Sieve Analysis: How It Works & How to Choose Test Sieves

Sieve analysis is a test that sorts a granular sample by particle size. You pass a weighed sample through a stack of sieves with progressively smaller openings, weigh what stays on each one, and calculate the share of material in every size range. The result is a particle size distribution, also called a gradation.

Labs in construction, food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and mining use it because it is quick, cheap, and repeatable. But to get the most out of sieve analysis, it’s best to understand first how it works, how to decide between dry and wet sieving, and what to look for when buying sieves and sieve shakers.

Sieve analysis tells you whether a material’s size makeup matches what a specification or process calls for. In aggregate testing, results are used to confirm that a particle-size distribution complies with specification requirements and to control the production of aggregate products and mixtures.

Common applications include:

• Checking sand and gravel for concrete and asphalt

• Classifying soils for geotechnical work

• Confirming that a powder or granule lot meets a size specification before it ships

• Monitoring a production process for drift

Different test methods cover different materials. ASTM C136 is applied to aggregate sources for concrete and asphalt, while ASTM D6913 covers soils.

Dry sieving is the default, and most people refer to it as sieving. You shake or vibrate the stack, giving each particle the opportunity to work its way through any opening it fits through. It's very effective with dry powders, granules, and clean sands.

On the other hand, wet sieving is for samples that have a lot of fine, sticky material. Clay and silt tend to bind the finer material into small clumps that behave as a single particle. A dry test would count those clumps as coarse material, and so the sample would appear coarser than it actually is. That matters for materials used in roads and structures, because the clumps will break down and the material will behave differently.

The decision is based on the sample. If it clumps, or you know it contains fines coating the larger grains, wash it. For aggregate, ASTM C136 handles this by running the wash procedure from ASTM C117 first, through its final drying step, and then dry sieving the same sample. The same standard also notes that material finer than the 75 µm sieve can’t be fully measured by C136 alone, so the washing method in C117 should be used.

Here’s a clear overview of the two methods:

The exact procedure depends on the standard you follow, so check the current version of your method. The general sequence is the same everywhere.

1. Prepare the sample. Take a representative portion and reduce it to the required size with a splitter. Sample size depends on the material and on the largest particles in it.

2. Dry the sample if the method calls for it. For aggregate, C136 specifies drying to constant mass at 110°C ±5°C (230°F ±9°F). Keep any oven below the maximum for your material and sieve type.

3. Weigh the sample. Record the starting mass. Everything that follows is calculated from this number.

4. Build the stack. Put the sieves in order with the largest opening on top and the finest at the bottom, with a pan underneath to catch what passes through.

5. Load the sample and agitate. Pour the sample on the top sieve and shake for the specified time, either by hand or with a mechanical shaker. C136 lists a mechanical shaker as optional, provided it meets the standard’s adequacy-of-sieving requirements. 

6. Avoid overloading. Too much material on one sieve blocks the openings and affects the result. Standards give a maximum retained mass for each sieve size. If a sieve is overloaded, split the sample into portions and sieve each one separately, or add intermediate sieves.

7. Weigh what each sieve retained. Brush the mesh clean without forcing grains through. Per C136, the residue on each sieve is weighed to 0.1% of the original dry mass. 

8. Check your total. The sum of all fractions should land very close to the starting mass. If it doesn’t, find out why before you report anything.

9. Calculate. For each sieve, work out percent retained, cumulative percent retained, and percent passing:

• To calculate the percent retained, divide the mass retained on a sieve by the total starting mass, then multiply by 100.

• To get the cumulative percent retained, add the percent retained on that sieve and every coarser sieve.

• To calculate the percent passing, subtract the cumulative percent retained from 100.

For example, a 500 g sample leaves 60 g on the 4.75 mm sieve. That is 12% retained. If nothing was held back on coarser sieves, 88% of the sample passes the 4.75 mm sieve.

Good sieve analysis is all about matching the method to your material, then having the correct test sieves and shaker to meet your standard. The Lab Depot carries test sieves in a range of diameters, frame heights, and materials, along with sieve shakers and accessories for wet and dry sieve analysis. For assistance, contact our expert team at 1-800-733-2522, email, or through live chat on our website.