Material sourcing guide

Aggregates for concrete, fill and surfacing packages

Define each aggregate by its role in the project, not by a generic material name. Separate concrete stone, bedding sand, drainage fill and surface gravel so offers match the intended use and delivery phase.

Separate piles of fine sand, rounded gravel and grey crushed stone.
Separate piles of fine sand, rounded gravel and grey crushed stone.
01 / Materials & uses

Start with the right material groups.

Concrete and mortar aggregates

State the requested stone, sand and combined fractions by the mix requirement. Keep coarse and fine material as separate line items.

Fill and sub-base materials

Identify the layer position and compaction purpose for each fill material. Compare only materials offered for the same depth and loading intent.

Surface and drainage gravel

Describe the visible or drainage function, size range and finish the project requires. Separate decorative surfacing from free-draining backfill.

02 / Package boundaries

A material price is only part of the package.

Your material schedule
01Concrete and mortar aggregates
02Fill and sub-base materials
03Surface and drainage gravel

One schedule, clearly separated scopes. This is a request outline, not an installation drawing.

Included materials

Include crushed rock, natural sand, gravel and blended fractions under their own measurement basis and source description.

Connections & interfaces

Define delivery phase, moisture state and stockpile or truck measurement expectations within each material line.

Confirm separately

Confirm washing, screening, blending, loading and haulage as separately stated services; supply scope alone does not define them.

03 / A comparable request

Six details that make offers clearer.

Product designation
Give the exact project material name, required grade and target size range the engineer has specified.
Intended use
State whether the material serves concrete, bedding, structural fill, drainage or surfacing.
Size and grading
Request the declared fraction or sieve range and ask the supplier to confirm the sampling basis.
Source and consistency
Ask the supplier to identify the quarry or processing source and how batch consistency is maintained.
Quantity basis
Use tonnes or cubic metres exactly as the schedule shows and state whether compacted or loose volume applies.
Delivery and moisture
Describe site access, offloading point and any moisture or cleanliness requirement the project imposes.
Illustrative request lines
Item & descriptionQuantity
AG-01Crushed coarse aggregate for structural concrete, project-specified size and grading; delivery to batching area.420 t
AG-02Washed concrete sand for mortar and concrete, moisture stated at dispatch; loose volume measurement agreed.180

Example quantities only; no live prices or supplier offers. Use your project schedule for final values and ask suppliers to list deviations.

04 / Compare the whole offer

Three checks before you decide.

Same fraction and grading

Check that offers use the identical size range and grading declaration before comparing quantities.

Loose or compacted measure

Confirm whether cubic metre prices refer to loose delivery volume or compacted fill after placement.

Source changes

Ask suppliers to declare substitute sources or processing changes instead of assuming an unchanged material.

05 / Practical questions

Details worth clarifying early.

Can one aggregate serve concrete and drainage fill?

Only if the project specification says so. Ask for separate grading and fraction details, because the performance intent and measurement basis usually differ.

Does a sand price include washing and grading?

Only when the offer states it. Ask the supplier to separate processed sand from natural or unwashed material in the quotation.

07 / Your next step

Turn your material schedule into a request.

Create a Matravo account to prepare your request. For account or sourcing-flow questions, visit support.