4 Types of Concrete and Their Uses

Blog Layout

4 Types of Concrete and Their Uses

Admin • August 27, 2017

If you're working on a project that requires concrete, but you're unsure about which kind to use, this blog explains the purposes of different concretes.

An amazing thing about concrete is how long it has been around. Ancient civilizations used to build great cities out of it. In many ways, the concrete that we use today is the same as what the Romans used to build their great structures.

The exact ingredients vary depending on where the concrete is mixed, but concrete always consists of Portland cement, water and an aggregate (sand, rock or gravel). Depending on what type of concrete you want, these ingredients and the process by which they are mixed may slightly change.

Normal Concrete

You can find bags of this type of concrete in any home improvement store. Mixing and using this concrete is simple. Each bag you'll find will have instructions on how to best mix and use that specific concrete. Before you mix your concrete, it is important to wash your aggregate, which will remove all dirt, leaves and other organic material and ensure the highest quality and strength possible.

After you lay normal concrete, it will take between 30 and 90 minutes to set. The more humidity in the air will cause the setting time to be longer. After that, it will take the concrete about 7 days to reach a point where it can withstand pressure. Normal Concrete has about 95% of it max strength after curing for 90 days.

High Strength Concrete

By lowering the water to cement ratio you can make some high strength concrete yourself. Because of the lower water to cement ratio, high strength cement is often harder to work with. This can be a problem when you are working with rebar inside of the cement. Getting the cement to fill in everywhere can be difficult.

As the name would suggest, high strength concrete is very strong, which makes it ideal for projects where you will be putting a lot of weight and pressure on the concrete. After the concrete has fully cured it can withstand extreme pressures.

High-Performance Concrete

You will find high-performance concrete (HPC) used in places like major freeways. This is because of its high strength and ease of use, these two characteristics make this concrete ideal for industrial projects. With construction projects where you will be putting the concrete under a lot of stress, it is best to use something that can stand the test of time.

Not all high-performance concrete is high strength concrete. The main differences between these two types of concrete are the workability and early life strength. High-performance concrete is easy to work with without segregation. It also solidifies quickly, which gives it great strength in a short amount of time.

Lightweight Concrete

There are times when you need to use concrete but don't need all of the strength of normal or high-performance concrete. At times the concrete is there just for decoration, for example, in a court yard wall or the curbing around a yard. In these cases, the extra weight of normal or high-performance concrete may even be a problem. That is why there is a type of concrete that sacrifices some strength to be lighter.

Lightweight concrete is made from lightweight aggregates, which are usually porous stones. Sometimes when mixing lightweight concrete, air will be pumped in to give it some more strength as well as some resistance to freezing and thawing.

Regardless of whether you need lightweight concrete, high strength concrete or concrete in general, this building material has become the backbone of our society. It shapes and supports our world. If you need more help choosing or would like to know more, contact the professionals at Central Carolina Concrete today.

< Older Post Newer Post >