CONCRETE
Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse
aggregates mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the commonly
used type of cement for production of concrete. Concrete technology deals with study of
properties of concrete and its practical applications.
In a building construction, concrete is used for the construction of foundations, columns,
beams, slabs and other load bearing elements.
There are different types of binding material is used other than cement such as lime for lime
concrete and bitumen for asphalt concrete which is used for road construction
Composition of Basic Concrete Mix
If we evaluate the concrete composition to see what concrete is made of, we can see there are
four basic ingredients within the concrete material mix:
Binding materials like cement or lime
Aggregates or Inert Materials
o Fine aggregate (sand)
o Coarse aggregate (stone chips, brick chips)
Water
Admixture (e.g. Pozzolana)
A brief description of the concrete ingredients is given below.
Binding Materials
Binding material is the main element of a concrete material mix. Cement is the most
commonly used binding material. Lime could also be used. When water is mixed with the
cement, a paste is created that coats the aggregates within the mix. The paste hardens, binds
the aggregates, and forms a stone-like substance.
, Aggregates
Sand is a fine mixture. Gravel or crushed stone is the coarse mixture in most mixes.
Water
Water is required to with chemicals react with the cement (hydration) and to supply
workability with the concrete. The number of water combined in pounds compared with the
number of cement is named the water/cement quantitative relation. The lower the w/c
quantitative relation, the stronger the concrete. (Higher strength, less permeability)
here are many different types of concrete, some of which can be used for the same purpose. It
depends on the goal you wish to achieve. You can choose the appropriate form of concrete to
accomplish the task.
1. Normal Strength Concrete
Normal strength concrete is made up of a combination of several fundamental ingredients
— aggregate, concrete and sand — in a 1:2:4 ratio. This mixture produces normal strength
concrete that can be used for many applications. It takes about 30 to 90 minutes to set, but
this is dependent on the weather conditions at the concrete site and the cement’s properties.
It’s normally used for pavements or buildings that don’t need high tensile strength. It is not
very good for many other structures since it doesn’t withstand the stresses created by wind
loading or vibrations very well.
2. Reinforced Concrete
This form of concrete is widely used in industry and modern construction. Reinforced
concrete gets its strength through the help of wires, steel rods or cables that are placed in the
concrete before it sets. A more familiar name for these items is rebar. Lately, people have
used fibers to reinforce this concrete.
These reinforcements resist tensile forces to avoid cracking or breaking. Meanwhile, the
concrete itself resists compressive forces to withstand heavy weight. Together, the two
materials create a strong bond against many applied forces, such as vehicles. In essence, they
become a single structural element.
Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse
aggregates mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the commonly
used type of cement for production of concrete. Concrete technology deals with study of
properties of concrete and its practical applications.
In a building construction, concrete is used for the construction of foundations, columns,
beams, slabs and other load bearing elements.
There are different types of binding material is used other than cement such as lime for lime
concrete and bitumen for asphalt concrete which is used for road construction
Composition of Basic Concrete Mix
If we evaluate the concrete composition to see what concrete is made of, we can see there are
four basic ingredients within the concrete material mix:
Binding materials like cement or lime
Aggregates or Inert Materials
o Fine aggregate (sand)
o Coarse aggregate (stone chips, brick chips)
Water
Admixture (e.g. Pozzolana)
A brief description of the concrete ingredients is given below.
Binding Materials
Binding material is the main element of a concrete material mix. Cement is the most
commonly used binding material. Lime could also be used. When water is mixed with the
cement, a paste is created that coats the aggregates within the mix. The paste hardens, binds
the aggregates, and forms a stone-like substance.
, Aggregates
Sand is a fine mixture. Gravel or crushed stone is the coarse mixture in most mixes.
Water
Water is required to with chemicals react with the cement (hydration) and to supply
workability with the concrete. The number of water combined in pounds compared with the
number of cement is named the water/cement quantitative relation. The lower the w/c
quantitative relation, the stronger the concrete. (Higher strength, less permeability)
here are many different types of concrete, some of which can be used for the same purpose. It
depends on the goal you wish to achieve. You can choose the appropriate form of concrete to
accomplish the task.
1. Normal Strength Concrete
Normal strength concrete is made up of a combination of several fundamental ingredients
— aggregate, concrete and sand — in a 1:2:4 ratio. This mixture produces normal strength
concrete that can be used for many applications. It takes about 30 to 90 minutes to set, but
this is dependent on the weather conditions at the concrete site and the cement’s properties.
It’s normally used for pavements or buildings that don’t need high tensile strength. It is not
very good for many other structures since it doesn’t withstand the stresses created by wind
loading or vibrations very well.
2. Reinforced Concrete
This form of concrete is widely used in industry and modern construction. Reinforced
concrete gets its strength through the help of wires, steel rods or cables that are placed in the
concrete before it sets. A more familiar name for these items is rebar. Lately, people have
used fibers to reinforce this concrete.
These reinforcements resist tensile forces to avoid cracking or breaking. Meanwhile, the
concrete itself resists compressive forces to withstand heavy weight. Together, the two
materials create a strong bond against many applied forces, such as vehicles. In essence, they
become a single structural element.
