Title:
A First-Cut Field Method to Evaluate Limestone Aggregate Durability
Author(s):
Julienne Ruth Emry, Robert H. Goldstein, and Evan K. Franseen
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
109
Issue:
5
Appears on pages(s):
557-564
Keywords:
D-cracking; durability; freezing-and-thawing resistance; gammaray spectrometry; sustainability.
DOI:
10.14359/51684087
Date:
9/1/2012
Abstract:
The demand for durable limestone aggregate and concerns about environmental sustainability are current industry issues. Limestone aggregate abundance, lithologic variability, and extensive testing by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) make Kansas an excellent locality for developing a field-based technique for assessing aggregate durability. This study documents a first-cut method for evaluating aggregate resistance to freezing and thawing prior to subjecting samples to time-consuming physical tests such as ASTM C666/C666M. Gamma-ray-spectrometry measured potassium (K) radioisotopes on a quarry face were statistically determined to be predictive of aggregate freezing-and thawing resistance. A logistic model based on maximum potassium value (Kmax) provided the best prediction of resistance to freezing and thawing, as described by the statistical likelihood that a limestone bed with a micritic matrix will pass or fail KDOT physical tests (KTMR-21 and ASTM C666/C666M). In areas of limestone production, where resistance to freezing and thawing is a concern, this fast, inexpensive, first-cut methodology could be calibrated to region-specific physical tests.