When people hear the word concrete, they often think of a grey, hard material used to make sidewalks and driveways. But the truth is that concrete is everywhere you look. In fact, if you were to look around right now, there would be at least 3 things in your field of vision that contain concrete – and there’s a good chance all three are within arm’s reach!

Concrete and cement are not the same thing; cement is actually just a component of concrete. Cement is a fine binding powder that is never used alone, but is a component of both concrete and mortar, as well as stucco, tile grout, and thin-set adhesive. Mortar is composed of cement, fine sands and lime; it is used a binding material when building with brick, block, and stone. Stucco and veneer finishes are made from cement and sand. Tile grout is made from cement, sand and color pigments. Thin-set adhesive is made from cement and fine sand.

Concrete itself consists of four basic ingredients: water, aggregate (rock, sand or gravel), portland cement and air (entrained air in particular). The first three ingredients you can easily identify. Air may be harder to see;

Concrete is a composite material consisting of aggregate (gravel and sand), cement, and water. As a construction material, concrete can be cast into different forms and structures, and once it hardens can become a structural load bearing element. Concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, about 7 cubic kilometres of concrete are made each year—more than one cubic metre for every person on Earth.

Concrete is used as a structural component in buildings, bridges, pavements and dams. It is used in foundations, as well as in subgrade applications such as tunnels, underground parking garages and sewers. Because of its durability and low maintenance costs over time, concrete is the most economical material for many construction projects around the globe.

Concrete is a composite material consisting of aggregate (gravel and sand), cement, and water. As a construction material, concrete can be cast in almost any shape, and once it hardens, can be a structural (load bearing) element.

Cement, which is not a component of concrete but rather the glue that holds concrete together, is made from limestone and clay or shale. These raw materials are quarried, crushed, finely ground, blended to the correct chemical composition and fed into a rotary kiln at about 2,600 degrees F. The kiln resembles a large horizontal pipe with an airtight seal at both ends. It slowly rotates as it is heated from the outside by an extremely large furnace. As the raw materials travel through the kiln they transform from wet raw materials into dry small marble-sized balls called clinker. The clinker balls then go through further grinding with gypsum to produce the fine powder we call Portland cement.

Concrete is a cement-based material, comprised of aggregate (rock, sand or gravel) and paste (water and Portland Cement). The paste, comprised of cement and water, binds the aggregates (usually sand and gravel or crushed stone) into a rocklike mass as the paste hardens. A chemical reaction called hydration occurs in the paste that creates long, interlocking chains of crystals that are very strong. This rocklike mass is concrete.

Cement is just one ingredient in concrete. Concrete mix also contains sand and coarse aggregate (gravel). Other ingredients may include fly ash and chemical admixtures to alter the properties of the concrete including accelerated curing time or increased strength.

Cement has a limited shelf life; it should be used within six months for maximum efficiency. It should be stored dry in a clean area away from moisture or freezing temperatures which can damage it. It can be purchased in bags by home owners at local home improvement stores for small projects or by contractors at concrete suppliers for larger projects.

Concrete can be mixed onsite at a project site using portland cement, sand and water or it can be mixed offsite at a ready mix plant using standard aggregates such as pea gravel, crushed rock or sand. Contractors

Concrete is a mixture of cement, sand and aggregate. When mixed with water a chemical reaction starts which binds the materials together to form a solid mass that can be used for pavement or structures. Cement is the binding agent in concrete and it’s the grey powder often found in ready mix products. If you need to know more about concrete or cement, check out our blog at www.concretenews.com**

Concrete (often called cement) is a mixture of sand, gravel, water and a binder such as cement. The most common form of concrete is Portland cement concrete, which consists of mineral aggregate (generally gravel and sand), portland cement and water. Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, creating a robust stone-like material.

Concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world as it has many uses. Some examples are:

-To make pavements for walkways, roadways, etc

-For building structures such as houses or buildings

-For making various shapes or designs for decorative purposes

-For creating bridges

In the past concrete was not used in construction very much until recently when people found out how useful it is. However, there are still many other materials that are used in construction more than concrete such as steel or wood.

Concrete is a composite material composed of coarse aggregate bonded together with fluid cement that hardens over time. Most concretes used are lime-based concretes such as Portland cement concrete or concretes made with other hydraulic cements, such as calcium aluminate cements. However, asphalt concrete, which is frequently used for road surfaces, is also a type of concrete, where the cement material is bitumen, and polymer concretes are sometimes used where the cementing material is a polymer.

When aggregate is mixed together with dry Portland cement and water, the mixture forms a fluid slurry that is easily poured and molded into shape. The cement reacts chemically with the water and other ingredients to form a hard matrix that binds the materials together into a durable stone-like material that has many uses. Often, additives are included in the mixture to improve the physical properties of the wet mix or the finished material. Most concrete is poured with reinforcing materials (such as rebar) embedded to provide tensile strength, yielding reinforced concrete. Favorable properties of concrete include low cost and wide availability — among other useful characteristics — leading to its historical widespread use in construction projects worldwide.