Influence of Rock Dust Additives as Fine Aggregate Replacement on Properties of Cement Composites—A Review

Abstract

Concrete production consumes enormous amounts of fossil fuels, raw materials, and is energy intensive. Therefore, scientific research is being conducted worldwide regarding the possibility of using by-products in the production of concrete. The objective is not only to identify substitutes for cement clinker, but also to identify materials that can be used as aggregate in mortar and concrete productions. Among the potential alternative materials that can be used in cement composite production is rock dust of different geological origin. However, some adversarial effects may be encountered when using rock dust regarding the properties and durability of mortars and concrete. Therefore, comprehensive research is needed to evaluate the adequacy of rock dust use in cementitious composite production. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the scientific findings from past studies concerning the use of various geological origins of rock dust in the production of mortars and concrete. The influence of rock dust as a replacement of fine aggregates on cementitious composites was analyzed and evaluated. In this assessment and review, fresh concrete and mortar properties, i.e., workability, segregation, and bleeding, mechanical properties, and the durability of hardened concrete and mortar were considered.