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Properties of concrete. Concrete has relatively high compressive strength (resistance to breaking when squeezed), but significantly lower tensile strength (resistance to breaking when pulled apart). The compressive strength is typically controlled with the ratio of water to cement when forming the concrete, and tensile strength is increased by ...
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, [ 1 ] and is the most widely used building material. [ 2 ] Its usage worldwide, ton for ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined.
Gypsum concrete is a building material used as a floor underlay [ 43 ] used in wood-frame and concrete construction for fire ratings, [ 43 ] sound reduction, [ 43 ] radiant heating, [ 44 ] and floor leveling. It is a mixture of gypsum, Portland cement, and sand. [ 43 ] One of its advantages is the lightweight nature.
Concrete has similar thermal properties to masonry products, in that it has a relatively high thermal mass and is a good conductor of heat. In some special cases, the thermal properties of concrete have been employed, for example as a heatsink in nuclear power plants or a thermal buffer in industrial freezers. [6]
Prestressed beam without load. Prestressed beam with load. Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially "prestressed" (compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. [1][2]: 3–5 [3] It was patented by Eugène Freyssinet in 1928.
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th century by Joseph Aspdin, and is usually made from limestone.
Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete 's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility.
Cement block construction examples from the Multiplex Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio, in 1905. A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together.