BALLAST COMPARISONS Contact Garry with any questions:

READING THE TESTS SODIUM SOUNDNESS TEST SPECIFIC GRAVITY ABSORPTION LA ABRASION (NOT INCLUDED) CLAY LUMPS AND FRIABLE PARTICLES DRY RODDED WEIGHT Contact Garry with any questions:

SODIUM SOUNDNESS TEST The soundness test determines an aggregate’s resistance to disintegration by weathering and, in particular, freeze-thaw cycles. Aggregates that are durable (resistant to weathering) are less likely to degrade in the field and cause premature distress and potentially, failure. Contact Garry with any questions:

SOUNDESS TEST CONTINUED The soundness test repeatedly submerges an aggregate sample in a sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate solution. This process causes salt crystals to form in the aggregate’s water permeable pores. The formation of these crystals creates internal forces that apply pressure on aggregate pores and tend to break the aggregate. After a specified number of submerging and drying repetitions, the aggregate is sieved to determine the percent loss of material. Contact Garry with any questions:

SOUNDNESS TEST CONTINUED The formation of salt crystals is supposed to mimic the formation of ice crystals in the field and could therefore be used as a surrogate to predict an aggregate’s freeze-thaw performance. Contact Garry with any questions:

BEFORE Na SOUNDNESS TEST Contact Garry with any questions:

AFTER Na SOUNDNESS TEST Contact Garry with any questions:

SPECIFIC GRAVITY Specific Gravity is a measurement that determines the density of minerals. Two minerals may be the same size, but their weight may be very different. The specific gravity of a mineral determines how heavy it is by its relative weight to water. The specific gravity value is expressed upon how much greater the weight of the mineral is to an equal amount of water. Water has a specific gravity of 1. If a mineral has a specific gravity of 2.7, it is 2.7 times heavier than water. Contact Garry with any questions:

ABSORPTION The absorption test is a measure of an aggregates tendency to hold water in it’s capillary pores. The sample is dried and then submersed in water for 24 hours. The sample is then removed and padded dry to remove all water from the surface while the pores remain filled. The sample is then weighed and measured as a percentage of the dried weight. Contact Garry with any questions:

A1 B1B2 UTA SPEC'SUPRR AREMA SPECS COMPANY Main Line Branch & Yard Ballast DATE OF TEST LA ABRASION (ASTM C535)22%23.8%21.3%19.4%28% Max25% Max35% Max CLAY LUMPS & FRIABLE PARTICLES (ASTM C142)0%0.0% Less than 0.5% SODIUM SOUNDNESS % LOSS (ASTM C88)2.3%2.19%0.1%0.6%Less than 5%Less than 2%Less than 5% SPECIFIC GRAVITY, SSD (ASTM C127) No SpecMin 2.6 ABSORPTION, % (ASTM127)1.1%1.2%0.1%0.4%Less than 2% Less than 0.5% DRY RODDED UNIT WEIGHT, PCT (ASTM C29)87 lbs90 lbs97 lbs101.9 lbs WHICH ROCK WOULD YOU PICK???

A1 A2B1B2 UTA SPEC'SUPRR AREMA SPECS COMPANY Other Bolinder Main Line Branch & Yard Ballast DATE OF TEST 6/1/20097/6/20098/7/20088/25/2008 LA ABRASION (ASTM C535)22%23.8%21.3%19.4%28% Max25% Max35% Max CLAY LUMPS & FRIABLE PARTICLES (ASTM C142)0%0.0% Less than 0.5% SODIUM SOUNDNESS % LOSS (ASTM C88)2.3%2.19%0.1%0.6%Less than 5%Less than 2%Less than 5% SPECIFIC GRAVITY, SSD (ASTM C127) No SpecMin 2.6 ABSORPTION, % (ASTM127)1.1%1.2%0.1%0.4%Less than 2% Less than 0.5% DRY RODDED UNIT WEIGHT, PCT (ASTM C29)87 lbs90 lbs97 lbs101.9 lbs