Concrete is one of the most popular construction materials throughout the world. Due to the above properties of concrete the material is finding its way in almost all kinds of projects ranging from internal house driveways to gigantic commercial skyscraper buildings. Below is all you need to know about concrete; its types, applications, and advantages.
What is Concrete?
Concrete on the other hand is a composite material that is formed by cement paste which comprises water and aggregates including sand, gravel, or crushed stones. Coalescing the components in this manner results in the formation of a paste that on consolidating the aggregates strengthens the overall structure and turns into a solid mass once set which has a high load-bearing capacity as well as the ability to withstand general environmental conditions.
Types of Concrete
Normal Strength Concrete: This type of concrete is the simplest and most used and it entails the utilization of cement, water, and aggregates. It is widely used for a general construction purpose that includes sidewalks, driveways, and residential constructions among others.
High-Strength Concrete: This type of concrete has been designed to possess a higher strength in compression compared to normal-strength concrete. It’s commonly employed in those projects that need to have maximum load-bearing capacity like in the construction of high-rise buildings, and bridges among others.
High-Performance Concrete: It is known that this concrete type will provide extra properties such as improved durability, workability, and resistance to adverse conditions. It finds application in severe working environments such as marine structures and industrial floor applications.
Lightweight Concrete: This type of concrete is of low density, which allows the construction of lighter structures for their design; aggregates like expanded clay or perlite are used. It is usually employed in building floors and roofs particularly where there is a need to minimize loads that are supported.
Decorative Concrete: This category includes concrete that is colored to improve the appearance of the concrete product. Applied processes which include staining, stamping, or polishing are used to design fashion floor coatings for patios, driveways, and floor interiors.
Self-Consolidating Concrete: The general characteristic of this concrete is that it is a highly workable concrete mix that can be easily placed in forms and with reinforcement without requiring mechanical compaction in the form of vibration. It is employed on shapes and configurations that are difficult to construct and on structures that require a great degree of stiffness.
Reinforced Concrete: Reinforced concrete is concrete in which steel bars or mesh have been added to increase its tensile strength and also its ability to crack. The most common uses are in beams, columns, and slab constructions.
Uses of Elite Concrete
Residential Construction: Concrete is applied in construction works such as house foundations, pedestrian ways, verandas, house floors, and car parking among others. It is quite long-lasting, easy to maintain, and can therefore be used in different parts of homes.
Commercial Construction: In the commercial building, concrete is used in the structure parts including columns, beams, floors, and the like. It is also used in exterior pavements, parking area, and industrial application floorings.
Infrastructure: Concrete is used in construction of various infrastructural facilities such as bridges, highways and tunnels among others. It is very strong and long-lasting and would be therefore ideal for tasks requiring high amount of usage or frequent application.
Architectural Features: Decorative concrete is employed in the artistic design of structures such as sculptures, façade designs and partly designed concrete surfaces. It provides a lot of freedom as far as the aesthetic and the practical depiction of the object is concerned.
Environmental Structures: Some of the applications of concrete include; Construction of dams, Retaining walls Construction of water treatment plants. Due to these applications, it can work underwater and different other environmental conditions.
Concrete is one of the basic building materials in today’s construction because of its strength, durability, and flexibility. Therefore one must understand various types of concrete and the areas of application so that one can be in a position to make the right decision on the type of concrete to be used in one’s construction or the case of renovation. Residential, commercial, or infrastructure concrete works have numerous advantages that make it imperative in the development of a strong structure.
