EP #139: Concrete Reality Check - INDOT Calls Out the Cement Industry

Indiana just told the cement industry it won’t accept any blended cement with more than 10% limestone. That’s a first - and it’s not sitting well with the people who pushed Type IL cement in the first place. For the first time, a state DOT pushed back on Type IL cement—and the industry fired back. Indiana’s Department of Transportation says it’s protecting performance after bridge decks started scaling. The American Cement Association says the DOT’s new limits are unnecessary, confusing, and unscientific. So, who’s right—and what does it mean for the rest of the country’s concrete? What You’ll Learn  • Why INDOT limited Type IL limestone content to 10%  • The ACA’s objections — and what’s left unsaid  • How PCA’s 2021 carbon-neutrality roadmap and the federal Buy Clean program accelerated the switch to Type IL • Why the “one-to-one replacement” claim may have been oversold • How variable limestone content (≈7.6–12.4%) affects consistency and performance • Why admixtures and curing aren’t substitutes for good practice • What INDOT’s maintenance and inspection programs get right • Why other DOTs may follow Indiana’s lead next Chapters  00:00 – Introduction & ACA Briefing Overview  01:00 – INDOT’s 10% Limit and Industry Response  04:00 – How Type IL Cement Took Over the Market  07:30 – PCA Roadmap & Federal Buy Clean Pressure  10:30 – Complacency and the One-to-One Myth  14:00 – What Really Drove the 2021–2023 Flip  18:00 – Cement Chemistry and QC in the Field  22:00 – The Variability Problem: 7.6% vs 12.4% Limestone  26:30 – Are Admixtures and Curing the Real Culprits?  30:00 – INDOT’s Data-Driven Maintenance Approach  32:00 – Why Other States Are Watching Closely Guest Info  Dr. Jon Belkowitz – Chief Technical Officer, Intelligent Concrete  Email: [email protected]  Website: https://www.intelligent-concrete.comConcrete Logic Academy  Earn your PDHs the logical way.  Explore practical courses made for contractors, engineers, and producers.  Free trial: https://www.concretelogicacademy.comSupport the Podcast  Support the show and be listed as a Producer for life on the episode page:  https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/supportMedia & Sponsorship Inquiries: [email protected] Partners Intelligent Concrete  At Intelligent Concrete, we combine lab precision with field expertise to help you understand what your concrete is telling you. Our services include mix troubleshooting, forensic and petrographic testing, performance-based specification and admixture development, and training for engineers, contractors, and producers. Whether you’re chasing consistency, durability, or answers after a failure, Intelligent Concrete delivers the data and insight to solve problems and improve performance.  Learn more: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concreteKUIU (Affiliate Link) – https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu15% off the first order. CreditsProduced by Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media Music by Mike Dunton — https://www.mdunton.comConnectivity Host: Seth Tandett Concrete Visionary | Business Development at Baker Construction | Host of the #1 Concrete Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethtandett/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast Website: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.comIf you learned something new, share this episode with your team and help more engineers and builders think logically about concrete. Until next time, let’s keep it concrete! Reference Links ACA Briefing: “Portland-Limestone Cement Limits in Indiana Department of Transportation Specifications” (October 2025 Update) — https://tinyurl.com/TypeILINDOT Recurring Special Provision 901-M-069 (Effective December 1, 2025): https://www.in.gov/dot/div/contracts/standards/rsp/sep25/900/901-M-069%20251201.pdfINDOT Testing Memos Referenced in ACA Briefing:  • 21-05 • 22-02 • 23-01 • 24-03 • 25-02 (Available at https://www.in.gov/indot/doing-business-with-indot/contractorsconstruction/division-of-materials-and-tests/current-testing-memos/)