What Is Concrete Explained?
Concrete in itself is a composite material that is made up of fine and coarse aggregate that is bonded together with a fluid cement, also known as cement paste, which then hardens cures over time. Talking about construction, structural material consists of a hard, chemically inert particulate substance, known as aggregate, usually by sand, gravel, and rock. If and when aggregate is mixed with dry Portland cement and water, the mixture will then form a kind of fluid slurry that can easily be poured and then molded into its desired shape.
Different Types Of Concrete
The several, different types of concrete includes:
- Plain Or Ordinary Concrete – This kind of concrete is actually one of the most commonly used types of concrete. This concrete is also often used for the construction of pavements and where buildings don’t require very high tensile strength.
- Lightweight Concrete – Another type of concrete is lightweight concrete, which is also known as cellular concrete. This concrete is considered a very ‘flowable’ material and so, it can be easily poured by using gravity and is self-leveling. Constructing floor slabs, window panels and roofs is where this type of concrete is typically used.
- High-Density Concrete – This type of heavyweight concrete is known to have a greater density compared to other types of concrete. It is manufactured using crushed rocks as coarse aggregate. Since it also provides good protection from x-rays and radiation, it is often used in nuclear power plants and other such buildings.
- Reinforced Concrete – Simply known as RC, is a versatile composite and is one of the most widely used materials in modern construction. Steel rods, wires, mesh, or cables can be embedded in concrete before it sets or laid before the concrete is poured so that its overall strength increases.
- Precast Concrete – Precast concrete is a form of concrete that is prepared, cast, and then later cured off-site. It is usually done in a controlled factory environment, using reusable molds. Their elements can also be joined to other elements to form a complete structure.
- Prestressed Concrete – Prestressed concrete in the meantime, is a structural material that allows for predetermined, engineering stresses to be placed in members to counteract the stresses that will occur when they are subject to loading.
- Glass Reinforced Concrete – Simply known as GRC, glass-fiber reinforced concrete, or GFRC, which is a construction material that is commonly used to form exterior cladding panels. GRC is composed of high-strength, alkali-resistant glass fibers embedded in a concrete matrix.
- Air-entrained Concrete – This type of concrete is a form of plain concrete that contains microscopic air bubbles that differs and ranges in size from a few thousandths of an inch in diameter to a few hundredths. This also typically constitutes between 4 and 7% of the total volume of the concrete.
- Self-compacting Concrete – Simply known as SCC, which is regarded by some as one of the most important recent advancements in concrete technology. SSC is a non-segregating concrete that can flow under its own weight, spread, fill formwork, and encapsulate reinforcements.
- Smart Concrete – The mechanics of Smart concrete proposes an alternative and different method for monitoring the health of reinforced concrete structures. This type of concrete works by adding a small amount and quantity of short carbon fiber to concrete with a conventional concrete mixer.
- Concrete Fibre – This type of concrete is a composite material that consists of a mixture of cement, concrete, or mortar as well as discrete, discontinuous, evenly dispersed suitable fibers.
- Polymer Concrete – The polymer concrete market is separated into epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, as well as other parts. Epoxy is known as the largest category due to its increasing use in construction and its superior properties of high impact strength, high vibration resistance, and good bonding with concrete and metal surfaces.
What Are The Advantages Of Concrete?
Concrete is an important factor in our daily life since this building material offers cost-effective:
- Resistance to burning, rust, or rot.
- Versatility, can be used in many different ways and molded into any shape, color, or pattern imaginable.
- Exceptional strength, durability, longevity, and resilience.
- Low-to-no maintenance costs and requirements.
- Safe and secured.
- Energy efficiency via thermal mass.
- Environment-friendly with no leaks.