Aggregate Testing

Accurate, independent testing of Aggregate to Irish and European standards.

BHP Laboratories is the largest independent materials testing laboratory in Ireland providing a wide range of engineering & scientific measuring, testing and analysing services to numerous industries throughout Ireland and the UK. We provide a comprehensive range of testing and monitoring solutions for testing aggregates. This includes a combination of site and laboratory sampling, testing, and advising services.

Aggregate testing is broken down into a series of design-execution standard & materials, of which we undertake testing of the following:

EN 12620 / SR 16-Aggregates for Concrete
EN 13242 / SR 21-Aggregates for Unbound & Hydraulically Bound Material (Hardcore)
EN 13139 / SR 18-Aggregates for Mortar/Plaster
EN 13043 / SR 17-Aggregates for Bituminous Mixtures
EN 13450 -Aggregates for Railway Ballast
EN13043 / IAT Specification-IAT Surface Dressing
Cable Installations Backfill-ESB Aggregate Specifications
Sports Turf-Materials for Sports Turf
EN 13383-1-Armourstone
TII Series 500-Drainage and Service Ducts
TII Series 800-Unbound and Hydraulically bound mixtures
SHW Series 500-Drainage and Service Ducts
SHW Series 800-Unbound and Hydraulically Bound Mixtures
ISRM-Geotechnical Investigation and Testing of Rock
EN12904/ EN12909-Products for Water Treatment
DAFM SI 248 – Liming Material

All testing is carried out by experienced technicians in our INAB ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, with results delivered to agreed turnaround times. We also provide on-site sampling and testing, with a fleet of fully equipped vehicles and field operatives covering all of Ireland.

Some of the services provided by our Aggregate Testing service include;

Particle Size Distribution (PSD / Grading) – Wet Sieve Analysis
Particle Length
Water Content
Liquid Limit
Methylene Blue
Flakiness Index
Compaction Fraction
Magnesium Sulphate Soundness
Particle Density & Water Absorption
Slake Durability
pH Value
Total Sulphur
Water Soluble Sulfate
Acid Soluble Sulfate
Oxidisable Sulfides, Total Potential Sulfate, & Pyrite %
Organic Matter Content
Acid & Water Soluble Chloride
Calcium Carbonate (as CaCO3)
Humus & Fulvo Acids
Petrographic & Thin Section Petrographic Analysis
XRD / XRF / SEM-EDX
Thermal Resistivity & Conductivity
Resistance to Fragmentation (LA) on Aggregate & Railway Ballast
Percentage Crushed Broken
Horizontal Permeability
Effective Angle of Internal Friction & Effective Cohesion (Large Shear Box – Cl.36)
Coefficient of Friction & Adhesion (Fill/Elements) (Large Shear Box – Cl.39)
Optimum Moisture Dry Density (OMDD – OMC / MDD)
Aggregate Abrasion Value (AAV)
Polished Stone Value (PSV)
Aggregate Crushing Value (ACV)
Aggregate Impact Value (AIV)
Drying Shrinkage
Resistance to Thermal Shock
Micro-Deval on Aggregate & Railway Ballast
Loose/Compacted Bulk Density
Classification of the Test Constituents of Coarse Recycled Aggregate (EN 933-11)
IS 398 Assessment of Existing Houses