Interesting fact about concrete

1. Concrete is the most used material in the world

The aggregates and water used to create concrete are available almost everywhere. There are several billion tons of concrete used each year and it is China that consumes the most.

There are some in the infrastructures, the roads and the foundations of a house...

We use 6,000,000,000 m3 / year, that's huge!

2. Concrete and cement are not the same thing

I often hear “you make cement pots”, no, concrete is not cement and cement is not concrete. In the end, approximately 10 to 15% of the concrete is made up of cement, itself mainly composed of lime; between 60% and 65% is made up of an aggregate such as gravel or sand and 15-20% is water. In addition, I add adjuvants which further reduce this percentage.

3. The concrete is very old and still exists

“It formed naturally in Israel twelve million years ago, and the ancient Egyptians used a type of concrete in the pyramids of Giza; but it was the Romans who captured the talent for concrete. The most famous, the Pantheon in Rome, built around 120 AD. AD, is still the largest unsupported concrete structure in the world.”

https://ekaconcrete.com/10-impressive-facts-concrete/

4. Portland Cement

I use Portland cement and learned that it is called that because of its similar color to limestone.

5. Very high compressive strength

The pressure per square inch (PSI) averages between 3,000 and 7,000, but can reach as high as 20,000. In fact the Colosseum and some concrete walls that still hold up are testament to this. Finally, there is the GFRC CONCRETE which is even more solid. Otherwise, when concrete is reinforced with steel, it is even more rigid and durable, as it is free from corrosion. Fiberglass is also used to reinforce concrete, even more frequently than steel. For example, the LH Lafontaire hospital was able to have 6 additional floors using GFRC. It is lighter and stronger.

6. The word concrete comes from the Romans

The word "concrete" comes from the Latin word "Concretus", which roughly means, "to grow together".

https://ekaconcrete.com/10-impressive-facts-concrete/

7. Concrete cures over several weeks, so it gets stronger over time

After a month, the concrete reaches 90% of its strength, but it still continues to do so afterwards. This is why a freshly made concrete pot is not quite solid yet. It takes patience and it will last a very long time. An advantage and a defect at the same time.

8. Three Gorges Dam - China

The most difficult and longest dam project, in fact it took 17 years to do. From 1995 to 2006. It took 16 million cubic meters of cement to build it, making it the largest concrete dam in a single project. We are not talking about maintenance here, which requires other pours of concrete over the years.

Sources:

https://ekaconcrete.com/10-impressive-facts-concrete/

http://www.bpdl.com/media/files/gfrcinternet.pdf

https://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/saint-lo-50000/dou-vient-ce-beton-qui-nous-entourage-782640

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cement_concrete

Thanks for reading, hope you learned a bit more about concrete, click on the links above for more information.

Myriam - Mimipots