The Pros And Cons Of Concrete

705 Words2 Pages

In these cases, such as building a reservoir, a huge number of concrete trucks are generally brought in in a caravan, and they pour their concrete into the forms that have been constructed onsite. In some cases, this order will put a concrete plant out of commission for a period of time due to the demand, and as such it must obviously be coordinated ahead of time. Another appealing aspect of concrete, apart from the versatility, is the ease of procuring it. Concrete is not made with any fancy, hard to find materials. It is produced throughout the United States, which keeps shipping costs low. Concrete for general jobs can be purchased in bags of varying weights. These bags are not expensive, and are very easy to ship in bulk. As a result, …show more content…

Concrete is used from the ground up in the construction of buildings. Foundations are made using concrete, and every from that point up can also employ concrete. As a result, the specifications of this concrete must be more stringent than the concrete used to support the aforementioned fence post, and with increased specifications comes more specialized installation practices. While Quikrete can be mixed and forgotten about, much of the work done for buildings requires much more careful monitoring over an extended period of time. In addition, sometimes even concrete is not strong enough on its own. As a result, sometimes concrete must be installed with a particular gauge of rebar installed in various spots in order to reinforce the concrete. These specifications are very specific, and it is an exact science. A contractor must be aware of these things ahead of time, and must be sure that they have the personnel and the training necessary to adequately install this …show more content…

In addition to its more practical benefits noted earlier, concrete is also widely used because of the environmental benefits that can be enjoyed through its use as well. Since the ingredients and process for making concrete are so basic, there is very little impact to the environment in the form of waste, none of which can be considered especially dangerous or toxic. As noted before, concrete is inherently fire retardant. In order for wood, for example, to be made to be fire retardant, it requires the use of specific treatment methods and chemicals. These chemicals can have an adverse reaction on both the environment and even on the workers performing these actions. Furthermore, if disposed of incorrectly, the chemicals used can continue to harm the environment long after the building has been demolished. Another obvious advantage over the use of wood is that concrete use has no effect on

Open Document