ConcreteBy: Briana McGrade

Professor BrodySpring 2014

Brief History Ancient Egyptians started

using a similar mixture of limestone and gypsum to make “cement blocks” since 3000 B.C.

Similarly Romans used a mixture called opus caementicium, which is where we get our current word of cement.

Cement was originally made with mud as the paste and straw as the aggregate.

Ingredients Concrete is made of two key

ingredients aggregates and pastes.

Now we use sand and different sizes of gravel.

Aggregates are categorized into two major groups fine or course.

Fine measures .2 inches or smaller

Course measures up to 1.5 inches

The paste in the concrete is cement, which can be made from limestone, clay, gypsum, and other minerals mixed with water.

May also contain admixtures, which can change the concretes color, drying time, and corrosive properties.

How its made https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woaUs5XnjUo

How its made (continued)

Concrete is made by combining the “ingredients” together, much like baking.

You need the aggregates, pastes, water, and admixtures in a certain percentage in order for the mixture to cure at the appropriate time.

Cure- is the rate of water evaporation in the mixture, which dries and hold concrete in place.

To make the process easier you can buy it pre-mixed and just add water or you can mix it yourself.

Construction workers use a mixing truck to mix and add the water to the batch, which then should be used before 90 minutes or 300 turns to avoid slump loss.

The mixture can then be poured into a mold and used for flooring, walls, tables, counter, ect…

The mixture does need to be sealed due to easy staining.

Sealants

Silicone Water Based Acrylic Solvent Based Acrylic Water Based Epoxy Urethane Hybrid Sealers Waxes: beeswax Waxes: carnauba

SCM’s SCM’s, or Supplementary

cementitious materials, are materials that can have cement properties when combined with limestone.

Materials such as pozzolans, such as power plant ash, and slag a bi product of iron production can be used as SCM’s.

Many of these materials would normally be disposed of in a none sustainable manner, so using them in the production of cement helps reduce there carbon footprint on the earth.

Sustainable Can use oyster shells and

waste from coal fired power plants as aggregates for cement; such as in the stairs of the new life science building.

Old concrete can be recycled in aggregates for new concrete. The large slabs can be jack hammered into smaller pieces that can then be sifted through and the small pieces can be reused.

Also can act as a thermal mass that absorbs and releases heat.

NO VOC’S!!

Concrete Uses

Methods for Finishing Pigment Mix-in: Adding powdered coloring to mix Pigment Broadcast: Powdered Pigment sprinkled

on top Reactive & Nonreactive Stain: Chemical Reaction

in concrete or pigment soaked into pores Dyes: Soaked into pores Paint: Epoxy Coating on Concrete Tinted sealant

Stock or Custom

Precast

Stock

Custom

Your Design accommodates stock sizes

Difficult to finish cut edges

Complete adjoining surfaces before measuring if possible

Manufacturers

Kane-Perkins CO. Scofeild Oldcastle inc. Cemex Lafarge Heidelberg Cement Fish Stone Ect..

Summery Made by combining

aggregates, pastes, and admixture

Can be sustainable with materials used as aggregates

Codes: (IRC) R311.7; residential (ICC) Chapter 19; commercial (ACI) 318; prep/laying Does not burn Cost $70-$120/ per cubic

yard (higher in truck) CSI 03-00-00

Citations http://

home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/materials/how-is-concrete-made3.htm

http://www.eco-serve.net/publish/cat_index_78.shtml

Godsey, Lisa. "Chapter 12." Interior design: materials and specifications. edition 2 ed. New York: Fairchild Books, 2008. 38-51. Print.