Standard Nested Sieve Stack (ASTM E11)
Brass/stainless steel sieves: 4.75 mm, 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 600 μm, 300 μm, 150 μm, and pan.
Civil Engineering / Aggregate Sieve Analysis
FREE TO EXPLORELABORATORY 05 · CIVIL ENGINEERING
Gradation & Particle Size Distribution of Fine Aggregates by Sieve Analysis
Determine the particle size distribution, gradation curve, and fineness modulus (FM) of concrete fine aggregates (sand) according to ASTM C136 / ASTM C33. Explore interactive structural mechanics, materials simulation, and civil engineering telemetry.
STRUCTURAL MATERIALS · MECHANICS · GEOTECHNICAL · HYDRAULICS · HIGHWAYS · SURVEYING
Your virtual civil engineering laboratory.
CUMULATIVE PERCENT RETAINED—
CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE TELEMETRY
Ready to sample with Sieve Index = 3.0 fraction.
Adjust Sieve Index, then execute civil engineering measurement.
Civil engineering telemetry is evaluated rigorously using 64-bit IEEE 754 precision. Residuals reflect ordinary least-squares regression across successive observations. Continuous data structures support high-fidelity structural mechanics and geotechnical continuum modeling.
Civil engineering assumptions and boundary condition limits
The civil engineering physical models apply within the specified calibrated operational window (1.0 to 5.0 fraction). Evaluated using a 1000.0 g oven-dried natural river sand sample compliant with ASTM C33 gradation envelopes. Linearized response relates cumulative retained percentage directly to standardized sieve index.
Laboratory apparatus & testing equipment.
Motor-Driven Mechanical Sieve Shaker
Imparts circular orbital shaking with vertical tapping motion for 10 minutes at constant frequency.
Electronic Analytical Top-Loading Balance
Measures sample and retained sieve masses with 0.1 g resolution and 5000 g capacity.
Thermostatically Controlled Drying Oven
Maintains 110 ± 5 °C for 24 hours to eliminate free moisture prior to dry sieving.
Soft Brass Wire Sieve Cleaning Brush
Cleans aggregate particles lodged in wire cloth apertures without damaging mesh geometry.
Sample Riffle Splitter Box
Divides bulk field sample into representative unsegregated laboratory test portions.
FOLLOW THE METHOD
A reason behind every step.
Determine the particle size distribution, gradation curve, and fineness modulus (FM) of concrete fine aggregates (sand) according to ASTM C136 / ASTM C33. Standardized parameter settings: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 fraction.
01
Sample Quartering & Oven Drying
Reduce field sand sample using a riffle splitter to obtain approximately 1000 g; dry in oven at 110 ± 5 °C to constant mass; cool to room temperature.
02
Initial Dry Mass Measurement
Weigh the dried test portion to the nearest 0.1 g and record initial dry sample mass M_total.
03
Sieve Nest Assembly
Clean all sieves with brass brush; nest sieves in descending aperture order: 4.75 mm (top) down to 150 μm, with solid collection pan at the base.
04
Mechanical Shaking Operation
Pour sand sample onto top sieve; secure cover clamp and operate mechanical shaker for exactly 10 minutes.
05
Retained Mass Determination
Disassemble nest; weigh aggregate retained on each individual sieve and pan to 0.1 g; verify total recovered mass is within 0.3% of initial mass.
06
Gradation & Fineness Modulus Calculation
Calculate percentage retained on each sieve, cumulative percentage retained, and sum values to determine Fineness Modulus (FM).
YOUR NOTEBOOK · 0 OBSERVATIONS
Turn measurements into civil engineering insight.
Points are your recorded observations. The solid regression line validates Aggregate Sieve Analysis mathematical scaling.
LINEAR REGRESSION FIT · y = mx + b
Cum% = 28.5000 · Sieve_Index
| # | Sieve Index / Size Fraction (fraction) | Cumulative Percent Retained (%) | Sieve index parameter | Cumulative percent retained (%) | Remove |
|---|
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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Explain what the civil engineering metrics mean.
The standard Fineness Modulus (FM) of concrete sand according to ASTM C33 must fall within:
Which standard sieve represents the boundary between coarse aggregate and fine aggregate?
If the sum of cumulative percentages retained on standard sieves is 285.0%, the Fineness Modulus is:
Sand having a Fineness Modulus below 2.2 is characterized as:
THEORY AND STRUCTURAL CONTEXT
Civil engineering background & physical principles.
Aggregates constitute approximately 70% to 80% of total concrete volume, serving as an inert, dimensionally stable skeletal filler that reduces paste shrinkage, creep, and heat of hydration. The particle size distribution (gradation) of fine aggregates directly governs mix water demand, workability, packing density, and bleeding tendency. Under ASTM C136 and ASTM C33, an oven-dry sample of fine aggregate (minimum 500 g) is separated through a nested stack of standard woven-wire cloth sieves (4.75 mm No. 4, 2.36 mm No. 8, 1.18 mm No. 16, 600 μm No. 30, 300 μm No. 50, and 150 μm No. 100) mounted on a mechanical sieve shaker. The mass retained on each sieve is weighed to compute individual and cumulative percentages retained. A key empirical index is the Fineness Modulus (FM), calculated as the sum of cumulative percentages retained on standard sieves divided by 100. Standard concrete sands require an FM between 2.3 and 3.1: sand with FM < 2.2 is excessively fine and increases water demand, whereas sand with FM > 3.2 is coarse and harsh, leading to bleed channels and poor finishability. In this laboratory, sieve analysis is conducted to determine gradation compliance and evaluate the Fineness Modulus.
Cum% = 28.5000 · Sieve_Index
Evaluated using a 1000.0 g oven-dried natural river sand sample compliant with ASTM C33 gradation envelopes. Linearized response relates cumulative retained percentage directly to standardized sieve index.