Concretes are common materials you’ll find on construction sites for buildings. It is made out of aggregate mixed with cement and water, and it serves various purposes.
We can use them in residential building sites and laying pathways. However, engineers use different types of concretes differently.
Read on as we discuss them.
1. Plain Concrete
Plain concrete is one of the most popular types of concretes that people use.
They use this concrete in constructing structures and pavements, particularly in locations that don’t need great tensile strength.
The compressive strength of the concrete ranges from 200 to 500 kg/cm2, and the density ranges from 2200 to 2500 Kg/meter cube.
Furthermore, the fundamental elements of plain concretes are sand, cement, and coarse particles, and the makers would have mixed these elements with a specific amount of water.
2. Prestressed Concrete
Prestressed concretes are among the different types of concretes. The concrete contractor uses prestressed concretes in many major concrete constructions.
This is a unique approach in which the concrete bars are stressed before the actual service load application. It requires the employment of bars, which they install at each end of the structural unit. When the concrete hardens, this unit compresses.
Furthermore, they produce and build prestressed pieces on-site. Prestressed concrete helps construct bridges, heavy-duty constructions, and long-span roofs.
3. Reinforced Concrete
Reinforced concrete is among the different types of concretes. It is a type that producers reinforce to increase its strength and ability to bear high tensile strains.
Steel is helpful in concrete reinforcement in bars, rods, and steel fibers. However, it is essential to create a strong bond between the concrete and the reinforcement steel while reinforcing.
Further, engineers mainly use this concrete to construct columns, strong bridges, ceilings, and other constructions.
4. Normal Concrete
Normal strength is another popular concrete form. There are several types of strength in normal strength concrete, ranging from 10 MPa to 40 MPa, and it has a setting time ranging from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.
This has to do with the construction site’s cement characteristics and weather conditions. This concrete mixture involves all the fundamental ingredients: gravel, concrete, and sand.
It is typically used for pavements or buildings that do not require a high tensile strength to function correctly. It is not suitable for many other constructions since it cannot withstand the strains caused by wind loads or vibrations.
5. Lightweight Concrete
Lightweight concrete is concrete that has a density of less than 1920kg/m3. We will have lightweight aggregates due to the usage in concrete design.
Lightweight concrete is helpful for various applications, including the protection of steel buildings and the construction of long-span bridge decks.
Aside from that, they are also helpful in constructing building blocks, and one of their most essential characteristics is that it has extremely low heat conductivity.
6. Asphalt Concrete
Asphalt concrete is among the different types of concretes. Engineers use composite material to build airports, roadways, and other pavements.
It has a lot of beneficial characteristics, including durability and workability. Asphalt mixes come in various shapes and sizes to serve multiple purposes.
For example, base asphalt mixes and asphalt surface mixes serve entirely different tasks in the pavement system. As a result, they are created in diverse ways.
To construct various structures, many types of asphalt concrete mixes are available.
7. Volumetric Concrete
Engineers created volumetric concrete to solve the problem of great distances. Builders can use it when they need to employ multiple types of concrete mix on the same site simultaneously.
One truck can mix and deliver two different combinations of concrete. To make the mixture useable, it’s essential to maintain the proper humidity and temperature levels after mixing it.
With volumetric concrete, the materials and water are transported to the construction site in specialized vehicles known as volumetric mobile mixers.
8. Glass Concrete
Glass concrete is another concrete type among the different types of concretes. It provides long-term strength and thermal insulation to surfaces, and various applications use it differently.
Compared to other varieties of concrete, glass concretes provide higher thermal insulation and has a more visually appealing appearance.
Furthermore, the term “glass concrete” refers to the integration of glass with exposed concrete, which opens up a new range of possibilities for architectural design.
9. Vacuum Concrete
Vacuum concrete is a type of concrete in which people evacuate the excess water to increase the strength of the concrete.
Because the water for mixing is not necessary for hydration, it leaves before the mixture hardens. Vacuum pumps with vacuum mats help remove the water. It’s perfect for constructions that are frequently exposed to fast-moving water.
Vacuum concrete has a higher density and bond strength than regular concrete. Because it combines effectively with existing concrete, it resurfaces old surfaces.
10. High-Density Concrete
High-density concrete is the last on our list of different types of concretes. Another name for this concrete type is heavyweight concrete.
The coarse particles in high-density concrete are made from high-density crushed rocks, and it has densities ranging between 3000 and 4000 kg/m3.
Heavy-duty aggregates are helpful in this application. These aggregates are most valuable for constructing atomic power stations and other comparable projects, although we can use them in other applications.
The hefty weight aggregate will aid in the structure’s ability to withstand any radiation.
