeles Abrasion test was:

● To assess the resistance to crushing and abrasive wear of an aggregate by means of the
Los Angeles Abrasion Machine.
● To determine the Abrasion (hardness) value of aggregates by using the Los Angeles
Abrasion test method.

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT (Abdul Ronie Hafiz)

Due to the movements of traffic, the road stones used in the surfacing course are subjected to
wearing action at the top. Resistance to wear or hardness is hence an essential property for
road aggregates especially when used in wearing courses. Thus, road stones should be hard
enough to resist the abrasion due to the traffic.

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4.0 APPARATUS & MATERIAL (Nursyazana Afiqah)

1. Aggregates
2. 20mm, 14mm, 10mm, and 1.7mm sieves
3. Mechanical sieve machine
4. Metal tray
5. Los Angeles Abrasion Machine
6. Steel balls
7. Scale machine
8. Container
9. Drying oven
10. Scoop

5.0 PROCEDURE (Nursyazana Afiqah)

1. Aggregates were collected by using a scoop and were put in a tray.

2. Then, aggregates were put into sieves to be sieved by using a mechanical sieve
machine in order to collect 14mm and 10mm sizes of aggregates.
3. Both 14mm and 10mm size of aggregates were washed to remove all the dust on the
aggregates.
4. The aggregates were put into two containers labeled 14mm and 10mm then being dried
inside an oven-dried oven for 24 hours.
5. After both 14mm and 10mm aggregates were being dried in an oven, both aggregates
were weighed by using a scale machine for 2.5kg each to be used for the Los Angeles
Abrasion Test.
6. The lid of the drum was opened by unlocking the four screws on the lid.
7. Samples were put inside the drum and 11 steel balls were put cautiously in order to
secure the shape of the aggregates before the test started.
8. The lid was closed by tightening the four screws before the machine started.
9. A metal tray was placed under the drum to catch samples after the test.
10. The drum was rotated for 500 revolutions at a speed of 30 to 33 rpm.
11. After the drum stopped, lid was opened and 11 steel balls were removed before samples

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 were put in a tray metal.
12. Samples were removed from the drum and were put into a metal tray then were sieved
by using sieve sizes 1.7mm.
13. Samples that do not pass through 1.7mm sieve were taken and washed to free from dust
then being dried inside an oven-dried oven.
14. The weight of the dried samples is taken and has been calculated.

6.0 DATA (Nursyazana Afiqah)

Table 1: Result of LA Abrasion Test

Weight of
Weight of
Initial weight sample Los Angeles
Aggregate sample
of sample, passing Abrasion Value (%)
Size (mm) retained, W2
W1 (g) 1.7mm sieve, (
𝑊1 − 𝑊2
× 100%)
(g) 𝑊1
W1-W2 (g)

14, 10 5000.00 3991.10 1008.90 20.18

6.0 DISCUSSION (Nur Hanim Suraya)

The purpose of the experiment was to determine the Abrasion (Hardness) value of
aggregates by the Los Angeles Abrasion test method and also to assess the resistance to
crushing and abrasive wear of an aggregate by means of the Los Angeles Abrasion Machine.

The working principle of Los Angeles abrasion test is to produce abrasive action by
using standard steel balls which are mixed with the aggregates and spin in a drum for specific
number of revolutions and for specific time and also impact the aggregates. Then, the
percentage of wear of the sample aggregates due to friction with steel balls is determined and is
known as the Los Angeles Abrasion Value.

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 The experiment began by preparing the 14mm and 10mm size of aggregates and
weighed them by using a scale machine for 2.5kg each and marked as W1. Make sure, the
samples must be washed and oven-dried first before weighed. After that, place the sample in
the drum with the 11 steel balls and fix the cover plate drum properly for safety precaution. The
drum rotated for 500 revolutions at a speed of 30 to 33 rpm. Then, take out the sample from the
drum and sieve the samples by using sieve sizes 1.7mm. Samples that do not pass through
1.7mm sieve were taken and washed to free from dust then being dried inside an oven-dried
oven and its weight was taken and marked as W2.

Based on Table 1, the results recorded with the initial weight of sample (W1) is 5000 g
while weight of sample retained (W2) is 3991.10 g. Therefore, by using formula Los Angeles
𝑊1 − 𝑊2
Abrasion Value (%) which is ( 𝑊1
× 100%), the result is 20.18%.

Based on standard LA Abrasion value that requires specification from Jabatan Kerja
Raya (JKR) is maximum 25%. Therefore, the value that has been obtained in this experiment
has been achieved by following the standard value which is 20.18%. Thus, it is necessary to
determine the suitability of aggregate use for road construction. From this experiment, the
sample that has been tested can be used for asphaltic concrete. It is because the LA Abrasion
value has achieved the standard requirement. Aggregates for asphaltic concrete should be a
mixture of coarse and fine aggregates,and mineral filler. So, the coarse Aggregate shall conform
to the following quality requirements the Los Angeles abrasion value when tested in accordance
with ASTM C131 should be not more than 25% that have been stated in Raya, J. K. (2008).
Standard specification for road works.

There are a few safety precautions during conducting this experiment. Firstly, the
experimenter needs to wear personal protective equipment such as a safety boot, dusk mask
and safety glasses. Secondly, put the steel ball carefully and don't drop too high inside the drum
to avoid aggregate break before abrasion starts. Thirdly, ensure the lid closes tightly before the
drum starts to rotate. Lastly, make sure that the dust does not spill while taking out the sample
from the drum to avoid losses.

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7.0 CONCLUSION (Muhammad Adli Amin)

The Lost Angeles Abrasion test is a measure of degradation of aggregates by abrasion

and impact in a rotating steel drum with an abrasive charge of steel balls. The LA Abrasion
value according to “Jabatan Kerja Raya” (JKR) is maximum of 25%. In our experiment, the
result obtained is 20.18% which is lower than the JKR specification,this means that the objective
is achieved. This shows that the aggregate is of good quality according to the specification
requirement and it is suitable for road construction.

Human and mechanical mistakes are two aspects that may have an impact on the
outcomes. When taking the mass aggregate reading at the scale reading of an electronic
balance, human error might happen. Also when the equipment we used for the experiment
broke, there was a machinery error. We must wear earbuds as a matter of safety to protect our
auditory sense from loud noise. For accurate measurement, we have to minimize the errors as
much as possible.

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8.0 APPENDIX

Appendix 1: Picture of Abrasion Los Angeles Machine also called as drum.

Appendix 2: Picture of when samples were collected after the Los Angeles Abrasion machine
stopped.

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 Appendix 3: Samples were sieved by 1.7mm sieves to get samples retained.

Appendix 4: Samples retained after being washed and were put into a container to be dried in
an oven-dried.

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10.0 REFERENCE

● Raya, J. K. (2008). Standard specification for road works. JKR/SPJ/rev2005.

● Mohajerani, A., Nguyen, B. T., Tanriverdi, Y., & Chandrawanka, K. (2017). A new
practical method for determining the LA abrasion value for aggregates. Soils and
Foundations, 57(5), 840-848.
● Tunc, E. T., & Alyamac, K. E. (2019). A preliminary estimation method of Los Angeles
abrasion value of concrete aggregates. Construction and Building Materials, 222,
437-446.
● Laplante, P., Aitcin, P. C., & Vezina, D. (1991). Abrasion resistance of concrete. Journal
of Materials in Civil Engineering, 3(1), 19-28.
● Repik, T. S. (2016). Laboratory evaluation of the influence of aggregate Los Angeles
(LA) abrasion on performance of open graded friction course (OGFC) mixtures (Doctoral
dissertation, Clemson University).
● Li, C. (2016). Improving performance and sustainability of unpaved roads: Stabilization
and testing (Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University).
● Ugur, I., Demirdag, S., & Yavuz, H. (2010). Effect of rock properties on the Los Angeles
abrasion and impact test characteristics of the aggregates. Materials characterization,
61(1), 90-96.
● Amirkhanian, S. N., Kaczmarek, D., & Burati Jr, J. L. (1991). Effects of los angeles
abrasion test values on the strengths of laboratory-prepared marshall specimens.
Transportation Research Record, (1301).
● Loss, P. L. Effects of Los Angeles Abrasion Test Values on the Strengths of
Laboratory-Prepared Marshall Specimens. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD,
1301, 77.