The presence of some different types of gravels (Qtz pebbles, ironstone concretions etc) in gravelly soils, does it affect the performance of the soil in a way or another?
Two reasons come to my mind:
1. Depending on the chemical composition of the aggregate and the alkaline content of the cement, alkali-aggregate reaction may occur producing cracks in the concrete. It may take years for the cracks to show up.
2. Some aggregate particles may have nonvisible cracks. If the strength of the concrete is controlled by the strength of the aggregate, the ultimate strength of the concrete may be lower than expected.
Angularity and durability are also characteristics of gravels used for road topping. On one project an artificial gravel bed for fish spawning to be built. Rounded pebbles were required.
Phil Helwig
Particle size and volume are not the only characteristic needed to capture material behavior of gravelly soils. Description of all relevant components help us understand how the material will behave when encountered the next time. Yes, it impacts performance. So, it is important to know how the material will be use, so you can best describe it. If you are going to landfill it all, size and volume are probably all that is needed, but not quite. If you are going to put it in an embankment fill, then additional things pop up like unit weight, durability, etc. So, it depends on the application.
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