ABSTRACT
Petrographic examination of aggregate is usually conducted following methods intended for the petrographic examination of concrete aggregates. In Europe, the standard for concrete aggregate (EN 12620) requires that petrographic description be conducted at least once every 3 years in accordance with the EN 932-3 method (British Standards Institution, 1997). EN 932-3 is a simplified method intended only for general classification of aggregate. However, a more thorough assessment is often required, for example, to determine
potential alkali-silica reactivity and this would normally be conducted following BS 812: Part 104 (British Standards Institution, 1994). In America, ASTM C295 (ASTM International, 2008a) is the applicable standard and this method is often specified in the Middle East. An in-depth review of the different aggregate petrography methods used around the world is provided by Jensen (2007).
