People often use “concrete” and “cement” interchangeably, but did you know they’re completely different products?

Cement is a binder. It sets and hardens to bind other materials together and is the main ingredient in ready-mix concrete: a mixture of cement, aggregates, water and admixtures. Cement is made using a process called calcination—where limestone is heated with other materials to 1450 degrees Celsius, resulting in a hard substance called clinker. The clinker is then ground into a fine powder to make cement.

“Aggregate” simply means crushed rock. It serves as an essential ingredient to bulk up and texturize construction materials like concrete, asphalt and mortar.

Florida’s highest quality limestone aggregate comes directly from western Miami-Dade County. Members of the Miami-Dade Limestone Products Association are involved every step of the way—from extracting limestone to manufacturing construction materials like cement, concrete, asphalt and concrete products.