Concrete is an important element of any construction project. The concrete includes coarse aggregates, cement, and water. When mixed properly, it will create construction material and will get hard over time. The amount of cement you use to identify the features of onsite concrete are Durability, Strength, Workability, and Resistance to heat or radiation.
Generally, contractors use fresh concrete to cast into squares, rectangles, circles, and much more. Advanced onsite concrete is best for using lentils, columns, staircases, beams, doors, and different construction.
Advanced onsite concrete is made up of many grades consisting of high-strength, normal, and grades standards. You can use the grades in the construction process.
Now let’s have a view into different types of concrete.
Types of Concrete
Concrete has many types, and all of them are used for the same purpose. And you can choose the right type of concrete to achieve the goal. Now let’s have a view into different types of concrete:
1. Ready-mix concrete
Experts prepare the ready-mix concrete in a centrally located plant. It is a type of on-site mixed concrete. Suppliers transported concrete in construction locations with the familiar cement trucks. When trucks deliver to the worksite, it can be immediately used. Hence, the ready-mix concrete doesn’t need treatment because it is already prepared for use. It completely depends on different specifications as well as being built with great precision.
The contractor placed ready-mix concrete near the job site. There will be no use if concrete takes a long time to reach the job site. This concrete may get hardened and wasted if kept outside for hours.
It is one of the most preferred onsite concrete. The mixture has higher accuracy. Also, have a concrete set to pour lessens complexity on the worksite. This type of concrete is best for walls, roadways, and buildings.
2. Volumetric Concrete
It is a type of concrete created as an alternative to ready-mix concrete. For addressing the difficulties of long distances between the construction sites and concrete plants. It needs special trucks called volumetric mobile mixers. Volumetric concrete carries the water and the concrete ingredients that will be mixed at the project site.
It is extremely useful if a builder needs two types of concrete mix at a single site. So, you can mix and deliver concrete as per your needs. It allows one truck to produce two various mixes of concrete.
Volumetric concrete is useful for basement constructions, multi-projects, and large sites.
3. Ordinary Concrete
The ordinary concrete has a ratio of 1:2:4 with the cement, sand, and aggregates accordingly. You can use it to make buildings and pavement where there will not be a high demand for tensile strength.
This type of concrete faces the problems that a strength concrete has. The concrete doesn’t stand up to wind loading or vibrations. Ordinary or plain concrete is used in the construction of the dam. Furthermore, more satisfaction regarding the durability of concrete is needed.
4. Normal Strength Concrete
Normal strength concrete combines basic elements such as sand, aggregate, and concrete in the ratio of 1:2:4. Moreover, it takes more than 30 minutes or 90 minutes for setting. However, it depends on the climatic conditions at the cement’s properties and the concrete site.
Usually, normal strength concrete is for buildings or pavements that don’t require high tensile strength. So, it is not good for other structures.
5. Prestressed Concrete
The contractors use prestressed concrete for many big projects. Prestressed concrete needs special techniques. The same as reinforced concrete, it consists of tendons and bars. However, these tendons or bars are stressed before the real application of the concrete.
When you place and mix concrete, these bars get set in each corner of the structural unit. The structural unit is put into compression when the concrete sets.
And the whole process makes the unit’s lower section stronger against tensile forces. Also, it needs heavy equipment as well as skilled labour. You can create prestressed units and assemble or create on-site. You can use prestressed concrete to make heavily loaded structures, roofs, and bridges that have long spans.
6. Reinforced Concrete
You can use Reinforced Concrete in modern construction and industry. The strength of reinforced concrete’s strength is assisted by placing steel rods, cables, and wires in the concrete before setting. Another name of this item is rebar. The reinforced concrete is best to resist compressive forces. Generally, the buildings, roadways, and bridges depend on reinforced concrete.
Final words
You might have a decent knowledge of the types of concrete used in the various construction sites. Now you can choose the best suited according to your construction project.
Please share your insights with us in the comment section below. We would be pleased to read them.
Thank you for reading!
