Durability of Aggregates:
Durability of aggregate and consequently the products and structures it is used in is a function of number of factors. A large body of literature exists on the topic. The Durability Page contains abstracts of some published papers, as well as links to web sites of interest. More specific durability topics will be presented in this page.
Basic Principles: Mineralogy,and porosity, and pore-size distribution are the basic properties of aggregates - they define what the aggregate is, and how it is likely to behave.
Mineralogy: Rocks are either monomineralic, such as some sedimentary rocks (limestone, dolostone, sandstone), or contain multiple minerals in various proportions, such as in most igneous and metamorphic rocks. Most minerals contribute positively to the durability of aggregates. The minerals that are soft, flat, or elongate, and reactive may have negative impact on the aggregate quality.
