Influence of Limestone Quarry Fines on Mechanical Properties and Durability of Concrete
摘要
Utilization of limestone fines as a partial replacement for cement and sand offers an economical alternative method to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) and the consumption of virgin natural aggregates, while enhancing concrete workability by reducing overall production costs. In this study, an experimental evaluation has been performed to investigate the impact of quarry fines (Limestone Powder) on the performance of both natural sand and cement paste, which includes both interference with the physical properties and total water demand. To this end, variations in the performance of mortars created by replacing crushed sand with limestone quarry fines (LQF) at replacement percentages of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 using Ordinary Portland Cement (Type I) were examined and analyzed for the strength properties of mortars. The binder-to-sand and the water-binder ratios were held constant at 1:3 and 0.56, respectively. In addition, a second objective was to evaluate the impact of LQF on the durability and strength of concrete, where all mixtures were made using a cement content of 360 kg/m3 and a water-cement ratio of 0.6. The evaluation of compressive strength was conducted at 56 days of curing, as well as the assessment of the durability of the concrete through both the chloride test and gas permeability test. The results indicate the impact of incorporating limestone quarry fines into the mortars, as samples have not demonstrated any significant effect on the compressive strength of all moisture-cured samples. Additionally, the results indicated the relationship that existed between the compression strength and the bending strength for the mortar mixes. However, a little reduction in the resistance to the penetration of the chloride ions was exhibited by the concrete mixes that had high quantities of the quarry fines. In conclusion, the findings show that the quarry limestone fines can be suitable alternatives in the production of eco-concrete.