Concrete remains the most versatile building material in existence. From the home to mega-projects, from sculptures to reactors, concrete can suit them all. Most of this is due to how changing the mix of its deceptively simple components can vastly change concrete’s properties.
Concrete suppliers like http://aareadymix.com/ can tell you there is no single thing called ‘concrete’, but different mixes that provide varying levels of strength, compressibility, density, and temperature control. Completion dates for building projects can be accelerated when there is no need to mix concrete on site and monitor carefully if the materials are in the proper proportions. Read more about this at http://www.aareadymix.com/company/
Examples of Heavy Engineering Using Concrete
There’s always something being built in California, and all of them use concrete. A & A Ready Mixed Concrete, Inc. has assisted in many heavy engineering projects, and some of the most specialized uses of concrete include:
The Century freeway, which at 17 miles between the 605 Freeway and the Los Angeles Exchange (LAX) required over 1.2 million cubic yards of concrete.
The UCLA Medical Center, which added a nuclear cyclotron facility. It required super dense concrete with heavy aggregates imported all the way from Missouri.
The Burbank Water Reclamation Plant required concrete that resists seepage and shrinkage.
The Marina Del Rey Sea Wall required high density concrete using dry compacted silica fume. Admixtures of concrete that’s tough and resistant to corrosion was essential to resist strong storm surges and the constant battering of salt-laden ocean waves.
The Huntington Beach Pier, one of Southern California’s most visited landmarks, was demolished and rebuilt with precast piles and cast-in-place concrete. Matching the scenic value proved to be no issue with good preparation.
The Metro Line tunnel from Universal City to Hollywood needed 120,000 cubic yards of concrete — 90,000 of which contained a high range water reducer. Reducing the need for water in concrete improves its compressive strength.
Ready Mix vs Site Mix for Heavy Engineering Projects
When massive amounts of concrete is required, is there a reason to prefer ready-mixed over just mixing very large batches on site? Several, actually. Ready mixes are much more useful to heavy engineering projects. They provide
1) Consistent high quality
Mixed in computer-controlled batching plants, with materials carefully checked and mixed, there’s no need to fear improperly mixed concrete that would weaken the structure
2) Reduces time
Pre-mixed concrete is ready to pour. There is no need to waste time collecting, storing, mixing them on site, and making sure the concrete really has been mixed properly.
3) Reduces need for labor
Mixing on site usually calls upon extra or unskilled labor for the task of manually mixing and pouring the concrete. Pre-mixed concrete reduces the hassle of labor management.