# Percent Fractured Face Test

A sample retained on the 4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve is collected and the number of particles with fractured faces is compared to the number of particles without fractured faces.

- Canonical URL: https://pavementinteractive.org/reference-desk/testing/aggregate-tests/percent-fractured-face-test/
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Review: reviewed by licensed professional engineers on the previous Pavement Interactive site, where reviewers were not recorded by name
- Standards: ASTM D5821

A sample retained on the 4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve is collected and the number of particles with fractured faces is compared to the number of particles without fractured faces. A fractured face is defined as an "angular, rough, or broken surface of an aggregate particle created by crushing, by other artificial means, or by nature" (ASTM, 2000[^1]). In order for a face to be considered fractured it must constitute at least 25 percent of the maximum cross-sectional area of the rock particle.

## Standard Test Methods

- ASTM D 5821: Determining the Percentage of Fractured Particles in [Coarse Aggregate](https://pavementinteractive.org/glossary/coarse-aggregate/)

Calculator: Coarse aggregate angularity (fractured faces) — https://pavementinteractive.org/tools/caa/

## Sources

[^1]: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) (2000). Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section four: Construction. Vol. 4.03. American Society for Testing and Materials. West Conshohocken, PA.