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WHAT IS CONCRETE?

It is a versatile and cheap material, with a vast range of applications. Brick laying, constructing paths and driveways, foundations to buildings and walls, are some of the practical applications. Concrete has a wide range of industrial applications. These include; bridge construction, motorways, curbs, walkways and foundations to entire factories and industrial sites.
It a composite material, composed of a number of materials. Most concrete is made up of portland cement, aggregates (gravel, crushed stones) and sand. Water is added to the mix. The admixture, helps to control the setting time and waterproofs the finished concrete.

THE NATURE OF CONCRETE

HOW STRONG IS CONCRETE?

Concrete is strong when under
a compressive force. However, concrete is very weak when under tension.
(also known as a tensile force).

Concrete can be reinforced by adding steel rods to the mixture and allowing the concrete to set solid. The steel rods ensure that reinforced concrete can withstand tensile forces. This makes reinforced concrete a composite material, that is used widely in the construction industry.