GEOLOGIC FACTORS RELATED TO QUALITY OF LIMESTONE AGGREGATES

MINERALS BY STAINING, DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS, DETAILED PETROGRAPHIC STUDIES OF SOME IOWA LIMESTONE AGGREGATES INCLUDED THE STUDY OF THIN SECTIONS, INSOLUBLE RESIDUE ANALYSIS, DETERMINATION OF CALCITE DOLOMITE RATIOS, AND IDENTIFICATION OF CLAY MINERALS BY STAINING, DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS, AND X RAY. PETROGRAPHIC STUDY OF SOUND AND DISTRESSED CONCRETE WAS ALSO INCLUDED. INSOLUBLE RESIDUES RANGE FROM ABOUT 1 PERCENT TO MORE THAN 10 PERCENT; NO DIRECT CORRELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF RESIDUES AND THE SERVICE RECORD OF THE CONTAINING STONE. THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS OF THE RESIDUES ARE CLAYS, PYRITE, SILT, AND SAND. THE PYRITE MAY BE FRESH OR ALTERED TO LIMONITE, THE CHERTS ARE NONOPALINE, AND THE SILT AND SAND ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY QUARTZ. THE CLAYS ARE MAINLY ILLITIC BUT CONTAIN MIXED-LAYER COMPONENTS AND SOME KAOLINITE. EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF MONTMORILLONITE IS NOT CONCLUSIVE. SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND ABSORPTION TESTS SHOW THAT THE FRESH STONE FROM THE FERGUSON AND FORT DODGE QUARRIES HAVE HIGHER SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND LOWER ABSORPTION THAN WEATHERED STONE FROM LEGRAND. STONE FROM LEGRAND SHOWS AN AVERAGE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF ABOUT 2.5 AND AN AVERAGE ABSORPTION OF 3.5%. THE ABSORPTION IS HIGHER IN THE LOWER CHERTY BEDS WITH MAXIMUM VALUES IN EXCESS OF 5%. THE ROCK AT FERGUSON HAS AN AVERAGE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF 2.65 AND AN AVERAGE ABSORPTION OF 1.5%, FOR THOSE AT FORT DODGE THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES ARE 2.7 AND 0.8%. CORRELATION OF PETROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS WITH SERVICE RECORDS FAIL TO REVEAL ANY EXPLANATION FOR THE POOR SERVICE RECORD OF THE ROCKS AT LEGRAND. THE STUDY OF CONCRETE CORES TAKEN FROM SATISFACTORY AND FROM DISTRESSED PAVEMENTS INDICATES THAT FRESH STONE GIVES SATISFACTORY SERVICE, WHEREAS WEATHERED STONE PRODUCES DISTRESS. ALTHOUGH THE ABSORPTION CAPACITY SHOWN BY THE ROCKS AT LEGRAND MAY NOT, IN ITSELF, INDICATE UNSATISFACTORY STONE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE INCREASED ABSORPTION AND OTHER EFFECTS OF WEATHERING PERMIT REACTIONS BETWEEN CEMENT AND AGGREGATE WHICH PRODUCE DISTRESS.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/34/34-029.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 34, pp 400-412, 5 TAB, REFS. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Roy, C J
  • Thomas, L A
  • Weissmann, R C
  • Schneider, R C
• Publication Date: 1955

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 11-14, 1955
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 34
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorption; Defects; Limestone aggregates; Pavement distress; Pavements; Petrography; Specific gravity; Weathering
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00217881
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 5 1972 12:00AM