Strength and durability of concrete incorporating crushed limestone sand

In recent years, there is a growing interest in the use of crushed sand obtained from limestone quarries in some countries where river sand is not widely available. The fines content is usually high in crushed sand which can adversely affect concrete properties. The influence of fines in crushed sand on physical and mechanical properties of concrete has been widely investigated. The results proved that up to 15% of fines content in crushed sand could be used without adversely affecting concrete strength. However, little work has been done so far on the effect of fines in crushed sand on the durability of concrete. This paper examines the influence of limestone fines in crushed sand on concrete properties. Properties include strength, water, gas and chloride-ion permeability and capillary water absorption. Four different cement types were used while maintaining a constant water/cement ratio. The results show that concrete containing 15% of limestone fines as replacement of crushed sand reduces the water permeability and increases the gas and chloride-ion permeability.