In the manufacturing of concrete, the strength of the product is probably the most important property that’s tested at the plant to ensure compliance with specifications. Other properties tracked include cement content, water/cement ratio, and workability.
It’s important to remember that concrete is a highly versatile construction material. Whether you’re interested in creating a barrier between your lawn and flowerbeds or you simply need assistance dealing with cracks in the curb, we’re always here for you.
Because manufactured concrete products are produced in highly controlled environments, they offer superior characteristics, such as minimal permeability, when compared to similar products poured on-site under less-than-ideal conditions.
Concrete reinforced with steel bars not only improved its fire resistance but also its strength under tension, or flexing. Concrete and steel also expand similarly under heat stress. Not to mention that steel is protected physically and chemically when embedded in concrete.
Did you know that studies have found that concrete walls can reduce the energy requirements for a particular home by more than 17 percent? This degree of energy efficiency is due to concrete’s excellent thermal mass.
It didn’t take long for builders to realize that thin concrete slabs meant disaster down the road. Fixing problems from poor foundations were expensive to repair, so reinforcement not only became the norm, it became code.
Using quality cement and aggregate materials is important to every concrete project. Why? Aggregates like sand, rock and gravel represent as much as 85% of the finished concrete used to create everything from stairs, walls and foundations to roads, bridges and highways.
When building a new home, consider long-range salability factors. Poured foundations and foundation walls in homes are more attractive to buyers than are concrete blocks or other products. Investing in a good foundation is an expense that will be returned when you resell the house.
When concrete needs to be made stronger, it is reinforced with steel, which increases the tensile strength dramatically. In fact, reinforced concrete is the only building material that can be used for dams and underwater structures like submerged piers.
Look for evidence that the foundation might be failing. Warning signs may include cracked tiles, cracked walls, improperly closing windows or doors, and uneven flooring.
We recommend sealing the concrete once the curbing is installed to prevent stains and water penetration. In colder months, it protects against damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle.
Essentially, there are two types of raised foundations: pier and beam, and stem wall. With pier and beam foundations, concrete or brick blocks are reinforced with footings, while stem wall foundations rely on continuous footings.
Did you know that concrete has a high albedo effect or reflective quality? This means that more light is reflected, and less heat is absorbed, resulting in cooler temperatures and reducing energy use for air conditioning.
Did you know that flowable fill can actually help to reduce project costs? This is because it doesn’t require different stages of fill or compaction and then requires little maintenance afterward.
Over 2 billion tons of cement is produced each year and over 140 million tons are recycled annually. This number is much different but the amount of concrete being recycled each year has gone up in recent history.
Water-reducing admixtures are designed to reduce the amount of water needed in the concrete mix, usually from 5% to 10% for low-range reducers and 12% to 30% for high-range ones. Basically, the lower the water to cement ratio, the greater the strength of the concrete.
Air entrainment in concrete is a measure of the air content (in bubbles), and adds to the strength and durability of the concrete once it cures. We follow the ASTM guidelines for acceptable tolerances, depending on the details of the pour.
Due to the inherent density of concrete, both commercial and residential buildings constructed from concrete are particularly quiet. With concrete, both sound reduction and overall levels of privacy for occupants are assured.
Poured concrete foundations can significantly reduce the potential of basement water problems down the road. This is due to the strength and density of the concrete, as well as the joint-free construction.
Did you know that the world's largest power station is also the world's largest concrete structure? China's Three Gorges Dam, in Hubei Province, took an incredible 21 years to complete and made use of more than 27 million cubic meters of concrete.
A well designed driveway should be able to withstand decades of use. A solid base that has the correct contours and an evenly crushed granular base aggregate, such as gravel, will support a layer of asphalt for many years to come.
Steel pilings are an effective way to construct a sturdy, stable foundation. Long, strong and slender, they can be positioned precisely where they’re needed, tied together for additional reinforcement, and modified to act as anchors to resist upward lift.
Do not let extremes of heat or cold bring your project to a halt. Installing manufactured concrete products means always moving forward, because weather vagaries have no impact since the materials have already cured.
Have you been dragging your feet on your outdoor rejuvenation project because you aren’t sure how much concrete you’ll need? Let’s talk about the nature of your project so that we can help you better estimate how much material you’ll need from us.
