Technically Revised: 2017 Reviewed but Not Updated: 2021
Technical Subcommittee: 1c, Aggregates
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
555 12th Street NW, Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20004
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Materials for Aggregate and Soil–Aggregate
Subbase, Base, and Surface Courses AASHTO Designation: M 147-17 (2021) Technically Revised: 2017 Reviewed but Not Updated: 2021
Technical Subcommittee: 1c, Aggregates
1. SCOPE 1.1. This specification covers the quality and grading of sand–clay mixtures; gravel, stone, or slag screenings; or sand, crusher run coarse aggregate consisting of gravel, crushed stone, or slag with or without soil mortar or any combination of these materials for use in the construction of subbase, base, and surface courses. The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.
2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS 2.1. AASHTO Standards: M 144, Calcium Chloride R 58, Dry Preparation of Disturbed Soil and Soil–Aggregate Samples for Test R 74, Wet Preparation of Disturbed Soil Samples for Test R 90, Sampling Aggregate Products T 11, Materials Finer Than 75-µm (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing T 27, Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates T 88, Particle Size Analysis of Soils T 89, Determining the Liquid Limit of Soils T 90, Determining the Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of Soils T 96, Resistance to Degradation of Small-Size Coarse Aggregate by Abrasion and Impact in the Los Angeles Machine
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 3.1. Coarse Aggregate:
3.1.1. Coarse aggregate retained on the 2.00-mm (No. 10) sieve shall consist of hard, durable particles or fragments of stone, gravel, or slag. Materials that break up when alternately frozen and thawed or wetted and dried shall not be used.
3.1.2. Coarse aggregate shall have a percentage of wear, by the Los Angeles test, T 96, of not more than 50. Note 1—A higher or lower percentage of wear may be specified by the engineer, depending on the materials available for the work.
3.2.1. Fine aggregate passing the 2.00-mm (No. 10) sieve shall consist of natural or crushed sand, and fine mineral particles passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve.
3.2.2. The fraction passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve shall not be greater than two thirds of the fraction passing the 0.425-mm (No. 40) sieve. The fraction passing the 0.425-mm sieve shall have a liquid limit not greater than 25 and a plasticity index not greater than 6.
3.3. All material shall be free from vegetable matter and lumps or balls of clay. The soil–aggregate material shall conform to the grading requirements of Table 1. The grading requirements for composite aggregate material will be specified by the engineer.
Table 1—Grading Requirements for Soil–Aggregate Materials
Sieve Designation Mass Percentage Passing Standard, Grading Grading Grading Grading Grading Grading mm Alternate A B C D E F 50.0 2 in. 100 100 — — — — 25.0 1 in. — 75–95 100 100 100 100 9.5 3 /8 in. 30–65 40–75 50–85 60–100 — — 4.75 No. 4 25–55 30–60 35–65 50–85 55–100 70–100 2.00 No. 10 15–40 20–45 25–50 40–70 40–100 55–100 0.425 No. 40 8–20 15–30 15–30 25–45 20–50 30–70 0.075 No. 200 2–8 5–20 5–15 5–20 6–20 8–25
4. SUBBASE MATERIALS 4.1. Materials for subbase shall conform to the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 for Gradings A, B, C, D, E, or F. The type and grading desired shall be specified. Note 2—Where local experience has shown that lower percentages passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve than are required in Table 1 are necessary for subbase materials in order to prevent damage by frost action, the engineer should specify such lower percentages.
5. BASE COURSE MATERIALS
5.1. Materials for base course shall conform to the requirements of Section 3 for Gradings A, B, C, D, E, or F. The grading desired shall be specified. Note 3—Where local experience has shown that lower percentages passing the 75-µm (No. 200) sieve than are required in Table 1 are necessary for base course materials in order to prevent damage by frost action, the engineer should specify such lower percentages.
6. SURFACE COURSE MATERIALS
6.1. Materials for surface course shall conform to the requirements of Sections 3 and 4 for Gradings C, D, E, or F. The gradings desired shall be specified. Note 4—Where it is planned that the soil aggregate surface course is to be maintained for several years without bituminous surface treatment or other superimposed impervious surfacing, the engineer should specify a minimum of 8 percent passing 75-µm (No. 200) sieve in lieu of the minimum percentages shown in Table 1 for Gradings C, D, or E, and should specify a maximum liquid limit of 35 and plasticity index range of 4 to 9 in lieu of the limits given in Section 3.2.2.
8. ADMIXTURE 8.1. Calcium chloride used for the control of moisture shall meet the requirements of M 144.
9. METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TESTING
9.1. Sampling and testing shall be in accordance with the following standard methods of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials: Sampling, R 90 Sieve analysis, T 27 or T 88 Preparing samples, R 58 or R 74 Liquid limit, T 89 Plastic limit and plasticity index, T 90 Percentage of wear, T 96 Passing 75-µm (No. 200 sieve), T 11
