Structural Concrete Is The Mainstay Of Construction

Structural concrete reduces its own carbon foortprint throughout it's lifetime by absorbing CO2 and that's what makes it unique. It is environmentally sustainable. Environmental sustainability is what it this achieves. There is little need for reconstruction of concrete structures, known for their durability. Composed of sand, gravel and crushed stone, ingredients such as water and aggregate are readily available.

Fire-resistance is another feature of concrete structures. A firewall is thus enabled that can stop a fire from spreading. The flames and heat of a fire do not affect concrete, and the water used in fighting a fire causes no damage to structural concrete. Smoke or toxic gases do not come out concrete if it is on fire and it acts as an effective fire shield. Fire safety is a main consideration in the use of concrete in building structures around the world.



A wide variety of concrete exists, each a combination of aggregates and water. The process of hydration bonds the water and cement materials together. Using less water in the paste mix will result in a much stronger concrete. As water is added, the concrete mixture has higher slump and will be more free-flowing. Water quality in the mix is important since issues can be caused by impurities in the water when concrete starts to set. A solid mass gets formed when the individual aggregate particles bond and glue themselves together while the concrete sets. As it ages, structural concrete keeps getting stronger, becoming more and more durable. So structures made with concrete can be expected to give long service.

A material which is quite energy efficient - that's concrete for you. As air does not leak from walls made of concrete, this thermal mass property results in fewer temperature fluctuations in buildings. This minimizes costs for heating or cooling the building.



To help it reach its ideal strength, structural concrete should be appropriately cured. The concrete initially sets and hardens, so it is rigid but not at full strength immediately. In almost three weeks, 90% of the final strength is achieved. A concrete kept damp suring the first three days helps the curing process quite a lot. How well the temperature and humidity is maintained during the this period helps determine the final strength and durability of concrete. Spraying or ponding the structural concrete surface while it cures can offset wind evaporation of moisture that is a danger to the final outcome. If the surface dries out prematurely, the result could be reduced strength, scaling or cracking.



Concrete is a true composite material, with aggregates making up the majority of the mixture. Those aggregates may be fine or coarse, and be sand or crushed stone or gravel. A major part of aggregate mixture these days can be several recycled material as well. Crushed to appropriate consistency and added to blended aggregate, construction and excavation material can be used as required. Recycled material are partially used to create recyclable concrete. Structural concrete is a true green success story.



Concrete is in fact the most widely used construction material worldwide. Its performance qualities like durability, strength and fire resistance make it a major component of buildings. With reinforced steel placed specifically to accommodate structural stress, additional strength and structure stability is ensured in structural concrete.



The amazing strength and versatility of structural concrete can also be beautified by adding the cast and moulded structures with different textures and coloured tints.