Month: August 2022
Types of Concrete and How They Are Utilized in Construction
Posted on August 18, 2022 in Uncategorized
Whether exploring the streets of a big city or enjoying a stroll through the suburbs, nobody can deny the use of concrete in commercial construction. The interesting fact is, there are several different kinds of concrete used by mankind to build the modern world.
According to the Anton Kalafati of B Side Construction, there are over 20 different types of concrete used in commercial building. Most concrete types are measured by properties like durability, workability, and strength.
Below, the different types of concrete and how they are used are discussed.
Concrete Formula
Concrete is made up of a formula involving three main ingredients, listed below:
- Cement – A binding substance created from calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron, and other chemicals.
- Coarse Aggregates – An irregular material, usually granular, like gravel, crushed rock, and sand. As long as the crushed material is bigger than 0.19 inches but smaller than 1.5 inches, it can be used to mix concrete!
- Water – The liquid mixing agent that brings all of the ingredients together.
After concrete is mixed, it can be poured into a cast of limitless shapes before hardening, making it ideal for doors, staircases, columns, and other commercial building uses.
Properties of Concrete
Concrete’s properties are determined by the grade of the mixture, including how much cement and how much water are used in each. Listed below are the properties that all concrete types have in varying amounts:
- Strength
- Durability
- Workability
Anton Kalafati takes a closer look at each of these properties and which types of concrete exhibit them and how they are applied.
1. Strength
According to the American Society for Testing and Materials, the strength of concrete is usually testing by constructing a cylinder of any given type of concrete and then breaking it in a machine like the Rebound Hammer.
The strength of concrete is measured in three grades: normal, standard, and high strength.
According to Cement.org, the strongest type of concrete known currently is Ultra-High Performance Concrete. Its mixture contains limestone or flour made of quartz and takes thirty hours to cure during setup.
Because of this concrete type’s ability to carry heavy loads, it is often used for precast concrete deck panels and bridge building.
2. Durability
According to Kryton International Inc., the world’s leading tester of durability in concrete, there are several ways to ascertain how durable concrete mixtures are. A few include how permeable the concrete is when tested with water or chloride, as well as how absorbent the concrete is.
The most durable type of concrete is known as C40 and is a commercial grade mixture. 28 days after setting, C40 concrete is nearly impervious to being broken down by weather. It takes around 19 hours to cure during the setup process.
C40 concrete is used to support industrial construction in the form of beams, foundations, and roadwork.
3. Workability
Concrete is considered workable when it is fluid, easy to mix together, easily transported, and easily installed. Workable concrete is tested using “slump test,” or a measurement of how wet the concrete is. Another way to test workability in a concrete mixture is to subject it to a compact factor test, used to ascertain how well the mixture compacts after being applied.
Self-consolidating concrete is considered highly workable. It manages to flow into application sites without separating the grainy aggregation ingredient from the rest of the paste. This cement takes as little as 21 seconds to apply in setup. It is used for more delicate applications like architecture or countertops.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, the types of concrete are measured by strength, durability, and workability. The mixture of cement, water, and grainy aggregation ingredients determines these properties, allowing for a wide range of concrete applications!