A new practical method for determining the LA abrasion value for aggregates

The Los Angeles (LA) abrasion method is commonly used for determining the abrasion characteristics and classification of the granular materials used in road and pavement construction. The abrasion resistance of materials can significantly affect the service life of road pavements when exposed to long-term dynamic traffic loads. The LA abrasion method suffers from several drawbacks including the time needed to perform the test, the operational noise and dust and the space required by the machine. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the modified compaction method can be a suitable alternative for determining the LA abrasion value. This study was proposed in consideration of the similarities in the treatment of materials by the LA abrasion method and the modified compaction method. It was considered that the laboratory-modified compaction method closely simulates the abrasion resistance of the unbound granular materials in the base course and sub-base layers of road pavements that experience repetitive dynamic loads. As indicated by the results of tests on nineteen different aggregate samples, a strong correlation exists between the Los Angeles Abrasion Values (LAVs) and the values obtained when implementing the modified compaction method, namely, the Compaction Abrasion Values (CAVs).