The Multiple Benefits of Concrete Construction - An In-Depth Analysis
As a matter of fact, concrete plays a very important role in our day-to-day lives, as well as in a well-functioning society.
Its contribution to the society is immense, as we use it for building schools, bridges, apartment blocks, hospitals, dams, tunnels, pavements, drainage systems, roads, runways and so many other things.
Only a few people truly realize that concrete is the most valuable building material in this world, with almost two tons used annually for every child, man and woman.
Its usage is almost double that of steel, wood and plastic, taken together.
No material can work as a substitute for concrete, especially due to its efficiency, robustness, longevity and price.
Concrete holds a range of benefits, which hugely enhances the lifespan of a structure or building.
It is one of the oldest and most reliable construction materials; in fact, it holds many inherent qualities that prove beneficial to the clients, designers as well as contractors.
Now, let's take a look at some of these unique characteristics.
Strength and durability The full architectural conformity of a concrete construction, together with its strength and capacity to allow further changes, makes concrete a popular construction material.
It is this innate strength and robustness which helped traditionally built constructions in bearing the immense load of changes.
With the capacity to withstand 200 miles-per-hour storms, it's a highly popular construction material in all the tornado zones of the world.
Whether you build a home or commercial building, its strength and durability hold a lot of importance.
Energy efficiency With the utility costs rising constantly, people choose energy-efficient gadgets and materials over the normal ones.
Basically, thermal mass illustrates the efficiency of construction materials in storing, absorbing and giving out heat; a useful characteristic that helps moderate the temperature in a building.
Hard-wearing materials like concrete have a considerable amount of thermal mass.
Hence, concrete walls and their tight seals work efficiently at keeping extreme temperatures out.
Fire blockage Unlike other construction materials, you cannot put concrete on fire.
Besides, it doesn't release any toxic element, even if it comes in contact with fire.
Most importantly, it doesn't produce smoke or drop molten particles.
Due to all these reasons, in most of the settings and applications, people term concrete as a 'fireproof' material.
During fire break outs, concrete helps support the strength of a building.
It is fire resistant and doesn't need any outer source of protection.