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10 Uses of Concrete
Concrete is one of the most popular materials in the world, being used for much more than what its name suggests. Although it is commonly known as a building material, ready mixed concrete has many other uses that are not so obvious to us.
1) Roads
What do roads have in common with concrete? They’re both what connects us to our destinations. As far back as recorded history tells us, people have been using stone to pave their paths and roads which later evolved into what we now know as concrete road surfaces. The use of concrete became even more popular after World War II due to its low cost compared to asphalt paving.
Find out about the pros and cons of concrete roads
2) Building Foundations
If you’ve ever wondered what keeps your house from collapsing, it’s what you don’t see that does: the foundation. The foundation of a building or any structure is what provides support and stability to what is built on top of it.
Concrete foundations are most commonly used in construction because of its cost-effectiveness and durability. It’s also easier to build on than other materials such as rock so what you see when looking at your actual house is just one small part of what makes it stand up straight.
Find out why concrete is used in construction
3) Car Parks
There may be nothing more annoying than finding an available parking space when there’s absolutely no cars parked inside the lot. With concrete, this problem can easily be solved with the use of parking stops – concrete boxes that are placed across each row in the parking lot.
This is what prevents cars from being able to move through adjacent spaces, making it easier for us to find an available spot whenever we need one.
4) Siding/Exterior Walls
Did you know that what you see when looking at your house’s walls are not concrete? Many houses these days have concrete siding on the outside which makes them more attractive and durable, especially in areas with harsh weather conditions where wind can easily tear off poorly-constructed roofs or walls.
Some building materials are also mixed with concrete to further improve its protective properties against water, fungi, insects and extreme temperatures which is what makes it suitable for exterior uses such as these.
5) Tiles
We’ve all seen it before – what appears to be light-coloured cement on what looks like picture frames surrounding what seems like bathroom tiles. Tiles are not made of concrete alone but what gives them their solid white appearance is the glaze that coats it.
The mixture used for creating tile is what can make tiling rather expensive especially since some tiling materials require the use of more than one concrete mixture before undergoing glazing processes, making what was once a simple project turn into something much more complicated.
6) Doors
Concrete doors may look sleek and stylish at first glance but what makes them different from other types of doors on the market is what comes in between their slab surfaces. Not only can they help improve insulation within a room, they have another function that is somewhat out of the ordinary for what we would normally expect from a door: to help decrease the amount of sound that goes in and out.
This is done by adding what’s called a “sound-proofing layer” which works by absorbing what people hear on either side of the barrier, creating a quieter environment for both occupants.
7) Paper & Paperboard
Concrete paper may sound like an odd combination but its properties make it what some describe as being an eco-friendly material. Unlike wood pulp papers, concrete can be recycled indefinitely without causing harm to the environment what with using only 5% of what was used to create it before.
Concrete paper also lasts longer than other types because it does not easily tear or burn, what with its water-resistant components that help increase what is already a very durable material.
8) Pavements
Concrete pavements lead to less potholes and safer driving conditions, which makes it ideal for all types of weather and can even be easier on car suspensions when driving along these roadways.
9) Basements
When it comes to basements, what they are made up of does not differ much from what we have mentioned earlier: concrete slabs covered by a concrete mixture layer.
This helps protect them from any damage due to changes in temperature or moisture what can wear out what are normally considered very durable materials when used for these purposes.
10) Backer Rods
Curved surfaces what make them structurally sound what is built to be able to hold heavy objects in place what makes it work is the backer rod which acts as a filler that helps reduce the chances of concrete cracking anytime soon.
When it comes to curved concrete projects, improper sealing of joints what lack of backfilling could cause problems down the line that will eventually cause your project to fail – something no one likes to happen with large-scale construction endeavors.
