HOW AND WHERE ARE LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE USED?
Millions of tons of stone are crushed annually to produce aggregate for use in making concrete roads and buildings, for road surfacing, and for agricultural limestone. Agstone is applied to farmlands to neutralize soil acidity, improve soil structure, add calcium and magnesium, and promote conditions favorable for the utilization of soil materials by plants. Large quantities of limestone are used in making lime and cement. There are three cement plants in northern Illinois—two at LaSalle and one at Dixon—and one in southern Illinois, at Joppa.
Small amounts of stone are used for making alkalies and glass, for railroad ballast, for building stone, for dusting coal mines to prevent coal dust explosions, and for ingredients in mineral feeds for livestock.