Concrete: Top 5 Advantages You Should Know!

A construction worker mixing cement to create a strong and durable material for building infrastructure.

Posted By:Infra Bazaar



 

Concrete is an important construction material used for various residential, commercial, and other infrastructural projects. It is a strong element that solidifies and hardens when mixed with water due to the chemical process of hydration.

 

It is used to bind, hold, and support infrastructures. Cement is an extensively used material and is made by mixing stones, sand, gravel, and other aggregates, with water together to produce a hard stone-like material.

 

Cement is the most used man-made material for various construction projects. In this blog, we try to understand the various advantages of using Cement as an important construction material.

 

Top 5 Advantages of Concrete:

 

1.       Economical

The production cost of cement is comparatively lower. The materials used to make cement which includes sand, gravel and aggregates are inexpensive and readily available in the local markets. Compared to other construction materials like polymers, and steel, cement is inexpensive, widely used across the world.  

 

2.       Ability to be cast in the shape

Concrete is made by mixing aggregates and other materials along with water for it to solidify. Fresh concrete, however, is a liquid state and can casted into various shapes and configurations for it to later harden and strengthen. Just by adjusting the ratio of the mix, concrete and be cast into various complex shapes, sizes and patterns.

 

3.       Water-resistant

When compared to wood, and steel, concrete can excellently withstand water without serious compromise in its quality. This is why Concrete is an ideal building material used for underwater, or submerged construction projects like bridges, dams, canals, and so on. Pure water doesn’t cause any harm to concrete. However, the chemicals present in water like sulfates and chlorides can cause corrosion.

 

4. High-temperature resistant

Compared to wood and steel, concrete can better withstand higher temperatures and therefore has high-temperature resistant characteristics. The C-S-H or also known as Calcium Silicate Hydrate bonding can withstand temperatures over 910 degrees Celsius. Concrete being a bad conductor of heat and thus can store enormous amounts of heat without damaging the infrastructure.  

 

5.       Low and zero maintenance required

Infrastructure made from concrete rarely requires any maintenance or coatings for weathering or protection. Thus, the maintenance costs for concrete is much lower when compared to steel or wood. Apart from this, Concrete can be recycled and does not possess much environmental harm to the surroundings. Industrial aggregates can also be used as ingredients to form cement which makes recycling possible for cement.

 



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