Construction aggregates vocabulary

Aggregates

Vocabulary List

Aggregate

Bitumen

Cement

Crushed stone

Gravel

Gypsum

Pebble

Sand

Coarse or fine materials used in construction are called construction aggregates. Aggregates can include:

• Crushed stone (also broken stone): Fine aggregate produced by crushing rock into angular pieces.
• Gravel (also pebbles): Coarse aggregate consisting of unconsolidated mixture of rocks that have a small, rounded shape. A small, rounded stone is called pebble.
• Sand: Fine aggregate consisting of small grains or rock.  

Difference between crushed stone and gravel

Crushed stone	Gravel
Commercial product	Natural material

Aggregates are used for mixing the substances such as cement, bitumen or gypsum to create concrete or asphalt.

• Cement: Grey substance made from burnt clay and lime, which can be mixed with water and sand to harden.
• Bitumen: Black, viscous substance obtained from crude oil, used making roofing or paving. Bitumen can also be called asphalt.
• Gypsum: White substance like chalk, used in making plaster.

Difference between bitumen and asphalt

Bitumen	Asphalt
Black, sticky substance without aggregates	Mixture of bitumen and aggregates

Sentence examples:

Production of construction aggregate decreased by 37%.

I work in a company that mines and processes crushed stone.

The road was surfaced with gravel.

Bitumen can be used for waterproofing.