Sieving procedure and aggregate gradation curve determination

2 Sieving procedure and aggregate gradation curve determination 

The sieving procedure is carried out on dry aggregates using the appropriate sieve series and a sieve shaker. If there is no suitable sieving apparatus, sieving can be carried out by hand. 

After sieving for a sufficient period, the mass retained on each sieve is weighed and expressed initially as a retained percentage (RP) of the total mass (see the examples in Table 2.7, column 3). 

The mass retained on each sieve is then expressed as a cumulative percentage passing through each sieve (see column 4 of Table 2.7). The cumulative percentage passing through each sieve is calculated by the following formulas  

Sieves (mm) Retained mass (g) Retained percentage Cumulative percentage passing 

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