Extended Use of Limestone Fines in Various Concretes

Abstract

Limestone fines are increasingly used in cement and concrete for improved material properties and sustainability. This paper presents recent research at Iowa State University on utilization of limestone fines in concrete. It includes the beneficial uses of limestone fines in: (1) limestone blended Portland cement; (2) SFSCC (semi-flowable self-consolidating concrete); and (3) HPC (high performance concrete). The research results show that using 5%~10% of limestone fines to replace for Type IP cement (with 25% fly ash) increased mortar strength. Well-designed SFSCC with 25% limestone fines (by mass of cementitious materials) displayed desirable rheological and mechanical properties required for slip-forming construction. The newly developed limestone fines-based HPC reached the one-day compressive strength of over 28 MPa.