Concrete is an impressively flexible and resilient building material. Composed of aggregates such as rocks, gravel and sand bound together by cementitious binder such as Portland cement, it makes an excellent foundation material.
Cement paste is then applied as glue. Aggregates mixed with water form a fluid slurry that can be easily poured and shaped, and cement paste acts like glue for this project.
Mixing
Concreting Melbourne is one of the most resilient building materials currently used, capable of withstanding earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes – as well as other natural disasters.
To create concrete, builders combine aggregates with Portland cement and water. Additional ingredients may also be added for specific purposes – for instance crystalline admixtures to reduce permeability or pigments for aesthetic reasons.
Finding suitable proportions for each component must be accomplished to create an efficient concrete mix design process, before transporting to its final location for placement as a structural element.
Water plays an integral part in shaping concrete’s strength and workability. Furthermore, keeping it dry and free of organic material contamination is crucial; therefore, concrete production takes place in large industrial facilities known as concrete plants.
Hydration
Concrete can be found everywhere from buildings and roads to dams. As a man-made composite made up of filler (such as coarse aggregate and fine sand) bound together by binder (cement paste) through chemical process called hydration, you’re bound to notice concrete somewhere around you.
Hydration can be tricky to get right. Too long and the concrete will harden too much before being placed, while water content in a mix has an effect on its strength and durability, impacting cracking resistance as well as erosion resistance.
Proportioning cement, water and aggregate properly is key to crafting high-quality concrete. Accurate measurement of these ingredients is absolutely critical – just as when baking cakes, if anything changes from its intended recipe it won’t taste quite the same!
Placing
Concrete is a strong building material, which makes it one of the most commonly chosen options. Furthermore, its cost compares favorably with alternatives like steel or stone.
Once mixed, concrete must be transported and placed where it will be used in construction projects. This can be accomplished in various ways depending on its distance and quantity needed: transport in a truck; free-pouring using a tremie or pumping through a pipe are among these methods;
Concrete must be carefully handled to ensure it fills all spaces around reinforcement and embedded fixtures, with chemical admixtures sometimes added to reduce set time, improve workability or quickly gain strength.
Compaction
Concrete compaction is key to the strength and durability of any structure – be it an extension, conservatory foundation, shed base or road pavement – as this process eliminates air pockets while packing aggregate particles tightly together to achieve optimum density in the finished concrete product.
Proportioning is an essential step of concrete production, since various components react differently with each other. When the ratio between cement, aggregates, water, and admixtures is optimal, hydration can commence and allow the cement particles to properly cover all aggregate particles.
Compaction is both essential and risky: improper compaction can lead to segregation, bleeding, sand streaks and damage.
Curing
Concrete is one of the most widely-used building materials, and it’s easy to understand why: durable, low maintenance needs, fire resistance and user friendliness all combine to make concrete one of the top choices for construction projects. But getting it done right takes dedication, expertise and patience at every step.
Curing is perhaps the most critical phase in concrete production; without it, your concrete will never reach its full strength potential. Curing requires providing adequate moisture, temperature and time for cement hydration reactions to occur successfully.
Traditional methods involve covering concrete with curing blankets for 28 days before applying curing compounds – liquid chemical formulations which spray onto its surface and solidify into a membrane layer that slows water evaporation – curing compounds can also delay setting time, incorporate air into concrete mix, improve workability, and speed strength gain.