Aggregates & gravel

Start with the application

Aggregates are used in concrete, asphalt and a range of construction and infrastructure applications. Those uses do not share an identical material specification. A product suitable for a fill application is not automatically suitable for structural concrete or a specified road layer.

The buyer should identify the intended use, the required grading envelope and the relevant project specification. Nexus uses that brief to evaluate possible supply options. We do not list unconfirmed ballast grades, road approvals or concrete certifications as standard offerings.

Grading and material properties

A nominal size is only the beginning of the specification. Depending on the application, the buyer may need a sieve analysis, fines limits, particle shape indicators, resistance to fragmentation, water absorption or density data. Any relevant chemical or durability criteria should also be identified.

The required test method and acceptance category matter as much as the reported number. Nexus reviews the available quarry or producer documentation against the buyer’s brief. Samples and additional laboratory evaluation can be discussed where needed, without assuming that a visual inspection alone establishes suitability.

Bulk logistics and cargo economics

The loading port, distance from the source, cargo size and discharge arrangements influence the feasibility of an aggregate supply proposal. Buyers should communicate vessel restrictions, permitted handling methods and available storage. The required grading should remain identifiable throughout stockpiling and transport.

Nexus evaluates the commercial offer together with the proposed logistics. Segregation of different sizes, contamination controls and the basis of weight measurement are points for agreement with the responsible operators. No fixed minimum tonnage or freight rate is published because each route and cargo configuration must be assessed separately.

Documentation and acceptance

The document requirements should distinguish between commercial shipping documents and material test information. Origin, grading and test reports are reviewed for the proposed source, with any project-specific conformity requirements confirmed before order placement.

The parties agree the relevant sampling points, quantity determination and acceptance procedures. Where a project requires an independent laboratory report, its scope and timing must be established in advance. The product brief on this website is not a quarry certificate and does not assign an unverified standard classification to the material.

Supply proposal and contractual scope

A quotation is prepared for a defined product, quantity, origin and destination. The agreed delivery term, named port or place, shipment period, payment conditions and required documents should appear together in the offer. Availability is checked for that requirement; catalogue information does not reserve production or cargo space.

Changes to specification, packaging, destination or timing may require the technical and commercial proposal to be reviewed. We encourage buyers to share these constraints early. A complete brief gives Nexus a better basis for comparing supply options and preparing a proposal that reflects the actual receiving requirements.

Specify a fraction, not only the word gravel

An aggregate enquiry should state the intended use and the required grading. A commercial size description needs to be accompanied by the accepted grading limits or a reference specification when those are important to the buyer. Mixed fractions should be listed separately, with the quantity needed for each.

Nexus can discuss a quarry source against that requirement. Approval for one application should not be extended automatically to another: concrete, road works and other projects may use different acceptance criteria. The buyer's engineer or specification owner should identify the tests and thresholds that determine suitability.

Understand the weight and handling basis

Quote requests should distinguish metric tonnes from cubic metres. Where a volume-based requirement must be converted, state the density basis and the condition of the material instead of using an unexplained conversion factor. Moisture conditions and the agreed method of quantity determination should be documented where relevant to the sale.

Explain how the cargo will be discharged and transferred from the berth. For multiple fractions, clarify segregation requirements at origin, in the vessel and at the receiving stock area. The offer can then address the logistics of keeping the products identifiable, rather than treating all aggregate quantities as one undifferentiated cargo.

Review the complete route to the customer

A comparison should include the material, loading arrangements, freight scope and the receiving operation. Ask which port charges, discharge services and onward transport are included, excluded or still to be quoted. This is especially useful when comparing suppliers working from different origins.

For recurring distribution, share the fractions most frequently required and the expected shipment pattern. Availability, grading documentation and cargo planning can then be reviewed for an actual purchasing programme, while each proposed order retains its own confirmed terms.

Aggregates & gravel — Technical parameters

This is an enquiry framework, not a certified technical data sheet or an offer. Values, tolerances, test methods and product suitability must be confirmed against the selected producer’s documentation and the sales contract.