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Home > Cement and Concrete Reference Guide > Concrete Products
Concrete Products
Ready
mixed concrete, by far the most common form, accounts for nearly
three-fourths of all concrete. Ready mixed concrete is batched for
delivery from a central plant instead of being mixed on the job
site.
Architectural
and decorative concrete provides aesthetic finishes and structural
capabilities in one product. Whether creating broad expanses or
minute details, concrete permanently captures the chosen look and
color.
Stucco,
or portland cement plaster, is a versatile facing material that
can be applied to almost any type of surface either inside or outside
any building. It has proved to be a durable wall cover in all climates,
whether wet, dry, hot, or cold.
Developed in Sweden in the late 1920s, autoclaved
cellular concrete (ACC) is a lightweight precast concrete building
material. Unlike many other concrete products, it may be drilled,
sawed, or nailed using conventional carpentry tools .
Since 1882, when the first concrete block was molded, concrete
masonry has become a standard building material. Concrete blocks
create structures that are economical, energy efficient, and fire-resistant.
Insulating
concrete forms (ICFs) are hollow foam blocks used to frame the
exterior walls of homes inplace of the customary wood or steel frame.
Contractors can cut ICFs to any shape to allow for unique home designs
or site conditions.
Virtually unknown in the United States until 1950, precast
concrete structures are now commonplace. Precast concrete is
widely used in low- and mid-rise apartment buildings, hotels, motels,
and nursing homes as well as bridges and office buildings.
Many different interior and exterior finishes are available to
texture the concrete when using cast-in
place forms. Additionally, this system allows for all the exterior
and interior walls to be poured at the same time.
The primary application of controlled
low-strength material (CLSM) is as structural fill or backfill
in place of compacted soil. CLSM is a self-compacted, cementitious
material that it can readily be placed into tight or restricted-access
areas where placing and compacting fill is difficult.
 Since
the first strip of concrete
pavement was completed in 1893, concrete has been used extensively
for paving highways and airport runways as well as residential streets.
Soil-cement
primarily is applied as a base course for roads, streets, highways,
airports, and parking areas. Slope protection, ditch lining and
foundation stabilization are also common uses.
Roller-compacted
concrete (RCC) originated in Canada during the mid-1970s. RCC,
a durable paving material that carries heavy loads, is now developing
as a fast, economical construction method for dams and levees and
as a base for conventional pavement.
Pervious
concrete is an innovative building material with many environmental,
economic, and structural advantages. It allows water to pass through,
putting rainwater back in the ground where it belongs.
A high-performance
concrete (HPC) stand up to harsh elements and corrosive chemicals
and is excellent for jobs requiring superior durability and low
maintenance such as bridges.
Self-consolidating
concrete (SCC) is a high-performance concrete that can flow
easily into tight and constricted spaces without segregating and
without requiring vibration.
The most common use of high-strength
concrete is for the construction of high-rise buildings. Producers
of high-strength concrete know what factors affect compressive strength
and know how to manipulate those factors to achieve the required
strength.
The shortage of steel in Europe after World War II coupled with
technological advancements in high-strength concrete and steel made
prestressed
concrete the building material of choice during European post-war
reconstruction.
A wide variety of building projects successfully use shotcrete,
including all types of residential and non-residential buildings.
It is especially suited for curved or thin concrete structures like
swimming pools and grain silos.
Most frequently used for one-story commercial buildings such as
warehouses or office buildings,
tilt-up
concrete is an economically viable method for building individually
designed reinforced concrete structures.
Concrete
pipe has a well-established history and reputation for being
a long lasting, serviceable material. The Cloacae Maxima, built
in about 180 B.C. as part of Rome's main sewer system, was constructed
mainly of stone masonry and natural cement concrete. Today portions
of the concrete sewer are still in use.
When a concrete structure has served its purpose, it can be recycled
as aggregate in new concrete paving, backfill, or as road base.
This recycled
concrete saves natural resources and valuable landfill space.
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