Influence of grinding method and particle size distribution on the properties of Portland-limestone cements

Abstract

The benefits of using limestone as a partial replacement of Portland cement (PC) are well established in the literature. Economic and environmental advantages by reducing CO2 emissions are well known. This paper describes the influence of the producing method (intergrinding or separate grinding) and particle size distribution on properties of Portland-limestone cements (PLC). Experiments were carried out on cement paste including normal consistency, time of setting, and heat of hydration, on cement mortar including compressive and flexural strength, and potential alkali reactivity of aggregates, and on concrete including compressive strength, sorptivity, electrical resistivity, and rapid chloride permeability. In this study, ten types of cements including two types of PC, and eight types of PLC were used. The results show that mechanical and durability properties of PLC were not affected significantly by grinding method. In addition, the use of cements with high fineness is not very effective on improvement of durability properties.