Concrete
Concrete is a versatile, hardwearing, durable product and is used more than any other man-made material in the world. It provides unique and creative alternatives for flooring, external areas, driveways and pool surrounds.
Concrete is made when cement powder is combined with coarse and fine aggregates (gravel and sand) and mixed well with a measured amount of water to a workable consistency. The cement and water combine into a paste, which bonds the aggregates together and hardens as it cures. The amount and type of each material added determines the properties of the hardened concrete, such as strength.
The images above illustrate some of the important processes involved when using concrete.
• Formwork: a critical stage when working with concrete, formwork is a mould, usually made from plywood, which fluid concrete is poured into. Reinforcing steel is positioned in the formwork to give the concrete additional strength. Concrete is a very dense and heavy fluid and formwork must be set up correctly to ensure against collapse.
• Concrete mixer: for mixing small amounts of concrete on site
• Concrete delivery: for most jobs, concrete is mixed by the supplier at a batch plant and transported to the work site in an agitator truck, which continues to mix the concrete while driving. Pumps are often used to get the concrete from the truck to the formwork.
• Concreters or Placers usually set up the formwork, help manage and control the flow of concrete during the pour, and finish the surface to make it smooth and level
There are many types of concrete and concrete products, including concrete for slabs, foundations, pools, paving, cold climates, bricks, blocks and roof tiles. The surface finish can be highly polished, stamped with patterns, coloured or even painted. Decorative concretes can have colour added to the mix or textural/special additions to the aggregate.
Recycled materials and by-products can also be added to the concrete mix to reduce its environmental impact. Products like Boral’s Envirocrete use differing amounts of recycled aggregates and cement alternatives like flyash from power generation and slag from steelmaking.
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As a rule, we always lean to exploring the more environmentally friendly options first. If your options seem endless, our best recommendation is to research which product will best suit your project.
