Reasons for Choosing Quality Aggregate

Nature itself provides the foundation for much of the world’s construction projects – rock. While boulders often aren’t of much value in their mountainous form, the process of crushing them down into smaller pieces delivers a wide extent of usefulness. The end result is an inert category of granular substances known as aggregates. Often overlooked, these prevalent materials are the basis for many undertakings you see every day at home or on the road.

Typical Construction Uses

Construction materials made from crushed stone can be utilized in a variety of applications. These range from weekend residential jobs to much larger building and infrastructure utilization. The size of the aggregate can range from golf-ball sized down to very fine sand. Some of the common uses listed below may be familiar to you:

• Ready-mix concrete
• Railroad base
• Drainage
• Building foundations
• Driveways
• Septic tanks
• Asphalt

While this is not an exhaustive list, it’s clear the versatility that these products provide. No matter the function, it’s important to know that not all rocks become good aggregates.

When a Rock Isn’t Just a Rock

Most people see small rocks and likely assume that they were found that way, in that exact shape and size, and that there is no difference in features among them. In reality, aggregates are crushed down from larger pieces of stone, and the properties of that original rock can play an important role in the quality of the end product. In fact, there are even standards published by national agencies that define suitable characteristics for these substances based on their area of use.

Whether your plan is large or small, ensure the stone you have chosen is correct for the application it is being used for. A local professional will be able to provide more information about various construction materials, to warrant that your project will be done right and last for years to come.