Hydration and Mechanical Properties of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement Produced with Marble Dust

Abstract

Nearly 17 million tonnes of dimensional stones, such as marble, are produced in India annually. Around 7 million tonnes of stone dust waste is generated annually from the excavation and processing of these stones with an estimated wastage of 30–60% depending on the technology used. Stone dust waste generated, usually in the form of a slurry is dumped on open land, resulting in the wastage of productive land. The drying up of slurry leads to generation of fine air borne particles that can result in severe environmental pollution and health problems. The study shows that stone dust waste primarily consists of carbonate stones such as calcite, dolomite and magnetite. This study aims to understand the potential of utilizing stone dust waste in limestone calcined clay cement by replacing limestone with marble dust waste. Formation of carboaluminates was observed in the using marble dust as a replacement in LC3. It was found that stone dust waste can be used as a limestone substitute for the production of limestone calcined clay cement.