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American Association State Highway and Transportation Officials Standard

Designation: C 144 – 03 AASHTO No.: M45-70 (1974)

Standard Specification for

Aggregate for Masonry Mortar1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C 144; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

1. Scope D 75 Practice for Sampling Aggregates4

1.1 This specification covers aggregate for use in masonry 3. Materials and Manufacture
mortar.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the 3.1 Aggregate for use in masonry mortar shall consist of
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information natural sand or manufactured sand. Manufactured sand is the
only. product obtained by crushing stone, gravel, or air-cooled iron
1.3 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the blast-furnace slag specially processed to ensure suitable gra-
test methods portion, Section 7, of this standard. This standard dation.
does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, NOTE 1—Care should be taken to ensure a suitable particle shape, since
associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this excessive quantities of flat and elongated particles have historically caused
standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices problems with workability.
and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior
4. Grading
to use.
4.1 Aggregate for use in masonry mortar shall be graded
2. Referenced Documents within the following limits, depending upon whether natural
2.1 ASTM Standards: sand or manufactured sand is to be used:
C 40 Test Method for Organic Impurities in Fine Aggre- Percent Passing
Sieve Size Natural Sand Manufactured
gates for Concrete2 Sand
C 87 Test Method for Effect of Organic Impurities in Fine 4.75-mm (No. 4) 100 100
Aggregate on Strength of Mortar2 2.36-mm (No. 8) 95 to 100 95 to 100
1.18-mm (No. 16) 70 to 100 70 to 100
C 88 Test Method for Soundness of Aggregates by Use of 600-µm (No. 30) 40 to 75 40 to 75
Sodium Sulfate or Magnesium Sulfate2 300-µm (No. 50) 10 to 35 20 to 40
C 117 Test Method for Materials Finer than 75-µm (No. 150-µm (No. 100) 2 to 15 10 to 25
75-µm (No. 200) 0 to 5 0 to 10
200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing2
C 123 Test Method for Lightweight Pieces in Aggregate2 4.2 The aggregate shall not have more than 50 % retained
C 128 Test Method for Specific Gravity and Absorption of between any two consecutive sieves of those listed in 4.1 nor
Fine Aggregate2 more than 25 % between 300-µm (No. 50) and the 150-µm
C 136 Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse (No. 100) sieve.
Aggregates2 4.3 If the fineness modulus varies by more than 0.20 from
C 142 Test Method for Clay Lumps and Friable Particles in the value assumed in selecting proportions for the mortar, the
Aggregates2 aggregate shall be rejected unless suitable adjustments are
C 270 Specification for Mortar for Unit Masonry3 made in proportions to compensate for the change in grading.
C 404 Specification for Aggregates for Masonry Grout3 NOTE 2—For heavy construction employing joints thicker than 12.5
mm (1⁄2 in.), a coarser aggregate may be desirable; for such work a fine
1
aggregate conforming to Specification C 404 is satisfactory.
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C12 on
Mortars for Unit Masonry and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C12.04 4.4 When an aggregate fails the gradation limits specified in
on Specifications for Aggregates for Mortar. 4.1 and 4.2, it may be used provided the mortar can be prepared
Current edition approved January 10, 2003. Published April 2003. Originally
published as C 144 – 39T. Last previous edition C 144 – 01.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.02.
3 4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.05. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.03.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

1
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.

C 144 – 03
to comply with the aggregate ratio, water retention, air content, limitations set forth in Section 4, not greater than 10 % when
and compressive strength requirements of the property speci- sodium sulfate is used or 15 % when magnesium sulfate is
fications of Specification C 270. used.
6.2 Aggregate failing to meet the requirements of 6.1 may
5. Composition be accepted, provided that mortar of comparable properties
5.1 Deleterious Substances—The amount of deleterious made from similar aggregates from the same source has been
substances in aggregate for masonry mortar, each determined exposed to weathering, similar to that to be encountered, for a
on independent samples complying with the grading require- period of more than five years without appreciable disintegra-
ments of Section 4, shall not exceed the following: tion.
Item Maximum Permissible
Weight Percent 7. Test Methods for Sampling and Testing
Friable particles 1.0
Lightweight particles, floating on liquid having 0.5A 7.1 Sample and test the aggregate in accordance with the
a specific gravity of 2.0 following standards, except as otherwise provided in this
A
This requirement does not apply to blast-furnace slag aggregate.
specification:
7.1.1 Sampling—Practice D 75.
5.2 Organic Impurities: 7.1.2 Sieve Analysis and Fineness Modulus—Method
5.2.1 The aggregate shall be free of injurious amounts of C 136.
organic impurities. Except as herein provided, aggregates 7.1.3 Amount of Material Finer Than (75-µm) No. 200
subjected to the test for organic impurities and producing a Sieve—Test Method C 117.
color darker than the standard shall be rejected. 7.1.4 Organic Impurities—Test Method C 40.
5.2.2 Aggregate failing in the test may be used, provided 7.1.5 Effect of Organic Impurities on Strength—Test
that the discoloration is due principally to the presence of small Method C 87.
quantities of coal, lignite, or similar discrete particles. 7.1.6 Friable Particles—Test Method C 142.
5.2.3 Aggregate failing in the test may be used provided 7.1.7 Lightweight Constituents—Test Method C 123.
that, when tested for the effect of organic impurities on strength 7.1.8 Soundness—Test Method C 88.
of mortar, the relative strength at seven days calculated in 7.1.9 Density—Determine the density of the fine aggregate
accordance with the Procedure Section of Test Method C 87, is in accordance with Test Method C 128. In calculating the air
not less than 95 %. content of mortars, use the method described in Specification
C 270.
6. Soundness
6.1 Except as herein provided, aggregate subjected to five 8. Keywords
cycles of the soundness test shall show a loss, weighted in 8.1 aggregate; fine aggregate; masonry; mortar; sand;
accordance with the grading of a sample complying with the soundness

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