Concrete is the most widely used Material for Construction

Concrete is the composite construction material that composed of aggregates, cement and water. Aggregate is generally course gravel or crushed rocks such as limestone, granite(with size from ¼”-1-1/2”), along with fine aggregate such as sand.  Cement is commonly Portland cement, pozzolan and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, serve as a binder for the aggregate. Water is then mixed with this dry composite which enables it to be shaped (typically poured) and then solidified and hardened into rock-hard strength through a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a robust stone-like material. Concrete has relatively high compressive strength, but much lower tensile strength. For this reason is usually reinforced with materials that are strong in tension (often steel). Concrete can be damaged by many processes, such as the freezing of trapped water.

Reason why concrete is the most widely used material in construction

• Concrete possesses excellent resistance to water
• Concrete can be formed into a variety of shapes and sizes
• Concrete is one of the cheapest and most readily available materials

Concrete Characteristics

• Inherently strong in compression but weak in tension (steel reinforcement is required to handle tensile and shear stresses)
• Capable of being formed into any shape with variety of surface finishes, textures and patterns
• Relatively low-cost and inherently fire-resistant
• Liability is its own weight (150 lbs/cu.ft)
• The provision for forming and molding required  before placing for setting and curing.

Qualities of Good Concrete

• Proper – proper selection of materials.
• Durable – correct proportion and mixing process
• Uniform Quality – careful transportation and placement
• Thoroughly Sound –timed curing and provision for protection