Cement Concrete
Concrete is an artificial building material which is composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates mixed with water.
Concrete is an artificial building material which is composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates mixed with water. This mixture which is in plastic stage becomes hard as stone as it sets. Strength of cement concrete depends on quantity and manner on which the three ingredients are mixed. Different strengths can be achieved by adjusting the proportions of cement, aggregates and water. As concrete has high strength capability in compression, concrete is considered as versatile material and is widely used in construction industry.
It has high durability, ease of construction, better fire resistance than steel, economical, has better appearance.
Components of concrete:
1. Cement
2. Fine Aggregates
Fills up the voids between the paste and coarse aggregates.
3. Coarse Aggregates
Acts as a filler in concrete
4. Water.
When water is added to cement, ingredients of cement reacts chemically with water and form complex chemical compound hydration reaction starts. The silicates and aluminates of cement react with water and form hydro silicates and hydro aluminates. These are thick and posses adhesive property which helps in binding aggregates and sand together.
Concrete can be casted in any shape. Since it is a plastic material in fresh state, various shapes and sizes of forms or formworks are used to provide different shapes.
Various types of concrete are manufactured these days for construction of buildings and structures. These have special properties and features which improve quality of construction as per requirement. However recently a large number of additives known as concrete additives are also added.
Some of the additives used are:
1. Plasticizers
2. Superplasticizers
3. Accelerators
There are different types of admixtures which are used to provide certain properties. Admixtures or additives such as pozzolans or super plasticizers are included in the mixture to improve the physical properties of the wet mix or the finished material.
Portland cement is the commonly used type of cement for production of concrete.
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