Specific gravity and water absorption test

Aggregate specific gravity testing is used to detect the strength or quality of the material, whereas water absorption testing determines the water holding capacity of coarse and fine aggregates. The main objective of these test is to,

1. To assess the material's strength or quality.
2. To determine aggregate water absorption.

Specific gravity is the weight ratio of a particular volume of aggregate to an equivalent amount of water. It is a measure of the material's strength or quality. Low specific gravity aggregates are often weaker than ones with higher specific gravity values.