Be The Expert In Picking Your Concrete Mix!

 In the world of construction, concrete mix is not just about proportions, but design as well. Whether you want to put up a fence or fill your driveway or do any other repair job in your building using cement, you need the appropriate mix that can solve your purpose easily. Getting to know your mixture could appear daunting and many questions arise. However, with some simplified concepts, you can make the right decisions and have a hassle-free experience with your choice.

What Goes Into The Mix?

Each application calls for different nature of the concrete mixture. Say, sidewalks are going to get busy sooner than a fence or patio. Hence, you need the setting of the path to be faster and completed in suitable weather conditions. The mixture is a blend of Portland or Blended cement, water, and other aggregates going into it. While you must control the amounts, you must also bear in mind the weather and time of the day.

Different Projects, Different Mixtures

Mixing your concrete and putting it to use is an option. However, if you want to cut the chase, here are some pre-mixed mixtures you should know. Pick the right one to fit your bill

• Fast-Setting: It uses fast-setting cement that sets in about 20-40 minutes. Need to get the sidewalk or driveway ready quickly - this one is your pick.
• High-Strength: This mixture provides the heavy-duty construction needed for foundations and footers. Typically, it requires over 10 hours to set and incorporates additives.
• Crack-Resistant Cement: If the mixture if going into pathways or patios, you need it to be durable. Crack-resistant cement keeps away the possibilities of cracking and drying of common areas. 

Different vendors market several variations with minor tweaks to these standard mixtures. Get your mind around the options by identifying your application needs, and some knowledge of the components could help.

The Usual Suspects

The strength, hardening, and durability of the concrete mixture are of paramount importance. For a suitable combination, we can manipulate the proportions of the components it contains.

 

• Cement – There are different types of cement available in Australia. General Purpose Portland Cement and Blended Cement are the most popular choices. For instance, Blended Cement is Portland cement combined with over 5% fly ash, amorphous silica, and ground slag. However, the choice of cement largely determines the properties of the final product.
• Aggregates – The aggregates going into the mix could be sand, gravel, crushed rock, etc. It is necessary to note that they are rigid and chemically inert. The presence of clay or dirt could weaken the mixture.
• Water – Cement and water pairs to form an adhesive that holds the aggregates together. The water added must not contain insoluble impurities, acidic or alkaline properties, or any rubbish. Let us say that if the water is drinkable, it is usable. 
• Admixtures Or Additives – Sometimes, some chemicals or minerals are added to the concrete mixture to enhance its properties. It may aim to improve strength or workability and give us more control over the mix. 

Decisions Beyond Numbers

With the idea of all the ingredients, you need to check the temperature, weather, and surface area as well. When subjected to higher temperatures, the mixture will harden faster. Entrained air can help your mix in areas where the temperature is varying. Also, if your combination requires more fluidity to reach slightly remote spaces, plasticizers can help with that.

Conclusion

If you are looking to get the job done efficiently, dig into the concrete mixtures available to you. However, if you do not have faith in readymade, you can always mix for yourself. Take your time for some essential research on your project needs and the right combination of components to achieve it.

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Types Of Concrete And its Diverse Usages

In terms of the construction industry, concrete is a composite material made up of gravel, sand, and water, and bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) forming a stone-like mass when dry. The material is used in a wide range of applications, due to which it is one of the most widely used construction materials out there. Let’s have a look at its diverse usages and know about its different types so that you can make an informed choice.

Uses of Concrete

Concrete

• It is used in the construction of large dams because of its high strength and unit weight. Its high strength allows the dams to bear high pressure of water and produce electricity.
• It can be placed or molded into virtually any shape and reproduce any surface texture.
• It can be used for making a strong foundation and flooring of buildings.
• It can be used in making pavements, streets, and driveways, which are more durable and stronger than those made of other materials.
• It has extensive use in the construction of sea walls, jetties, breakwaters, etc.
• It can also be used in culverts and sewers.

Ideal Concrete Mixing Ratio

When making concrete it’s important to use the correct mixing ratio to produce a strong and durable mix. The ratio of aggregate to sand to cement is an important factor in the strength of the material. The most commonly used ratio is 1 part of cement, 3 parts of sand, and 3 parts aggregates (stone and water). However, the ratio of these depends on where will you use the mixture. For instance, in the roof and column of a building, you need a hard and strong mixture, because they hold the total load of the building. The ratio may change for other parts of the building.

Different Types of Concrete Used in Construction

• Normal strength type

This type is obtained by just normally mixing up of cement, sand, gravel, and water. The strength of the material has an initial setting time of 30 minutes to 120 minutes, depending on the properties of cement and weather conditions of your construction site.

• Plain type

By the word “plain”, you can say that it is not so hard and strong. It has a ratio of 1:2:4 which is the normal mix design. It is used in areas where you don’t need strong and good tensile strength, like in making pavements and in one-story buildings. The durability that it provides is satisfactory to a high extent.

• Reinforced type

It is a type in which metal bars or wires are embedded in the material to provide extra strength to the structure. As compared to plain type, it is good in compression, whereas plain one is weak in tension.

• Polymer type

Concrete

This a different type that uses polymer to bind aggregates in place of cement. Polymer type can gain a lot of strength in a short period of time. It may reach 5000 psi in only four hours. Generally, it is more expensive than the conventional type but has benefits too.

• Asphalt

This type is almost the same as the polymer type. Strictly speaking, asphalt with bituminous replaces the cement as a binder. The best thing about this material is that it’s costing and repairing in driveways is very much less as compared to conventional type.

• Nano type

This type contains Portland cement particles which have the size not greater than 100 micrometers. It requires high energy mixing of sand, cement, gravels, and water just in the right proportion.

• High strength type

The main specialty of this material is that it has a high compressive strength of as much as 60 MPa. It is made by decreasing the w/c ratio to 0.35 or lower than this. It is often used in the construction of high-rise buildings, long-span bridges, and highways.

I think this will clear all your doubts, and provide you knowledge about what is concrete, its types and their different uses in the construction field. So, use this information and take an appropriate decision as per the type of your construction project.

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