Different Projects, Different Concrete: Part 2

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Most mixes of Portland cement are very similar, but there are many differences that builders should know about before picking what type of use. The type of cement that you should use changes dramatically based on the job, as well as the physical and chemical requirements for specific applications.

In total, there are eight different types of Portland cement. Let’s look at the differences and the types of jobs each should be used for with information from the Portland Cement Association.

Type I is used for general projects and is suitable for almost all day-to-day concrete applications.

Type II concrete is used for structures in water or soil that contain moderate amounts of sulfate. This type of cement is also commonly selected for use in locations there heat build-up is a concern.

Type III cement provides a great deal of strength and resistance even in its early state – as little as one week. This makes it desirable for quick-moving projects.

Type IV moderates heat generated from hydration, which makes it ideal for use in heavy-saturation scenarios and massive concrete structures like dams.

Type V cement is resistant to chemicals, such as high-sulfate soil or water, meaning that it can be used in harsh environments with ease.

Air-Entrained ConcreteFinally, there are three mixes used to make air-entrained concrete: IA, IIA and IIIA. They have the same properties as types I, II and III, but have small quantities of air-entrained materials combined with them.

Knowing which type is right for your job site can make a big difference in the success of your project. Builders should also look at some other characteristics of concrete before picking one. Some of the top considerations include slump – the measure of plasticity of the concrete when it is being poured – and fly ash content, which reduces cost while slowing the setting time, giving you more time to place and shape the poured concrete while working.

Finally, there are chemical admixtures put into concrete that can enhance certain performance characteristics of concrete, notes wikiHow. This can range from making more fluid concrete to pour in confined spaces to water reduced mixes that minimize the need to include construction joints where using them may not be possible.

There is a lot of consider when selecting your concrete, so if you have any questions, just give us a call at Bergen Mobile Concrete. We work with different types of concrete all the time, so we can answer any questions you have. To learn more or to schedule a concrete delivery, call us today at 201-797-7550.

Different Projects, Different Concrete: Part 1

Posted by & filed under Pouring Concrete.

All concrete is not made the same.

There are a wide range of different types, strengths and compositions of concrete, based on what the material will be used for. Concrete strength is measured in pounds per square inch or PSI. Normal mixes range from 2,500 to 5,000 PSI, with some specially designed mixes capable of more than 10,000 PSI.

Let’s look, though, at the common range and what different strengths of concrete are used for with help from wikiHow.

2,500 PSI

Used primarily in driveways, walkways and floors slabs, this concrete tends to be the cheapest. It’s used also as fill material and performs satisfactory for these types of projects.

3,000 PSI

Used in general construction, this mix is durable and has good finishing characteristics. It can be placed fairly wet without sacrificing quality.

Concrete Grades3,500 PSI

Perfect for areas where significant loading is expected, such as for paving curbs. Other uses include building footings, bond beams, grade beams and floor slabs.

4,000 PSI

This concrete is used for heavy traffic payment and heavy-use floor slabs, like those in shops or warehouses. This mix is made to handle a great deal of weight for a long period of time.

5,000 PSI

Incredibly strong, 5,000 PSI concrete and higher PSI-rated concrete mixes are used for special construction projects where high-impact resistance and low wear rates are expected.

As you can see, concrete comes in many different forms. The final decision comes down to the type of job being done. If you are about to start a job and want to know what concrete you should use, call us at Bergen Mobile Concrete. We have worked with a wide-range of concrete projects and can help you determine the right pressure and mix for the type of project you want to complete. Picking the wrong type of concrete can be detrimental to your project, so make sure you have the right one before you start.

To learn more or to schedule a concrete delivery, call us today at 201-797-7550.

Maximizing the Strength and Durability of Your Pour

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Concrete Pouring Concrete is one of the most used substances in the world, but there are still questions about how to get the most out of the material. When it comes to getting the best out of concrete, the secret is in the pour. Follow these instructions to improve how you pour concrete that will better help your concrete throughout its life.

Most people think concrete should be poured on a sunny or hot day, but that’s incorrect. In fact, concrete is best poured on overcast damp days where the temperate is about 55 degrees. While it may be hard to time your pour to optimal weather conditions, try to keep it in mind when scheduling a pour as extreme temperatures can be detrimental to concrete’s longevity. Look for days where the temperate is more mild or at least not as extreme as others. If you have to pour on a bad day, there are still ways to improve your site conditions.

Windy days cause too much water to evaporate from the surface and shrinkage cracks often develop. If you pour on a hot day, as is sometimes inevitable during the summer, put a tent over the surface or a screen to block the sun a little and alleviate some of the heating impact of the sun.

As for cold weather, make sure the concrete is covered with insulating blankets, straw or plastic as soon as it’s finished and keep the cover on for at least 72 hours. As concrete hardens, it releases heat through internal chemical process, and you want to store this heat to stop the concrete from drying out or freezing, leading to the possibility of cracking.

At Bergen Mobile Concrete, we’ve poured concrete in all types of conditions. If you have any questions about how or when to pour, please give us a call. We specialize in concrete delivery services throughout the region and have worked in all sorts of climates and conditions. We’re happy to help you out. Give us a call today at 201-797-7550.

A New Type of Concrete Can Absorb Water

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ConcreteConcrete is an amazing material for a long list of reasons and it is the perfect choice for sidewalks, driveways, buildings, and other structures. However, concrete has improved in several ways throughout history, and inventors are always looking for new ways to use it. Now, a company in the UK has developed a new type of concrete that can actually absorb water at an alarming rate.

That’s right; water-absorbing concrete is a real thing. The specialized form of concrete, called Topmix Permeable, can actually absorb as much as 1,000 liters of water per minute. While it may sound hard to believe, the company has performed several demonstrations that underline the effectiveness of the concrete. In one video, a truck poured more than 4,000 liters of water on to a section of Topmix Permeable concrete, and it vanished almost instantly.

Just how does this concrete work? Well, unlike traditional concrete, Topmix Permeable contains no sand or crushed stone. Instead, the concrete is placed over another layer made entirely out of crushed stone, which allows the concrete itself to remain porous. The water simply moves through the concrete, into the aggregate layer, and eventually makes its way into the earth below.

While the practical application of this concrete remains to be seen, it could be effective in areas that are prone to flooding. And although this is the first example of concrete that has been able to absorb water, it is similar in many ways to porous asphalt and paving blocks that have been used in several cities across the U.S.

We’re eager to see what the future holds for water absorbing concrete, and we’ll be sure to update you with any new information!

Concrete That Can Repair Itself

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concrete-crushedHighways. They’re like the veins of America, the blood flowing from coast to coast. Without highways, there’d be nothing really bringing the country together. Politics certainly aren’t doing the trick! Unfortunately a bulk of the highway system is seemingly crumbling.

With that said, highways are one of the most important parts of American infrastructure; it is important for the government to keep up to date on repairs, meaning no potholes or other impediments to smooth flowing traffic. After all, the highway system is crucial to the nation’s economy so the roads must be maintained; it’s really as simple as that. What are the roads constructed out of? Concrete of course!

Congress had to scramble to approve funding for the highway system by July 31. Why such a scramble? We’ll never know; it’s Washington! But their scramble demonstrates just how important the highway system is and how we need stronger and higher-performing highways and bridges. While that’s priority number one, there’s also talk of developing a better system of concrete. That may already be in the works, according to this article in The Christian Science Monitor.

Phoebe Tollefson writes, “It may sound far-fetched, but the technology exists for self-healing concrete. The auto-mending material contains limestone-producing bacteria that activates when wet. The bacteria can lie dormant for up to 200 years, according to the European Patent Office, where the technology is registered.”

Imagine that! Self-healing concrete. It’s almost like something out of a sci-fi movie. It basically starts repairing itself the moment it gets wet. That kind of technology could possibly change the way we see the world. What do you think?

The Evolution of Concrete and What It Means for Humanity

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6653499_SWe guess you could say that concrete is like the cockroach of building materials; it’s been used for what seems like forever, and it’s still kicking, and it’ll still be around even after everything else is gone. Concrete is trustworthy, the reliable material that we all come back to. What’s refreshing though is that we’re not using the same methods when it comes to concrete structures; we have evolved, as pointed out in The Independent.

Jay Merrick writes, “In the 21st century, software-generated algorithms and geometry often make the shaping and structuring of concrete as deliberately iconic […] but the aesthetic and atmospheric qualities of concrete architecture are not just about shape-making. It’s about the feel of the material, the light and shadow it creates, its particular sense of lightness, its particular sense of “grunt” – or its lightness and delicacy. Concrete can make asymmetry as graceful as symmetry, or turn volumes of space into engrossing mysteries.”

Wow! That’s quite the ringing endorsement. Sounds more like a religious experience than some architectural structure, but we can agree with that assessment. Concrete is poetry and at Bergen Mobile Concrete, we’re proud to work with this brilliant material. This material has taken civilizations to the skies. This material has solidified our lives in ways never thought possible. Concrete is the backbone from which every city perseveres, the legs on which every city can walk. It is, quite simply, what holds us together and with new technological advancements and a better understanding of the material as a whole, we can only expect concrete to become an even more prominent building block for the future – and that excites us. Doesn’t that excite you too?

We promise you that Bergen Mobile Concrete will evolve the same way that concrete has in order to serve you better!

Structurally Sound

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19929959_SWhat are the similarities between concrete and the human body?

When thinking on the fly, it’s hard to think of any, what could a common construction material have to do with biology?

To Henk Jonkers, microbiologist at Delft University of Technology, the two become more similar every day. Take for example your bones. If you break a bone, it begins to repair itself unprovoked until they are completely healed – a brand new structure formed all on its own. Concrete now has the ability to do the same.

Jonkers “embeds the concrete with capsules of limestone-producing bacteria…along with calcium lactate. When the concrete cracks, air and moisture trigger the bacteria to begin munching on the calcium lactate. They convert the calcium lactate to calcite, an ingredient in limestone, thus sealing off the cracks.”

Seems simple right? The concrete heals itself and infrastructure, buildings, and paths remain in new condition for years to come. Water damage and yearly repairs would vanquish! With this immediate seal technology on the market, why doesn’t everyone use it? The answer is a simple cost, as it’s far too expensive a material rolling in at around $33-44 per square meter. But Jonker’s is confident that going forward there will be alternatives to the pricey calcium lactate.

For all the latest in concrete news and materials, keep checking back to our blog!

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/with-this-self-healing-concrete-buildings-repair-themselves-180955474/?no-ist

Concrete Furniture in Your Home

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18856799_SWhen you think of concrete, chances are you think of your driveway, the sidewalk, or perhaps a building. Maybe your thoughts drift toward that construction crew you see every morning on your drive to work, how they’re pouring concrete into molds. In other words, concrete is mostly associated with outside. You never really think about it when it comes to the inside of your home. That, however, seems to be changing, as concrete is a hip, stylish option in interior design.

In this this ABC News article, Kim Cook interviews several designers and their newfound love of all things concrete. Ben Oyeda, a designer working in Boston, says, “Concrete is such an amazing and cheap material. I can get an 80-pound bag from Home Depot and turn it into tables, vases and planters without using power tools.”

Concrete, of course, has a wide variety of uses, but have you ever considered using it to make furniture? Just think of the shelves and coffee tables you can make! After all, it is cheap and amazing, as Mr. Oyeda points out. For him, “Working with concrete has changed the way I see waste.”

That’s probably the greatest thing to take from this concrete interior design renaissance – that it’s environmentally-friendly. Using concrete to dress up the home is making people realize that furniture doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive endeavor – all it takes is a little ingenuity, patience, and the ability to see the bigger picture.

At Bergen Mobile Concrete, we couldn’t be happier with this exciting home development. For more information on the trend, check out the ABC News article!

How to Boost Your Home’s Value

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15467455_S(1)When it comes time to sell your home, you will obviously want to sell it for the highest price possible. Even if you bought your home for a relatively low price, that doesn’t mean you can’t expect to sell it for more, especially if you’ve made some improvements to the property. In fact, there are many ways in which you can boost your home’s value, and adding new concrete surfaces is just one of them.

There is nothing more eye-catching than a newly paved driveway. This is especially true if your neighbors have old and cracked pavement around their home. In addition to repaving your driveway, consider adding new concrete walkways around your home. A visually appealing, functional walkway outside of your home will instantly increase the value of the entire property.

In addition to adding new concrete to your property, you can also give your entire front yard a makeover. Consider clearing away overgrown trees and shrubs, pulling weeds, and even growing a garden. Anything you can do to increase your curb appeal and get your house noticed will not only raise its value, but will bring in more potential buyers.

The outside of your home isn’t the only area that could benefit from improvements. Some of the things you can do indoors include adding insulation to your attic, brightening up dark spaces, replacing malfunctioning HVAC systems, installing new floors, and even redesign entire rooms.

The varieties of ways in which you can transform your house are almost limitless. Consider some of these before selling your home, and you can expect your property to become more appealing in no time.

New Application of Concrete in Landscape and Garden Design

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concrete-crushedConcrete is a hugely versatile material that stands the test of time. We often think of concrete as building foundations, driveway paving, or standard sidewalk fare. However, DIYers all over are bringing out concrete’s beauty as well as functionality with creative uses to turn houses into homes. Here are just a few of our favorite applications for concrete in the home decorating world.

First up is the new application of concrete in landscape and garden design. Art isn’t just for display in your living room anymore. The concrete look is projected to be a huge trend in 2015 outdoor design. Garden globes and other design pieces are easily molded from cost-effective and long-lasting concrete. And if concrete just isn’t a busy enough material for you, try adding marbles or pieces of colored glass to the mix to really spice things up.

Clean and modern, concrete is also finding its way into interior design as standout functional pieces like kitchen islands. The malleability of concrete allows you to shape it much more cheaply than you would with traditional islands made of butcher block or granite. And sanding concrete down brings out minute natural color hues that will light up a room.

Want an outdoor fireplace, but don’t want the price tag associated traditional stone? Your solution is to use concrete and stamps to mimic the effect, without cleaning out your wallet. For a really upscale look, use a pointed trowel to carve out realistic variations in the material and finish with a stain. The same technique can be applied to walkways. Concrete also holds less heat than stone, so running around the backyard barefoot is no longer an issue.

For more unconventional applications of concrete in the home and garden, keep up with our blog. And for all of your concrete needs, contact Bergen Mobile Concrete today!

Source: http://www.wptz.com/creative-uses-for-concrete-in-your-garden-home/30460408