Everything About Concrete Washington State

Concrete is one of the most artificial materials used every day and everywhere on earth. From building construction to bridge constructions, it can sustain anything with its mixture components and its features. If you’re in search of good concrete Olympia Concrete Contractors 215 Columbia St NW #221 Olympia WA 98501 360-469-6382 for the best in Olympia Concrete from Lacey WA to Tumwater WA, foundations, stamped concrete, retaining wall you name it!

What is concrete?

One of the primary materials in the construction industry is cement concrete. Concrete is a mixture of cement, sand, aggregates, and water. When it is newly prepared, it can be mounded easily into any structural way. It attains strengths as the curing goes well, and it keeps getting harder.

Properties of Concrete

• 4mm per meter is the thermal expansion of concrete.
• When dried or wetting again, the shrinking and expanding of concrete depend on the modules of elasticity of the cement.
• It is porous.
• It is highly electrical resistant.
• This is comparatively cheaper than steel.
• It gets hard over time, and obtaining hard lasts long until it attains sufficient strength.

Uses of concrete

• One of the primary uses is constructing buildings, bridges, flyovers, dams, and other civil engineering structures.
• Concrete does not only help Civil but all architectural construction like vaults, shells, dams, bridges, etc.
• In prestressed constructions also concrete is used.
• Foundation is one of the critical structures in the body of a building or any monument. Concrete helps it to stand firmly and give support for a long-lasting period.
• It is used to construct roads, highways, etc., where it can sustain huge vehicles and others firmly.
• It is also used in the water bodies to build bridges, dams, etc where it proves that it is not only for land resources but also for water resources.

Advantages of concrete

• The character of concrete that gives rigidity and appearance to the structures has a monolithic surface.
• It can be used for various purposes and can sustain climate conditions to construct walls, roads, foundations, runways, water retaining structures, pavements, etc.
• It is durable and can be relied upon it.
• It also acts as a waterproof material where it doesn’t allow any leakage to happen.
• It is highly resistant to electricity.
• It is highly resistant to abrasion.
• It binds with steel well and is weak to tension, so the steel’s reinforcement is concrete in many places.

Disadvantages of concrete

• In the case of extended structures, concrete is required to provide expansion joints.
• To avoid drying shrinkage, it is required to give expansion joints.
• It consumes more time for curing to develop strength.
• The tensile strength is low.