Limestone LD (Class I LD)
Grade
ASTM C568
Soft, porous, easily carved stone for interior work and protected exterior detailing.
Values for the LD condition
Other Limestone tempers and conditions
Limestone is listed in 4 conditions; see the grade overview at Limestone.
Compare all 4 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDThis page 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 LD?
Limestone LD is Limestone in the LD grade — soft, porous, easily carved stone for interior work and protected exterior detailing. Limestone LD has a tensile strength of 3 MPa (0.363 ksi), weaker than 89% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.05% and the elastic modulus is 15 GPa (2.18 Msi). Limestone LD has a density of 2 g/cm³ (0.0723 lb/in³), heavier than 81% of natural material grades. MD is the default condition FabDigit quotes; LD is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 92/100, better than 97% of natural material grades
- 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 — 15 GPa (2.18 Msi), better than 81% of natural material grades
- Conducts heat well — 1 W/m·K (0.578 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Needs corrosion protection — 18/100, worse than 100% of natural material grades
- Low fracture toughness — 0.25 MPa·√m (0.228 ksi·√in), worse than 97% of natural material grades
- Limited ductility — 0.05%, worse than 94% of natural material grades
- Heavy — 2 g/cm³ (0.0723 lb/in³), worse than 81% of natural material grades
- Hard to polish — 25/100, worse than 80% of natural material grades
Limestone LD properties
Typical room-temperature values for Limestone LD; 13 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Limestone reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Limestone LD has a density of 2 g/cm³ (0.0723 lb/in³), heavier than 81% of natural material grades.
Mechanical12
Limestone LD has a tensile strength of 3 MPa (0.363 ksi), weaker than 89% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.05% and the elastic modulus is 15 GPa (2.18 Msi).
Thermal5
Limestone LD is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 1 W/m·K (0.578 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 6 µm/m·K (3.33 µin/in·°F).
Electrical1
Limestone LD has an electrical resistivity of 10,000 Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is poor (18/100), worse than 100% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Limestone LD 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 LD's machinability is excellent (92/100, better than 97% of natural material grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Limestone LD
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.
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.
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 |
Limestone LD — frequently asked
What is Limestone LD used for?
Limestone LD 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 LD?
Limestone LD has a typical tensile strength of 3 MPa (0.363 ksi) — weaker than 89% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Limestone LD easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (92/100, better than 97% 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 LD 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 LD?
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 LD 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 LD?
Limestone LD 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.
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. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.