Abstract:
A considerable amount of aggregates are acquired from rocks and natural gravel
that are widely utilized in the construction of road infrastructures after crushing
them into desired size. District Dir is rich with granitic rocks and easily
accessible to extract for construction purpose but lack in usage of locally
available rock aggregates for roads construction makes the projects delay and
cost overrun. The aim of this study is to check the suitability of this locally
available granitic rocks aggregate for road construction through proper
laboratory testing and comparative analysis with other standard aggregates. Its
reliability is measured on these standard engineering parameters including Loss
Angeles Abrasion Test, Aggregate impact value, Aggregate crushing value,
water absorption, specific gravity, soundness, flakiness index, and elongation
value. After finding physical properties, HMA samples were prepared for
further performance evaluation tests. These tests were performed to measure its
resistance to rutting and moisture damage. According to test findings all the
results of test are within the acceptable limits of agencies (ASTM ASHTOO
BS). Whereas, the specimen prepared from Dir granitic rocks aggregates
showed 24% less resistance to rutting than Margallah aggregate
sample. Additionally, a cost comparison analysis reveals that Dir aggregate is
10% more affordable than aggregate acquired from Margallah. Any project's
overall cost may be reduced by using local aggregate as construction material,
and it can also significantly improve the socioeconomic well-being of the local
populations.
