Facts You Need to Know About Concrete

You probably have heard about concrete. Who wouldn’t? Concrete is seen everywhere inside and outside any houses and buildings. In fact, wherever you go, you can see infrastructures and structures made of concrete such as driveways, sidewalks, buildings, foundations, walls, roofs, and more.  

Concrete is the most commonly used construction material in addition to being the most widely used material in construction. This means that there are tons and tons of concrete being mixed, work on, use, and recycled all over the world.  

Concrete and cement are commonly used interchangeably although these two materials refer to different things. While cement is an ingredient to be mixed with water and aggregates, concrete is the resulting mixture of these ingredients. It is important to know the differences between these two.  

There are several companies that rely on doing Louisville concrete works and there are also many people that rely on the function’s concrete provides. And although you might think you already know about concrete, there are still several interesting facts you might not know about it.  

The following are the facts you need to know about concrete: 

1.Concrete can be found in nature – yes, this is true, and this is probably bizarre to think since the common thought about concrete is that is a mad-made substance. While this claim is true, there are also instances where concrete is created and produced by nature. For instance, a deposit in Israel aging 12-million years has been discovered that made the concept of nature-produced concrete. This organic and natural concrete is the result of mixing limestone and oil sale.  

2.Joseph Aspdin made the modern concrete that we now today – although concrete has been used since the ancient Greeks and Romans for building their bridges and buildings, it was Joseph Aspdin who was credited with patenting the modern concrete in 1824 Leeds. He made modifications in a mixture of aggregates and made concrete more stable and stronger compared before.  

3.Roman bridges are still standing up to this date even they are already 2,000 years old – As mentioned before, Ancient Greeks and Romans have made bridges and structures made of concrete that is still standing this day. And although these structures including their bridges and buildings were used by the militia, they are still thriving up t this very day.  

4.There are companies that produce scented form release agents – everyone knows that cement and concrete do not have smell other than earth and dust. However, because of the innovations and technology brought by modern times, there are companies that offer concrete that release agents that would make the concrete smell good. For instance, they can provide concrete that emits smells such as citrus, cherry, and bubble gum.  

5.Th largest unreinforced concrete structure is the pantheon – the Pantheon was built in 120 A.D was created by the ancient Romans and has been standing still up to this date. It is considered to be the largest unenforced concrete structure.  

Conclusion 

You see, there are many things that we think we know about concrete but the thing is, there are still a lot of interesting things about concrete that we know not of.  

Can You Recycle Concrete?

Concrete is one of the most produced and utilized materials in the world. In fact, wherever you go, you see concrete infrastructures, objects, etc. From driveways, walls, statues, and more, you commonly see concrete. In addition, there are also materials that are mixed with concrete too. Given the fact that the concrete and cement industry produce tons and tons of concrete materials, is it possible to recycle and reuse concrete? This is what we will find out in this article. 

Several construction projects like what Cypress concrete works typically start the process in the demolition of concrete, whether it is a driveway, foundation, sidewalks, or other concrete structures. This process provides them a huge size of heavy, dense materials. Because of these wastes, recycling concrete has become popular in the construction industry as it reduces costs, efforts, and environmental degradation. Typically, the recycling process involves pulverizing or crushing the concrete rubble near the building site or the demolition. And because there are different ways of recycling the concrete, choosing the best method is significant. It depends on several factors like the shape and size of the concrete, costs, and others.  

How Do You Recycle Concrete? 

Generally, it is recycled by using a piece of industrial crushing equipment with large impactors and jaws. Once the concrete is broken, another impactor is used to screen the concrete and removes dirt from it, where large and small aggregates are separated. Other equipment and processes can also be used such as separators, water flotation, and magnets that are able to remove elements from the concrete materials.  

What are the Benefits of Concrete Recycling? 

One of the major benefits of recycling concrete is that it helps reduce and minimize construction waste as well as extend landfills’ life. There are tons and tons produced wastes from demolition, and the production needs the energy to work. By reducing production, we are also reducing energy consumption. Another advantage of concrete recycling lowers the costs for transportation of wastes and to landfills as well as fees that are involved. It is a great help to the company. Some companies are given points when they sue recycled concrete, as a result of the program provided by the federal or local government to encourage reducing carbon footprints. The last major benefit is that it creates employment that would not otherwise exist without the process of concrete recycling.  

What are the Uses of Old Concrete? 

Recycles concrete can be used in different infrastructures or be sued as new materials. The following are the uses of recycled concrete: 

  • Crushed concrete can be used as aggregates for mixing new concrete 
  • Concrete that is properly crushed and well-sorted can be used for landscaping mulch. They can even be used as a substitute for gravels and ground covers.  
  • Concrete in larger pieces are used for controlling streambank erosion  

Conclusion 

Recycling is generally known for its advantages and benefits. And since concrete is produced on a large scale and the industry produces a lot of concrete materials, it is fitting to reduce the production to minimize cost and energy use. In this way, construction becomes more sustainable.