Concrete is a great choice of construction material compared to other materials; it is the most widely used in the world. It is very economical compared and other building materials such as polymers, steel, and other cementitious materials. It is mainly made of cement, aggregates, and water which are locally available materials. Good quality concrete is resistant to high temperatures, resistant to water, and hardens at ambient temperature. What qualities make concrete a brilliant choice for construction?
1 – Affordable
If you are trying to budget for your construction project, concrete is one of the most affordable construction materials around. Made up of three ingredients that is aggregates, cement, and water, these materials are readily available. To ensure you get quality concrete at an affordable price, ensure the mix proportion is appropriate. Most major cities will have cement plants ensuring a ready supply of concrete is always available for even the largest building projects.
2 – Strength
The strength of the concrete determines the strength of your building. A good quality concrete should have 2 types of strength, Compressive strength and tensile strength. Concrete that has had compressive strength is very great as it does not require reinforcement while using them Tensile strength is the ability to resist bending, stretching, and twisting. This type of strength is relatively low hence reinforced with steel. Many types of concrete are also heat resistant and in the event of a fire will be able to withstand the heat for a period of time allowing people to escape the building safely and fire crews to put any fires out.
3 – Watertightness
Watertightness is the ability of a concrete slab to keep water out or in perfectly. Watertightness ensures the concrete is virtually impermeable. This is important as Precast concrete is used for many purposes such as to hold or convey fluids. For all structures to fulfill this sort of purpose, they must be watertight.
Whilst materials such as steel, timber, brick and plastics can have great uses around the house concrete is unique in that it is very malleable and be made into any shape, durable and weather resistant, it is also affordable and is available almost everywhere, concrete is also super strong and can support heavy vehicles (such as on a driveway or garage), act as the foundations for a house, or for paths way and outdoor areas. Concrete is also very watertight and when poured correctly you should have almost zero issue with leaks of water seepage.
