Possibility of replacing crushed stone with gravel filler in the production of ready-mixed concrete

Due to limited opportunities to purchase highquality crushed stone on the market at affordable prices, ready-mixed concrete producers are forced to turn to other sources for purchasing coarse aggregates. One of the possible options is the use of natural gravel for the production of ready-mixed concrete. When replacing the filler, it is necessary to adapt the compositions of existing concrete mixes to it. However, when switching to gravel filler, it is difficult to achieve the technical and operational characteristics that traditional concretes of medium and high grades made on crushed stone filler have. This article describes the results of an experiment carried out to identify the possibilities of such a replacement using coarse aggregates obtained with the raw materials from deposits in the Leningrad Region as an example. The properties of the resulting concrete mixtures and concrete were assessed, and the potential of replacing crushed stone fillers with natural gravel determined. It has been established that coarse gravel aggregate can be used in its pure form when designing low-grade concrete formulations, as well as in combination with crushed stone when developing concrete with higher performance characteristics.