What are the key features of high-quality concrete? The answer to that question depends on several factors. These include strength, durability, stain resistance, and pores. Read on at high-quality concrete Etobicoke ON to learn more. After all, good concrete is no good if it doesn’t look good. So read on to discover some of the best ways to make concrete look good. Here are five tips:
Pores
The number of pores in concrete varies greatly. The number of pores can vary from 10 to 15 percent. This is because most pores are caused by water evaporation. To minimize the number of pores in your concrete, jig your concrete properly. When you jig your concrete, the air is allowed to escape and fill the smaller voids with cement. Often, concrete is poorly jigged, causing lots of tiny bubbles and voids in your slab. However, proper jigging will reduce the number of these pores to a small percentage.
As the thickness of a slab increases, pores and tunnels become smaller. As the thickness of the concrete increases, more pores get broken down. This allows water to pass through the slab, but only a small amount of water permeates the concrete’s surface. Pores in concrete, however, will continue to occur even if the slab is more than four inches thick. Ultimately, the quality of your concrete will be determined by the amount of water you allow through the pores.
Strength
The strength of high-quality concrete can be evaluated by measuring its tensile and compressive forces. The measured strength of concrete varies with age, rate of loading, and method of testing. In general, the strength of concrete is lower when wet than when dry, and its strength increases with age. Furthermore, the strength of concrete differs depending on the shape and size of the specimen. A cube exhibited higher strength than a cylindrical specimen, but smaller specimens exhibited lower average strengths. Finally, the strength of concrete depends on the composition, which limits its maximum strength and lowers the early strength levels.
The Cook study showed that cylinders cast with a job-cured specimen were not reliable indicators of the strength of concrete in place. The temperature rise of the cylinders affected the measured core strength. In another study, Akers and Miller evaluated the relationship between 150 x 300 mm (6 x 12 in.) cylinders and cores of high-strength concrete. Both cylinders were found to have similar tensile strength but were less than cylinders.
Durability
The durability of concrete is a measure of concrete’s capacity to withstand different conditions, including abrasion, chemical attack, and weathering action. Its overall durability can be determined by its design, proportioning, placement, testing, and curing. Generally, the more durable a concrete, the more likely it will remain intact for the desired period. Depending on its intended use, it may have different requirements than an indoor structure.
The durability of concrete is affected by several factors, including the water-cement ratio. Different types of concrete require different amounts of water and cement, which are crucial for hardening the concrete. Moreover, humidity affects the strength and reaction of cement. For instance, high-relative-humidity conditions can increase the growth of bacteria and mold in concrete, compromising its strength and serviceability.
Stain resistance
In addition to durability, stain resistance is vital for high-quality concrete. Some concrete is made specifically to stain upon exposure to chemicals. This type of concrete is referred to as chemical-resistant concrete. Stain resistance comes from the specific materials used to make the concrete and the coating that protects the concrete from color migration. Water-based polyurethane systems are the most common way to seal concrete countertops.
Good-quality concrete is dense and has a low permeability. As a result, weathering will inevitably cause most external surfaces to show signs of deterioration, and concrete is no exception. Natural weathering processes include freezing and thawing cycles, cyclic wetting and drying, salt crystallization, and leaching. In addition to stains, concrete is also sensitive to ultraviolet rays and chemicals.
Compressive strength
To find out the compressive strength of high-quality concrete, it is necessary to conduct a series of tests. To achieve this, Ravindrarajah measured the pulse velocity in cylinders of different sizes, 100 x 200 mm. Moreover, the resulting data were compared with laboratory measurements. In the former, the pulse velocity was higher than in the latter. In addition, the pulse velocity increased with silica fume. Further, the concrete samples were water-cured and air-cured. The study found that the relationship between strength and pulse velocity was exponential.
The compressive strength of concrete is measured by breaking cylindrical specimens in special machines. The result is expressed in pounds per square inch. The American Concrete Institute (ACI) standards require that the samples be tested for at least 28 days. These tests are also known as “tensile strength,” as they indicate the durability of concrete structures. For a more accurate measurement, a concrete structure must have a higher tensile strength than it does in compression.