Concrete is a crucial material in the modern construction industry and provides solutions to key societal challenges. A combination of affordability, flexibility and energy efficiency makes it a top choice for constructing buildings, roads, bridges and public infrastructure. Concrete is a non-combustible material, which reduces the need for fire fighting and limits noxious emissions that cause air pollution. Furthermore, concrete utilises alternative fuels and by-products in production and is a part of the circular economy through quarry rehabilitation and end-of-life recycling.
Concrete’s natural ability to absorb temperature Wollongong Concreting Solutions variations, and its thermal mass, enables it to significantly reduce operational energy consumption in buildings. This in turn, decreases the amount of non-renewable resources needed for heating and cooling. This contributes to a lower carbon footprint for the building and its occupants, thereby contributing to global environmental sustainability goals.
With more and more attention being focused on climate change, the concrete industry is tasked with finding sustainable paths to production. In order to do so, manufacturers and researchers have been working on a variety of concreteing solutions that help achieve zero net emissions from the manufacturing process.
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these newer designs also have the potential to save companies money in the long run by lowering the embodied carbon for their specific mix design. Unfortunately, these newer concreteing solutions can often conflict with traditional or boilerplate specs and will need to be carefully considered in order to become a part of the standard specification.
Concrete has a very long life, which reduces maintenance costs and downtime for businesses and homeowners. This, in turn, minimizes the impact on the environment by minimizing the need for resource extraction and causing less social disruption during construction.
Additionally, concrete is an extremely durable material that resists damage from earthquakes and other natural events. Consequently, these structures need to be repaired very rarely and require minimal maintenance. This helps to limit the amount of waste and energy required in the supply chain and reduces the need for noxious chemicals to be used during repair work.
Concrete can be moulded into a wide range of finishes to enhance the appearance and functionality of a building. This, in turn, limits the need for coatings that require frequent maintenance and can have a negative impact on the environment. In addition, concrete offers acoustic performance that can significantly reduce noise levels in hospitals and private practice, which improves patient recovery time and decreases strain on surgeons performing delicate procedures.
The main ingredients in concrete are water, cement and aggregate. Each of these can be mixed in varying quantities, which affects the final product. Concrete can be made to have a higher or lower permeability, which is critical for preventing leaks and cracks that require expensive repairs. Additionally, the water content can be adjusted to have a greater or lesser fluidity, which also influences how easy it is to work with.