Limestone and Natural Pozzolan Blended Cements: Evaluating Sulfate Resistance for Sustainable Construction

Abstract

This study aims to compare the behavior of ordinary Portland cement, sulfate resistant cement, natural pozzolan blended cement and limestone blended cement, produced in the same strength class as Portland clinker, under the influence of sulfate. For this purpose, five different cements were produced in Konya Cement production facilities. Characterization and sulfate tests were carried out on the cements. The strengths of the cements blended with limestone and natural pozzolan were determined in different sulfate environments and under normal curing conditions, and their behavior under sulfate effect was observed during a 360-day monitoring period. The experimental results revealed that the sulfate resistant cement with the lowest C3A content had the highest sulfate resistance. Moreover, the limestone blended cement showed a superior performance compared to the natural pozzolan blended cement. The compressive strength of the natural pozzolana blended cement was 50.1 MPa at 28 days and decreased by about 6% to 47.1 MPa after 360 days of sulfate exposure. On the other hand, the 28-day compressive strength of the limestone blended cement was 49.8 MPa, while it remained almost unchanged at 50 MPa after 360 days of sulfate exposure. These results show that limestone and natural pozzolan blended cements have the potential for widespread use in construction applications in line with environmental sustainability goals.