Effects of Particle Size Distribution on the Performance of Calcium Carbonate Concrete

Abstract

The study investigates the effects of the particle size distribution (PSD) of aggregates on the properties of calcium carbonate concrete (CCC). Fifteen different types of aggregate PSDs were designed to select the appropriate PSD for CCC, based on the experimental data. Notably, the compressive strength of the CCC depends on the aggregate PSD, fineness modulus of the aggregates, packing ratio, and the amount of solution moving throughout the specimen. After one-day CCC processing, its compressive strength reached 7.2 MPa with an appropriate PSD. In addition, the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that aragonite was the dominant contributor to the development of CCC strength. The amount of aragonite was influenced by the amount of solution passing through the specimen and the PSD of the aggregate blend.