In the construction industry, a huge amount of all kinds of materials are used, one of which is dolomite gravel. This substance has a huge number of uses, starting from one of the components of building mixtures and ending with decorative finishes.
What is dolomite crushed stone
Based on the name, it is already possible to determine the main component - dolomite. It is from sedimentary rock with this name that this rubble is produced. However, not all so simple. As a rule, in the same rock there is limestone in different quantities. As a result, two types of dolomite gravel are separated:
- Dolomite limestone (less than 75% dolomite).
- Limestone dolomite (more than 75% dolomite). This species is characterized by the presence of a large amount of calcium.
Depending on the composition, the color of the material can vary within a very wide range, from brown or yellow to gray or white. In principle, the substances are very similar to each other in most respects, however, there are certain properties that they still differ slightly.
Characteristics of two types of materials:
The properties | Dolomite limestone | Limestone Dolomite |
Coarseness | Up to 120 mm | Up to 70 mm |
Clay amount | Up to 2.2% | Up to 2% |
Strength | Up to 800 | Up to 1400 |
In terms of their other indicators, these substances are similar. Of these, radioactivity, which in both cases remains at 55 Bq / kg, should be highlighted. This is very small, because 370 Bq / kg is considered the norm in construction.
Fractions
Like any other loose building material, dolomite crushed stone is divided into several fractions. That is, it can conditionally be weeded out into larger and smaller particles.
The most common options are:
- 5-20 millimeters - fine gravel.
- 20-40 millimeters is a medium-grain material.
- 40-120 millimeters - a coarse-grained substance.
Smaller particles (2-5 millimeters) are less commonly used. In some cases, fractions of dolomite gravel of non-standard sizes, such as 3-7 millimeters, can be used. But actually there isn’t much difference. An exception may be expensive building mixtures, for which it is very important to have grains of crushed stone of a strictly defined size.
The use of dolomite gravel
Fractions directly affect the scope of this material. The smallest grains, up to 20 millimeters in size, are used to make concrete of the widest assortment (again, it depends on the selected fraction). Among other things, just such small gravel is an integral element of floors and beams, it is used for pouring floors (especially those varieties that are focused on installing heavy types of machines or other similar equipment).
Larger dolomite gravel, up to 40 millimeters in size, finds its application in laying the foundation and can also be part of some grades of concrete mixtures. It is convenient to use for decorative dumping of tracks or platforms. Especially often, material with such grains can be found in the field of landscape design, especially if it has a beautiful color. In connection with these features of use, most often a fraction of 20-40 millimeters is delivered in bags of about 50 kilograms. Such a system allows you to purchase exactly as much as required, and not overpay for excess volume.
The largest crushed stone, with a size of 40 millimeters and above (grains larger than 120 millimeters are rarely used) are used for laying highways, roads within the city, and so on. Less commonly, it is used in the manufacture of particularly large and large-scale concrete structures.
Total
Crushed stone, due to its properties and fractionation, is justly considered one of the best building materials, without which it is almost impossible to do. Fortunately, the reserves of this substance on the planet are simply unimaginable, and therefore its cost is very low.