Concrete Essay People have been using mud as a building material since ancient time. Mud constructions have the advantage of (1) low cost, (2) good resistant to fire, (3) good temperature insulation, (4) good sound-proofing; and (5) being a natural resource that is readily available from earth. However, mud construction have also some weaknesses such as (1) they can be easily destroyed by wind, rain and flooding if it is not protected well enough, (2) they require more care and maintenance as they are a weak building material that would even be affected by dampness or dry weather, (3) it may also have a musty smell when first finished construction, if the mud contains decaying organic matters such as leaves, plants and vegetable matters, (4) …show more content…
Concrete mixtures can be made anywhere with the materials required, meaning it can be made in the construction site or even in a factory before transporting to the building site. Factory-made concrete is also called precast concrete. They are available in units such as blocks, beams, columns, slabs etc... These units can be put together at the construction site later and become part of a larger structure. The main advantages of precast concrete include (1) they can be under a controlled environment and with accurate methods; (2) they can have advanced quality control; (3) they are independent of weather conditions (such as rainy/humid weathers), and (4) They can be produced in large quantities (e.g. in the cases of small size concrete blocks). Concrete is a strong construction material, since it is not likely to be destroyed by wind, rain and flooding as compared to weaker building materials like straw, mud, wood or even bricks. Concrete can also stand high temperatures, and is resistant to wind and water. Therefore, it is commonly used for the constructions of storm shelters, buildings, highways and …show more content…
For example, Concrete would crack and break more easily than other building materials, because of its weakness to withstand tension/tensile strength (unless it is properly reinforced with steel). Even though concrete can be molded into any shape at first, it can’t change shape easily after
The basic principle to remember is that concrete is a sloppy God-awful mess when we first look at it but then we turn it into something wonderful. We take the sloppy mud like concoction and
“Roman concrete (opus caementicium), like modern concrete, is an artificial building material composed of an aggregate, a binding agent, and water. Aggregate is essentially a filler, such as gravel, chunks of stone and rubble, broken bricks, etc. Binding agent is a substance which is mixed with the aggregate wet (water added) and solidifies when it dries, or "sets." Many materials, even mud, can be a binding agent, and used to make, what we generally call, mortar. Historically lime or gypsum, mixed with rubble stones, have been used as binding agents in making a strong mortar” (Roman Concrete).
Many people feel that concrete is safer for tropical areas which are very often visited by tropical storm and hurricanes, but even heavy concrete can be easily blown around in high wind areas. Concrete homes are more likely to be more expensive than wood structures and usually the insurance premium are lower cost that helps with the mortgage payment; they are more resistant to fire, safer and more efficient for unwanted noises.
such as chips of rock and broken bricks, that they could create a durable material, concrete. Concrete
First, concrete durable. Concrete is something that will outlive other products up to three times over (“What Makes…”). In addition to durability, concrete is efficient. Concrete can be made with byproducts from power plants, and other aspects of manufacturing. Concrete is primarily made up limestone, the most abundant material on Earth. Above all of this concrete can be recycled. Concrete can be crushed and recycled into another structure or product, reducing the need to mine the limestone for production. Concrete also allows water to pass through which reduces the chance of flash flooding, erosion, and water table depletion as compared to other materials. This is a major check in the sustainability of concrete; the conservation of soil, landscape and ecosystems. Concrete is a very green option when it comes to building
What is concrete. According to Concrete Network (1999) “Concrete is made up of three basic components: water, aggregate (rock, sand, or gravel) and cement. Cement, usually in powder form, acts as a binding agent when mixed with water and aggregates. This combination, or concrete mix, will be poured and harden into the durable material with which we are all familiar”. The Roman's did it a little
Roman building using cement (Labate, 2016) dates from the third century BCE. Cement was used with crushed bricks and rock to produce concrete used for building. The cement was made from volcanic dust (pozzolana), lime (calcium oxide) or gypsum (calcium sulphate). This mixture reacts when mixed with water, binding the concrete into a permanent, strong, impermeable structure. The Roman engineers discovered that the use of cement in their mortar dramatically increased its strength. Special types of cement were discovered and used for under-water structures like harbors and bridge piers. Roman workmen perfected the skill of building with concrete, some of which, like the Parthenon, are still intact and beautiful to this day. During the first century CE, Rome had a “Concrete Revolution”, many concrete buildings being built as skill developed.
Concrete is the ultimate building block of society; there are a plethora of ways that it has been used. Romans were some of the first, in recorded history, to use it; they used it to build their aqueducts and even the Colosseum. If anything, the Romans were some of the first to make huge developments in concrete, and they were some of the first to actually use concrete on a large scale. America has also used concrete on a large scale, using concrete to build the Hoover Dam and the Grand Coulee Dam. Those examples show how concrete is an incredibly strong and durable building material that has remained standing after all these years and will continue to be the primary
According to Yegul (Accessed 2015), Roman concrete or opus caementicium was developed around 45 BCE. Concrete was used by the Romans as a building material because it converts to a hard surface like a rock when mixed in the right combination of components. It takes three components to make a concrete substance. The three substances are an aggregate such as limestone, a binding agent such as clay or mud, and water.
Concrete is used for many different things in daily life, although is often taken for granted. Concrete has a very deep history that leads us up to the modern day concrete and variations of. Most people will turn a blind eye, but at one point in history concrete was a stellar invention that had many different purposes and uses and still does today.
The most durable and beautifully looking constructions are those made out of bricks or stones. Natural materials bring warmth and character to constructions, making them feel cozier and appealing. Also, structures made out of stone and bricks are more resistant, so here's another reason for you to get brickwork and stonework Bury services.
WHen it comes to susrface materials, asphalt is the number one choice as far as roads go. However, the same thing can't be said about driveways and sidewalks. As a matter of fact, have you ntocied that virtually every instances of sidewalk that you see within AUstraila, consist of concrete? This is due to the fact that concrete perfoms well under hot temperature and is an ideal surface material for driveways and walkways in general. In this post we'll take a look at the benefits that are associated with Conrete driveways.
In order to discuss concrete; one must first mention cement. Cement is a water-based binder used to bind other building materials together. It is used in the production of mortar and concrete during the construction process. Concrete is a material used in construction, made by mixing aggregate, cement, small stones and water. Cement is important because it hold structures together. Many sources states concrete was invented 1756 by a British Engineer named John Smeaton. He did so by mixing pebbles as a coarse aggregate into a powdered brick into the cement. Years layer in 1824, a English inventor named Mr Joseph Aspdin created the first true artificial cement by burning ground limestone and clay together. He is also noted for creating today’s popular concrete; Portland cement. Many buildings use concrete because of its strong element. It solidifies then hardens after mixing with water and placement due to the chemical process known as hydration. Water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a stone-like material. Concrete is used to make pavements, pipe, various structures, foundations, roads, bridges, brick walls and so on. It is either produced site-cast or pre-cast. Site-cast Concrete is standard concrete that is poured into site-specific forms and cured on site; the concrete is created on the actually construction site. Precast concrete is a construction
The definition of high strength changes over the years as concrete strength used in the field increases. Any construction activity requires several materials such as concrete, steel, brick, stone, glass, clay, mud, wood, and so on. However, the cement concrete remains the main construction material used in construction industries. For its suitability and adaptability with respect to the changing environment, the concrete must be such that it can conserve resources, protect the environment, economize and lead to proper utilization of energy. To achieve this, major emphasis must be laid on the use of wastes and byproducts in cement and concrete used for new constructions. The utilization of recycled aggregate
Before anything is built, first the proper materials must be chosen. Some people only consider the strength of a material when choosing. Other properties can be taken into account, though. The ductility or brittleness of a material could play a role depending on the project. The hardness of a material is important for durability. There are multiple properties that can describe a material, and engineers must consider all of them before deciding on a material. If a material is not properly chosen, the object being made may not work correctly.