Aggregates provide the backbone of our world.

An end-product in themselves, aggregates are also a raw material used in the manufacture of other vital construction products such as ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, lime and mortar.

Take away aggregates and our built environment would quite literally fall apart!

In a typical year, we need around 205 million tonnes of aggregates in the UK, some four tonnes for every man woman and child. Around 90 per cent of all aggregates are used by the construction industry.

Uses of aggregates

The main end-uses of aggregates are:

Three main types of rock are used to produce crushed rock aggregates:
Roads
The UK's road network handles some 94 per cent of passenger travel and more than 60 per cent of freight. Aggregates feature at all levels of the road construction (technically known as the "pavement") up to the surface which includes aggregates resistant to polishing, ensuring skid-resistance.
Railways
Railways need some three million tonnes of aggregates a year as track ballast.
Housing
The construction of a typical new house uses up to 50 tonnes of aggregates - from the foundations through to the roof tiles.
Other buildings and structures
From your local hospital to the Channel Tunnel - all are made possible by aggregates. In many cases they provide not just strength but, through special finishes, architectural beauty.
The water industry
Aggregates are needed to build and maintain our reservoirs and sewage treatment works. They have played a major role in the massive programme launched by water companies to overcome shortages.

Types of aggregate

We are fortunate that aggregates are plentiful in most parts of the UK so that local resources can be used in the main to satisfy local needs.

With the cost often doubling for each 30 miles travelled, aggregates are only transported long distances when it is absolutely necessary.

The resources are not, however, distributed evenly and some inter-regional movement is necessary. The South East, for example, has its own supplies of sand and gravel but relies heavily on importation of crushed rock from the East Midlands and South West, largely by rail.

Crushed Rock

Three main types of rock are used to produce crushed rock aggregates:
Igneous
Solidified molten rocks (eg basalt, granite)
Sedimentary
Created by settlement of particles (eg gritstones) or organic remains (eg limestone) in ancient seas
Metamorphic
Created by heat or pressure (eg hornfels, quartzites)

Sand and Gravel

Sand and gravel derives from the erosion of particles that were transported and deposited by water or ice.

Sand quarries are usually shallow, sometimes only five or six metres deep. Operations are likely to be shorter term than for a rock quarry and, with progressive restoration normally following closely behind extraction, the working area at any time is usually comparatively small.

New European Standards For Aggregates

The introduction of new European Standards for aggregates across construction products could cause widespread confusion throughout the sector unless all producers, specifiers and users of aggregates for construction purposes are aware of the changes to the existing standards and are able to respond in time.

From 1 January 2004 the current British Standards for Aggregates used in the construction sector such as BS882, BS1199/1200 and BS63, will be replaced with a new series of European Standards for Aggregates for concrete, mortar, asphalt or in their unbound and hydraulically bound forms.

Whilst the aggregates remain the same, the terminology, product descriptions, standard sieve sizes, grading presentation, test methods, Factory Production Control (FPC) and CE Marking will change.

The MPA has run a widespread information campaign so that everyone is prepared for the changes.

Please download the information below as applicable.

Bulletins
Bulletin 1 - Aggregates EN-day is fast approaching - approx 320kb	Download PDF	help
Bulletin 2 - Aggregates for concrete - approx 88kb	Download PDF	help
Bulletin 3 - Aggregates for mortar - approx 84kb	Download PDF	help
Bulletin 4 - Aggregates for asphalt and surface treatments - approx 88kb	Download PDF	help
Bulletin 5 - Aggregates for unbound and hydraulically bound uses - approx 196kb	Download PDF	help
Bulletin 6 - Type 1 granular sub-base and other unbound mixtures - approx 320kb	Download PDF	help

For further information contact John Bullock

Please note this website is maintained to provide information and guidance on UK issues, products and applications of those products.