Concrete is the primary material that ensures the strength of the house. The construction of foundations, walls, ceilings, floors requires concrete. Not a single building today is complete without the use of concrete. The strength properties of concrete and the ease of manufacture make it a unique material. From the foundations of the most significant buildings to the very tops of skyscrapers, you can find concrete on every centimeter of the structure.
In many cases, it is not always possible to order a ready-made mixture, and therefore it is advisable to know how to make concrete with your own hands. The procedure for making concrete is straightforward. Nevertheless, you should consider some features that help improve the quality of concrete and its further operational suitability.
Before starting work, it is necessary to establish the operational goals of concrete and calculate the possible load to correctly select the recipe and proportions of materials for mixing concrete. To learning more, you can visit this https://www.concreteservicesdenver.com website to hire a professional or doing concrete construction.
What are the main concrete components?
Cement:
Cement performs a binding function for all other components of the concrete solution, and the strength of the concrete itself directly depends on its quality. When buying cement, you should be aware that it loses its quality during prolonged or improper storage.
Already a month after production, the binding properties of cement decreased by 10%, after six months – by 50%, it is not recommended to use it at all after a year. But even fresh cement will become unusable if dampness pulls. Therefore it must be stored in a dry place.
Sand:
The sand fractions included in the solution have a size of 1.5 to 5 mm. The coincidence of fractions obtains an excellent result, and the maximum discrepancy is within 2 mm.
The content of impurities in the composition of the bulk element is unacceptable: dirt, dust, debris. To make sure the sand is clean, you need to sift it. The ideal option is river sand, with a suitable size of fractions, without admixtures of clay.
Crushed stone:
It is the aggregate that gives the cement slurry the necessary strength. Crushed rock is ideal: gravel, crushed stone. The best strength results are obtained with full of different sizes: coarse and fine. The extra size ensures that the components fit tightly to each other, preventing the formation of voids.
Water:
At first glance, a simple component – water, should not contain acidic, alkaline compounds. The use of the lake, river water is unacceptable. It can make a robust concrete solution with clear, clean water.
Additives:
Depending on the natural conditions of construction, engineering problems, lime, plasticizers, auxiliary and reinforcing substances are added to the solution during preparation. They improve adhesion, give elasticity, and reduce the percentage of cracking.
How to prepare concrete solution at home:
If the construction plans do not include the cost of a concrete mixer? There is an old bathtub, a shovel, and you can use them yourself. This method is not suitable for large volumes; for small ones, it is irreplaceable. There are two known methods for making a solution:
First: Sand, cement are mixed dry, then water is added, the rest of the components. The materials are distributed evenly, but the procedure for adding water should be given special attention.
There is a chance that some of the dry components may remain at the bottom, not getting into the solution, violating the percentage. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, but not for long, do not allow the concrete to harden. Such trifles will not appear on the external characteristics of the solution; for technical aspects, these are not trifles but the danger of losing strength.
Second: The required amount of water is measured, cement, sand, aggregate and additives are added. The second method is better than the first one combined with a small amount of concrete. Feel free to use it yourself.
