Crushed Limestone Rock vs. Crushed Concrete Rock
Uses of Crushed Rock - Limestone Rock and Concrete Rock.
This article is the result of the questions Select Sand & Gravel receives regarding the uses of Crushed Limestone Rock versus Crushed Concrete Rock. We determined it would be useful to outline the differences in these types of Rock. These types of rock are abundant in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston Texas areas. Crushed Limestone Rock and Crushed Concrete Rock are both used in the formulation of concrete as well as other applications.
We will explain concrete as a reference related to the uses of limestone and concrete rock. Concrete was originally formulated by the ancient Romans. It is poured into a mold when in the liquid form. Concrete hardens into a formidable surface over time. It is a mixture of cement, sand, and crushed rock or stone of different varieties. In the Texas area, most of the crushed rock used for concrete is crushed limestone, crushed concrete, or a smooth river rock. Stone hardness is very important as there is a correlation between stone hardness and strength of the finished concrete.
Crushed Limestone Rock:
There are other uses for Crushed Limestone Rock such as:
- Road Base
- Construction Entrance Rock
- Pipe Embedment (Pipe Bedding)
- Rip Rap (Erosion Control)
- Under a construction slab
- Driveway Gravel
- Roofing Gravel surface
We will provide clarification of the Crushed Limestone Rock material by defining Limestone itself. Limestone is a naturally occurring stone that is found in abundance throughout much of the United States. It is a sedimentary rock, composed mainly of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, forams and molluscs. The major materials in Limestone are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Limestone itself has numerous uses: as a building material, an essential component of concrete (Portland cement), as aggregate for the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste or paints as well as other uses. (Ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone/ and http://www.worldofstones.com/blog/limestone/)
Crushed Concrete Rock:
Crushed Concrete Rock is interchanged and used for some of the same applications as Limestone Rock with consideration of hardness and engineering factors. For additional information regarding a Roadbase or Gravel Driveway Project using these types of Rock, see another article on this site Titled, " Gravel Roadbase Driveway ".
Crushed concrete Rock is aging concrete that has been recycled, crushed, and reused in the construction industry. Often times, aging structures (sidewalks, road surfaces, foundation slabs) are removed for various reasons. When these old concrete structures are demolished in large urban areas, (such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, or the Houston Texas areas), they are transported to a Concrete Recycling Company. These Concrete Recycling Companies will crush the old concrete into various sizes of Crushed Concrete Rock for differing applications. Some of the recycled material is crushed to be used as the following materials:
- Road Base
- Construction entrance rock
- Driveway gravel
- Concrete rock for utility (pipe bedding) applications
- Landscape Gravel Drainage
- Erosion control Rock (Rip Rap, Gabion Crushed Rock material)
It is important to note that because the concrete material is recycled into Crushed Rock it may not be aesthetically pleasing. However, it can be used very effectively for the right project.
CONCLUSION
Over time, many of the Crushed Limestone Rock Quarries have progressively moved away from the cities due to materials being exhausted and urban sprawl. The Crushed Concrete Rock however, is able to be produced in most cases right in the middle of town which can provide the material less expensively for construction or residential project uses. Select Sand & Gravel supplies Crushed Limestone Rock and Crushed Concrete Rock for the construction or project uses stated in this article.
Contact us at our offices if we can assist with further clarification regarding Crushed Limestone Rock or Crushed Concrete Rock and/or with any Sand or Gravel deliveries.