When it comes to construction, concrete is a staple building material that has been used for thousands of years. This material was first used by the ancient Romans and Greeks for building vaults, large arches, and domes. Concrete of today has evolved and is entirely different, although its form has been contained. Concrete, just like what concrete services Richmond uses, is known for its durability, versatility, and efficiency in energy and electricity.
The following are some of the interesting facts you need to know about concretes:
1.The average concrete slab weighs 145 pounds per cubic foot
Concrete weights can vary depending on the size, moisture content, and air content. However, generally, a slab weighs 145 pounds per cubic foot.
2.The Trump International Hotel/Tower is the tallest concrete structure in the whole world
This concrete building is over 420 meters high and has 98 storeys.
3. it is the best and ideal material for roads
While there are a lot of materials available for road building such as asphalt, bricks, etc., concrete is the best, and widely used for building roads due to its flexibility, durability, and malleability upon construction.
3.It is the most widely used material
As mentioned, concrete is popularly used for building roads. However, concrete is used for different purposes like building, house, sideways, and even in arts. This is why in terms of volume; it is the most widely used material by humans. This is also akin to the fact that it is made up of abundant mineral in the earth, which is limestone.
4.It is resistant to water and fire
Another reason why it is used in construction is that the material itself is very resistant to different elements such as water and heat. Bridges, roadways, and even houses use concrete because it is durable and long-lasting.
5.It can be used to create art
As we mentioned, concrete is not just for practical purposes. Because it is very flexible and versatile, it can also be used for creating arts and beauty. In 1930, there was a movement that emerged that was called Concrete Art Movement that produced different concrete sculptures all around the globe as its influence spread through. In Ingolstadt Germany, you can see a museum that is dedicated to showcasing different concrete arts and concrete arts alone.
6. Romans created the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world
One of the most popular creations of Romans is the Pantheon of Rome, which was originally built as a temple, but now used as a modern church. It is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings made by the Romans.
7.Joseph Aspdin created the modern concrete
It was in the year the 1800s that Joseph Aspdin reintroduced the concrete to the people that began its wide popularity and usage. He obtained the patent for Portland Cement in the year 1824. His cement takes its ingredient from the limestone obtained from the Isle of Portland, Dorset.
Final thoughts
When you look at the concrete on the wall, floor, and sideways, you might think that it is a simple material for construction. However, given the trivia we provided here, it is fascinating to know that concrete has contributed to human history.
When companies like concrete services Coquitlam build something, oftentimes, they need to demolish, whether it is a sidewalk, driveway, building foundation, or any other structures that are made of concrete. When this happens, they are left with a heavy and bigger amount of concrete that they need to toss away by crushing all of the concrete before they build anew.
However, because of the amount of concrete being put to waste, there is a growing concern on how to recycle these huge amounts of used concrete.
The Advantage of Recycling Used Concrete
There are many benefits that recycling concrete serves. First, it reduces construction and waste as well as prevents filling in the landfills. In connection to this, it cuts the budget allotted for concrete waste transportation. Second, it provides a good effect on the environment as recycling means replacing the materials that needed to be mine to be used for building constructions.
How Do You Recycle Concrete?
There is equipment specially designed for pulverizing concrete such as the industrial crushing large impactors. The used concrete is broken before crushing it and segregating. It also involves processes like separators, water flotation, and magnets.
There are several ways on how to recycle concrete and one of the basic steps that is needed to do is to find suitable equipment that is able to do the job. There is equipment that crushes the concrete, while there are others that pulverize it. When choosing the right processing equipment, the following things are needed to be taken into consideration:
1.The system could be manual, remote, or automatic
2.It needs to have a good and powerful water flotation or electromagnet as well as air separator system that can pull the steel from the concrete
3.They can also have jaws, cones, conveyors that can provide complete processing of the used concrete, from demolishing the old material to making it usable.
4.The separate hydraulic stands will make the setup faster and more efficient
What are the Uses of Recycled Concrete?
The recycled concrete is able to function just like what new materials do: gravel, aggregates, or paving materials. The following are the uses that old concrete can serve:
1.Used as a base for an asphalt paving. The concrete pavement is broken in its place through a process called rubblization and used as a lower layer for asphalt material.
2.Pavement for driveways, walkways, and other outdoor surfaces. Broken concrete provides a stable, porous surface that enables the rain water to filter through, which leads to a reduced amount of water runoff to the sewer systems.
3.For building new ocean reef habitats. They can be used to create a firm foundation for new corals.
4. They can be sued for mulch and other ground covers
5.Used for preventing streambank erosion.
6.Can be used as a substitute for new concrete material. This saves a lot of energy and resources.
Final thoughts
Concrete is one of the most used materials for different construction: from driveways, buildings, foundations, and walkways. And every day, new buildings, and driveways are being built that need concrete material, as well as some old constructions are being demolished produce tons of concrete waste. Recycling will provide a lot of benefits to the owner, company, and environment.
One of the best things that a decorative concrete driveway has is that it requires little effort and that it saves a lot of dollars when it comes to costs. However, the truth is that no driveway is maintenance-free, and there will always be a necessary maintenance method you need to do, or else, this will not last long. This is something that a good Concrete Driveway Contractor knows.
We interviewed the professional contractors about basic and effective tips on how to maintain a driveway and we were able to gather the following:
1. Remove the stains quickly
There are many ways that we stain our driveway and we spill liquids like gas, oil, grease, and others, which can cause not only discoloration but also deterioration of the concrete material. This is why it is very important to clean immediately the spills as soon as you can to avoid letting sip into the driveway’s concrete material. Also, if you have noticed some discoloration and difficult stain, we recommend that you pressure wash it with some cleaning chemicals as soon as you can. Although it is not always recommended to pressure wash your concrete all the time.
2.Clean and reapply sealer
Regular cleaning is one of the most effective ways of maintaining your driveway, as you will be constantly removing dirt, grime, oil, and other elements that may contribute to its corrosion and deterioration.
In addition to this, reapplying sealer is also very effective in making your driveway protected from the external, damaging elements. But how often do you need to reapply a seal? This depends on the weather conditions in the tour area and the vehicle traffic your driveway and pavement get. But here is the rule of the thumb: you need to reapply seal once for every two years or when you notice the finishing stats wearing off. There are many sealers available in the market, and if you are able, you can apply it on your own. But we recommend that you call a professional for this.
3.Avid using too many deicing chemicals
We highly discouraged using deicing chemicals as it can effectively damage the surface that will lead your driveway to spalling and scaling. These chemicals might contain ammonium sulfates and ammonium nitrates that are very harmful to concrete materials. The rock salt which contains calcium chloride gives little damage to the concrete, but is harmful to vegetation. You can use sand for traction.
4. Always treat it with care
There are is a more effective method than preventative measures. This is why treating your driveway with care will always prolong its life. This involves avoiding using materials or equipment that are highly damaging to the concrete, avoiding different kinds of spilling, avoiding the use of metal blades, or any equipment that could scratch the surface.
Although we know that concrete can be very durable, especially when they are designed it to be that way, we also know that all things need proper and regular maintenance to last long. If you would follow the tips we give you, we guarantee that you will have a driveway that can last up to several years.
Recent Comments