Concrete Construction Types
Take a moment to think of the major infrastructure you encounter each day. Chances are that almost every building you walk into, road you drive on, and bridge you cross use concrete in some significant way. Concrete is an exceptionally strong material with a wide range of uses. Keep reading to learn more about the wide-ranging uses of concrete.
Heavy Construction
Heavy construction is a catch-all term to describe large building projects on a commercial or civic scale. These construction projects involve large budgets and significant planning. They also require extensive civil and structural engineering knowledge to execute. Here are some of the most common examples and how concrete is integrated into each.
Bridge Construction
Bridge construction is divided into two major elements. The first is substructure. This includes every bridge part designed to support the anticipated load weight. Some examples of bridge substructures are piers, pilings, footings, wing walls, cheek walls, beam seats, and abutments. Concrete (cast-in-place and precast concrete) is used extensively in bridge substructures.
The second element of bridge construction is the superstructure. This is the upper part of the bridge where you walk or drive. The superstructure includes parts like decks, sidewalks, road beams, trusses, railings, side traffic barrier walls, and other structures. Bridge superstructures use both prestressed and untensioned concrete.
Highway Construction
Concrete was used extensively in building the highway system in the United States. Now, the focus is largely on the maintenance, repair, and expansion of this system. These processes also use concrete on a large scale.
Thanks to new technologies, the concrete used in highway construction today is more durable and less prone to issues. For example, air-entrained concrete is less likely to buckle or break during freeze-thaw cycles.
Other Civil And Commercial Construction
There are a variety of other heavy construction projects, such as dams, large public structures, canals, ports, and sewage and water pipelines. These are considered heavy construction because of the specialized construction management, equipment, and skills required to execute these projects.
Like other heavy construction initiatives, concrete is used as a key element in structural and other elements. Both advanced materials and construction methods are implemented in heavy construction projects like these, including roller-compacted concrete (RCC) to construct and repair dams.
Residential And Commercial Construction
The use of concrete may not be as readily visible in commercial and residential construction, but it is absolutely an integral component. Concrete is used in various foundation types, basement walls, slabs, and footings.
Concrete may even be used in exterior walls above the basement level and flooring support systems in commercial buildings. Finished or polished concrete is frequently used in flooring in commercial buildings and the basements and garages of residential structures.
The material is also used extensively in hardscaping and other projects outside of residential and commercial structures. Porches, patios, and sidewalks are just a few examples of this.
Types Of Concrete Used
The type of concrete used depends on the nature of the project and the intended use of the finished project. Most structural concrete work uses ready-mix concrete brought to the site then poured into forms or trenches.
There are industry standards and best practices that determine the strength of concrete used for foundations and floors. For example, after a month of curing, slabs, sidewalks, driveways, and other load-bearing surfaces should have a minimum density of 4,000 PSI. The minimum strength recommendation for garage and basement floors is 2,500 PSI. However, that number may increase for garage structures intended to bear the weight of heavy equipment.
It is more common to use dry concrete mixed on-site for items that use less concrete or lack structural integrity requirements. This would include concrete benches, stairs, and countertops.
Concrete Construction Services
In addition to selecting the appropriate concrete for building projects, it’s also important to apply the correct skills and techniques. Because of this, there is a wide array of concrete construction services used in various projects. These include:
Concrete Forming
Concrete forming is used in various applications, including foundations, driveways, and sidewalks. It involves pouring pre or site-mixed concrete into forms that hold the concrete in place until it dries and cures.
Concrete Cutting
Concrete cutting is employed in both renovation and new construction projects. The scope of concrete cutting ranges from flat sawing, which is used to cut trenches for the placement of electrical or plumbing systems in order to track sawing and cut away entire sections of the building structure.
Concrete Demolition
Because so much knowledge of civil and structural engineering is involved in creating concrete structures, similar knowledge is needed in concrete demolition. These projects also require specialized equipment. All of this is necessary to successfully demolish and remove concrete structures without endangering any individuals or risking the integrity of nearby structures.
Projects such as bridge demolition, large structure demolition, road removal, and commercial building demolition require significant planning and engineering. They use techniques such as pressure bursting, mechanical bursting, and robotics demolition.
If you have questions or would like to pursue a concrete building or demolition project, Concrete Technology Services Mid-Atlantic, Inc., can help. Please call us or send an inquiry email to get started.
Concrete Technology Services maintains a modern fleet of equipment. Our crews take pride in providing the best concrete cutting services in North Carolina and the entire east coast including Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
