Concrete is not the same as cement. Cement is the most important ingredient in concrete, but there are other components including water, sand, gravel and air.
Concrete is extremely durable. It is fire resistant and gains strength over time (source). For this reason, concrete is the most used building material.
The modern world uses more concrete than any other substance except naturally occurring water. In the US, the ready-mix concrete industry is estimated to be valued at $30 billion per year (source).
Just some of the infrastructure where concrete is used includes bridges, highways, foundations, dams, overpasses, pools, fences, carparks, runways and footings.
Concrete isn’t a modern material. The Ancient Romans used concrete by mixing lime, water and volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius.
The Empire State Building was constructed (beginning in 1929) using 47 402 cubic metres of concrete (source).
Meanwhile, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River (construction beginning in 1994) incorporates 28 million cubic metres of concrete (source).
Famous concrete structures around the world include:
- Christ the Redeemer in Brazil
- Pantheon in Rome
- Colosseum in Rome
- Hoover Dam in the US
- Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur
- Burj Khalifa in Dubai
Looking for a reliable concrete pumping company in Nowra or Wollongong? Contact Milne Concrete Pumping today. Safe, reliable concreting pumping all along the NSW South Coast.
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