Limestone
ASTM C568
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, supplied as dimension stone to ASTM C568 in low-, medium- and high-density classes plus dolomitic selections.
Reference datasheet — Limestone is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the MD condition
Limestone tempers and conditions
Limestone is supplied in 4 conditions, soft to hard. MD is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 4 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class I LD | Soft, porous, easily carved stone for interior work and protected exterior detailing. | 3 | 1 W/m·K | |||
MDDefault Class II MD | The standard building limestone (e.g. Indiana-type) for cladding, sills and pavers — best balance of workability and durability. | 5 | 2 W/m·K | |||
Class III HD | Dense, low-absorption limestone for heavy-traffic paving, stair treads and severe-exposure cladding; takes a honed/near-polished finish. | 8 | 3 W/m·K | |||
Dolomitic limestone | Choose when higher hardness, better acid resistance and a tighter polish than ordinary calcitic limestone are required. | 3 W/m·K |
What is Limestone?
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, supplied as dimension stone to ASTM C568 in low-, medium- and high-density classes plus dolomitic selections. It is chosen for easy working and uniform appearance at 2.4 g/cm³, 30 GPa modulus and 1.7 W/m·K, in ashlar blocks, facade panels, tiles, sills and carved trim, with a machinability score of 80. The limits are low strength — about 5 MPa in tension — and poor acid resistance (corrosion resistance score 25), so it etches under acid rain and acidic cleaners; granite or dense dolomitic stone is the alternative for exposed high-wear surfaces. Limestone has a density of 2.4 g/cm³ (0.0867 lb/in³), heavier than 83% of natural material grades. Limestone has a tensile strength of 5 MPa (0.725 ksi), weaker than 85% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.05% and the elastic modulus is 30 GPa (4.35 Msi).
What is Limestone used for?
- building facades
- flooring and wall cladding
- interior decorative trim
- landscape and garden features
- raw material for lime/cement
Advantages
- Low embodied carbon — 0.09 kg CO₂/kg, better than 95% of natural material grades
- High service temperature — 400°C (752 °F), better than 94% of natural material grades
- Stiff — 30 GPa (4.35 Msi), better than 83% of natural material grades
- Conducts heat well — 1.7 W/m·K (0.982 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 82% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Limited ductility — 0.05%, worse than 94% of natural material grades
- Needs corrosion protection — 25/100, worse than 88% of natural material grades
- Heavy — 2.4 g/cm³ (0.0867 lb/in³), worse than 83% of natural material grades
Limestone properties
Typical room-temperature values for Limestone-MD; bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Limestone has a density of 2.4 g/cm³ (0.0867 lb/in³), heavier than 83% of natural material grades.
Mechanical12
Limestone has a tensile strength of 5 MPa (0.725 ksi), weaker than 85% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.05% and the elastic modulus is 30 GPa (4.35 Msi).
Thermal5
Limestone is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 1.7 W/m·K (0.982 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 82% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 6 µm/m·K (3.33 µin/in·°F).
Electrical1
Limestone has an electrical resistivity of 10,000 Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is poor (25/100), worse than 88% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Limestone takes about 1 MJ of energy and emits 0.09 kg of CO₂ — less than 96% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
Limestone's machinability is very good (80/100, worse than 52% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Working with Limestone
Is Limestone easy to machine?
Saws, drills and CNC-carves easily with water-cooled diamond tooling; avoid dry cutting (silica/carbonate dust) and support thin sections against chipping.
Can Limestone be welded?
Not weldable — units are joined with mortar, epoxy/polyester stone adhesives and stainless anchors, dowels or kerf clips.
Can Limestone be formed, bent or molded?
Shaped by quarry block sawing, splitting along bed planes, profiling and hand or CNC carving; never bent or thermally formed.
Limestone chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| CaCO3 (calcite)principal mineral phase | 80 – 99 | 94 |
| MgCO3 (dolomite)up to ~45 % in dolomitic variants | 0.2 – 8 | 2 |
| SiO2quartz/chert impurity | 0.2 – 8 | 2 |
| Al2O3clay minerals | 0.1 – 3 | 0.8 |
| Fe2O3iron oxide, source of buff/tan coloration | 0.05 – 1.5 | 0.3 |
| organic matter / bitumengives grey-blue tones | 0 – 1 | 0.2 |
What surface finishes work on Limestone?
Common finishes are sawn, honed, bush-hammered, sandblasted or tumbled; true high polish only on dense/dolomitic stone, and breathable impregnating sealers are advised against staining and acid rain etch.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Limestone in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- C568
- Also called
- Limestone Dimension Stone
How much does Limestone cost?
Limestone is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Limestone — frequently asked
What is Limestone used for?
Limestone is typically used for building facades, flooring and wall cladding, interior decorative trim, landscape and garden features and raw material for lime/cement. In short: easiest-carving building stone; lowest strength stone here; acid-sensitive carbonate stone.
What is the tensile strength of Limestone?
Limestone has a typical tensile strength of 5 MPa (0.725 ksi) — weaker than 85% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Limestone easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated very good (80/100, worse than 52% of natural material grades). Saws, drills and CNC-carves easily with water-cooled diamond tooling; avoid dry cutting (silica/carbonate dust) and support thin sections against chipping.
Can Limestone be welded?
Not weldable — units are joined with mortar, epoxy/polyester stone adhesives and stainless anchors, dowels or kerf clips.
What surface finishes work on Limestone?
Common finishes are sawn, honed, bush-hammered, sandblasted or tumbled; true high polish only on dense/dolomitic stone, and breathable impregnating sealers are advised against staining and acid rain etch.
Can Limestone be formed, bent or molded?
Shaped by quarry block sawing, splitting along bed planes, profiling and hand or CNC carving; never bent or thermally formed.
What is the maximum service temperature of Limestone?
Limestone is rated for continuous use to about 400°C (752 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Limestone cost?
Limestone is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM C568/C568M — Standard Specification for Limestone Dimension Stone — ASTM International (2021)
- ASTM C97 (absorption & bulk density), C99/C880 (modulus of rupture/flexural), C170 (compressive strength) — ASTM International (2018)
- Dimension Stone Design Manual — Natural Stone Institute (MIA+BSI) (2016)
- Indiana Limestone Handbook — Indiana Limestone Institute of America (2007)
- Inventory of Carbon & Energy (ICE) — stone products — University of Bath / Circular Ecology (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.