ROCK ABRASIVITY

Advanced mechanization in excavation and particularly the growing use made of tunnel boring
machines, requires knowledge regarding rock abrasivity. This factor dictates indeed primarily the
tool efficiency and replacement rate. As a consequence, abrasivity may in fact result in extra costs.
Two types of test, i.e. Cerchar test and LCPC test, allow for a quantitative characterization of rocks
abrasivity.
Cerchar abrasiveness test
The Cerchar test (which was developed by the Centre dEtudes et de Recherches des Charbonnages
de France) is an abrasivity test that is widely used in France in the coal mining industry.
In the Cerchar test, a sharp steel indenter (hardness of 200 kg/mm2) of 90cone angle is applied to
the surface of a rock specimen with a static force of 70 N. The steel point is then slowly moved on
10 mm. This procedure is repeated five times in various directions on the rock surface, always using
a fresh steel tip. The abrasivity of the rock is obtained by measuring with a microscope the resulting
wear flat on the steel cone. The unit of abrasivity is defined as a wear flat of 0.1 mm diameter.

70 N

10 mm
2

Schematic of the test

picture of the apparatus

The abrasivity scale is given in the table below:

ICA value
<0.3
0.3 - 0.5
0.5 - 1.0
1.0 - 2.0
2.0 - 4.0
4.0 - 6.0
6.0 - 7.0

Abrasivity scale
not abrasive
not very abrasive
medium abrasive
abrasive
very high abrasive
extremely abrasive
quartz

Abrasivity_ eng/ jfmathier EPFL-ENAC-Laboratoire de mcanique des roches

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LCPC abrasivity coefficient

The abrasivity test of the Laboratoire des Ponts et Chausses (normalised according to AFNOR
P18-579) consists in measuring the weight loss of a steel plate rotating at 4500 rpm for 5 minutes in
500g of rock, which was previously crushed to pieces of 4-6.3 mm diameter.
The metal plate (25x20x5 mm) presents a Rockwell hardness B 60-75.

Schematic of the test

picture of the apparatus LCPC

State of the plate before and after test

The abrasivity coefficient, ABR, is defined as the ratio of the plates weight loss to the mass of
tested material. The index is given in grams per ton and varies between 0 and over 2000 depending
on whether the rock is respectively little or highly abrasive.
P0 P
G0
P0 = weight of metal plate before test [g]
P = weight of metal plate after test [g]
G0 = weight of sample [t]
ABR =

ABR [g/t]
0-500
500-1000
1000-1500
1500-2000
>2000

Abrasivity_ eng/ jfmathier EPFL-ENAC-Laboratoire de mcanique des roches

Scale
very small
small
average
high
very high

Example of rock
schists, limestones
molassic sandstone
gneiss
granites
quartzites

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Using about sixty samples from different origins, two studies [3,4] outlined some correlation
between both types of abrasivity indices. (fig 1). An analysis of Cerchar results showed that 1 ICA
index point is approximately equivalent to a 300g/t LCPC coefficient.

1800

LCPC [g/ton]

1500

1200

900

600

300

0
0

ICA
Granodiorit

Biotit-Serizit Gneis

Granit

igneous rocks

metamorphic rocks

sandstone

Olivine basalt

Porphyritic basalt

Tholeitic basalt

Fig. 1 Correlation between ICA and LCPC abrasivity indexes

References
[1] West G. Rock abrasiveness testing for tunnelling, technical note. International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining
Sciences 26, pp 151-160, 1989.
[2] Plinninger R., Kssling H., Thuro K., Spaun G. Testing conditions and geomechanical properties influencing the
CERCHAR abrasiveness index (CAI) value. International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences 40, pp 259263, 2003.
[3] Bchi E., Mathier J.-F., Wyss, Ch. Rock abrasivity a significant cost factor for mechanical tunnelling in loose and
hard rock. Tunnel no 5, pp 38-43, 1995.
[4] Mathier J.-F., Gisiger J.-P. Abrasivity of Icelandic basalts. ISRM 2003Technology roadmap for rock mechanics,
South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2003

Abrasivity_ eng/ jfmathier EPFL-ENAC-Laboratoire de mcanique des roches

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