Title:
Cement-Based Mortar Performance with High Limestone Filler Additions (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Andrés A. Torres-Acosta, Brenda V. López-Arias, and Celene Arista-Perrusquía
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
carbonation; compressive strength; durability; limestone fillers; mortar
DOI:
10.14359/51749245
Date:
10/8/2025
Abstract:
The cement industry´s strategy in many countries is to reduce its CO2 emissions to diminish greenhouse effects. This strategy is to reduce these emissions by decreasing the clinker content in their new formulations, replacing it by using supplementary cement materials or inert fillers. One of the most used additions in Latin America´s cement industry is inert limestone fillers, which is the most inexpensive one. In North America, there are restrictions on using this inert addition in Portland cement, defining as 15% the maximum allowable content as limestone cement (LSC). Nevertheless, in Latin America and other countries, this limestone filler content restriction is not that strict, allowing contents as much as 35%. This investigation includes experimental results obtained from Portland cement mortars where inert limestone fillers used were between 20% and 30% by clinker replacement, and only 24-hour curing was considered. Results obtained include mechanical (compressive strength), physical (electrical resistivity, total void content, capillary porosity), and chemical (carbonation after one-year natural exposure) performance of such mortars. The carbonation coefficients (kCO2) obtained after 1-year exposure in a natural urban environment were 17.3, 22.9, and 24.5 mm/y½ for 23%, 27%, and 29% LSCs, respectively. These results were comparable higher than typical kCO2 values of ~ 4 mm/y½ obtained from ordinary Portland cement-based mortars having 90 to 95% clinker content.