Concrete is a widely used material in industry and modern construction, with its strength enhanced by the addition of wires, steel rods or cables, known as armor. Recently, fibers have been used to reinforce concrete. Invented in the 19th century, it revolutionized the construction industry, with buildings, bridges and roads depending on reinforced concrete. Prestressed concrete is created using a special technique, with bars or tendons tensioned prior to the application of the concrete.
This makes the lower section of the unit stronger against tensile forces. Precast concrete units are manufactured in a factory to exact specifications and then transported to the site for assembly. Air is entrained into the concrete by adding foaming agents such as alcohols, resins or fatty acids during the mixing process. Smart concrete is able to detect very small structural defects and finds application in verifying the internal state of structures after an earthquake.
With over 40 years of experience in Calgary, our experts provide efficient, affordable and safe concrete pumping services throughout Alberta. The different types of concrete include reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, precast concrete, entrained air concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete and permeable concrete. Reinforced concrete is widely used in construction sites and includes rebar for reinforcement. Prestressed concrete is used to build bridges, heavy-load structures or roofs with long spans. Precast concrete units are assembled rapidly on site.
Entrained air concrete is used in freezing environments or where there are freeze-thaw cycles. Fiber-reinforced concrete can be used to detect possible problems before failure and up to 30 percent replacement of fine aggregates and 20 percent replacement of cement have been reported. Permeable concrete allows water to pass through it and smart concrete can detect very small structural defects. The maximum particle size in fine aggregates is always less than 6.35 mm, with sand commonly used as a fine aggregate with a grain size around 2 mm. When a cementitious material holds together a large number of fragments of coarse aggregates (all over 6.35 mm in diameter), its behavior against imposed loads is similar to that of a very strong rock mass.
The various types of aggregates used in lightweight concrete include natural materials such as pumice and slag, artificial materials such as shales and expanded clays, and processed materials such as perlite and vermiculite. The only important property of lightweight concrete is its very low thermal conductivity.
