Types of Concrete

Concrete is one of the most essential man-made construction materials in today’s advanced construction processes. Concrete is required in almost every construction process; without it, construction appears to be practically impossible. Concrete is a simple composite material consisting of cement, sand, and aggregates, as well as water. It transforms into a workable paste that hardens over time.

Concrete is not, in fact, a modern construction material. It’s been around since the ancient period. The only difference is that the substances used to make it were different in the past. Volcanic ash, hydrated lime, clay, and other elements were used to make concrete in ancient times.

For different types of construction projects, different types of concrete are required. Each form of concrete has its own set of characteristics that make it suited for specific applications. In this post, we’ll look at the different types of concrete that are used in the construction industry.

Types of Concrete

The concretes are classified as follows:

• Based on compressive strength.
  • Ultra-high strength concrete.
  • Low strength concrete.
  • Moderate strength concrete.
  • High strength concrete.
• Based on unit weight.
  • Heavy-weight concrete.
  • Ultra-light weight concrete.
  • Light-weight concrete.
  • Normal weight concrete.
• Based on admixture used.
  • MDF concrete.
  • DSP concrete.
  • FRC.
  • Polymer concrete.
• Vacuum concrete.
• Saw dust concrete.
• Cellular concrete.
• Lime concrete
• Plain concrete.

Also Read : Compaction Factor Test of Concrete
Also Read : Slump Test of Concrete
Also Read : What is High Performance Concrete

Based on Compressive Strength

Concrete is generally classified into four types based on the compressive strength. The compressive strength of these four types of concrete is different from each other and ranges from 20 MPa – 150 MPa.

• Ultra-high Strength Concrete
• Low Strength Concrete
• Moderate Strength Concrete
• High Strength Concrete

Ultra-high Strength Concrete

Ultra-high-strength concretes are not frequently used in structural constructions yet.

Low Strength Concrete

Low-strength concrete is mostly utilised to build mass concrete structures, road subgrades, and partitions.

Moderate Strength Concrete

Concretes of moderate strength are the most widely employed in buildings, bridges, and similar constructions.

High Strength Concrete

Tall building columns, bridge towers, and shear walls can all be built with high-strength concretes.

Based on Unit Weight

Concrete types can be classified depending on their unit weight. Concrete is categorized into four main types based on their unit weight, which are listed below.

• Heavy Weight Concrete
• Ultra-lightweight Concrete
• Lightweight Concrete
• Normal Weight Concrete

Heavy Weight Concrete

Heavyweight concrete is used in the construction of some particular structures, such as laboratories, hospital examination rooms, and nuclear power plants, where radioactive protection is required to reduce the impact on living beings.

Ultra-lightweight Concrete

Only nonstructural parts can be built with ultra-lightweight concrete.

Lightweight Concrete

Depending on its composition, lightweight concrete can be used to construct both non-structural and structural elements.

Normal Weight Concrete

Concretes of normal weight are often used in the construction of infrastructure and buildings.

Based on Admixtures Used

In today’s modern construction techniques, admixtures are commonly employed in concrete. Additives are sometimes used to create concretes that are unique. The types of concrete that have been developed based on the additives used are listed below.

• MDF Concrete
• DSP Concrete
• FRC
• Polymer Concrete

MDF Concrete

Macro-defect-free concrete is a cement-based composite made using a significant amount of water-soluble polymer and mixed in a twin-roll mixer.

It was designed to improve concrete’s tensile and flexural qualities. Small particles have been used to densify concrete.

DSP Concrete

Densified small particles concrete contains a lot of silica fume in it, which is a mineral admixture with very minute particles.

DSP is mostly used to make machine tools and industrial moulds due of its high abrasion resistance.

FRC

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a type of concrete that contains fiber. Steel, glass, polymerics, and carbon fibers have all been employed in the production of fiber-reinforced concrete.

Toughness improvement, tension property improvement, shrinkage management, and ornamentation are all benefits of integrating fibers into concrete.

Polymer Concrete

Polymer concrete is a type of concrete in which polymers have been added for extra advantages. There are several ways to incorporate polymers into concrete, including employing the polymer as a binder or additive, and so on.

Vacuum Concrete

The vacuum concrete is a type of cement concrete in which entrained and excess water is extracted using a vacuum pump. When the concrete has been placed in the desired location, this procedure is carried out.

This method helps to increase the strength of concrete by 15% to 25%. All forms of reinforced concrete projects can benefit from vacuum concrete.

Saw Dust Concrete

This type of concrete is often made using a proportioned mixture of portland cement and sawdust. As a heat and sound insulating medium, saw dust concrete is widely used.

Cellular Concrete

Cellular concrete, also known as air entrained concrete, is often made by incorporating aluminium into the concrete mixture. This type of concrete usually has a spongy and lightweight structure.

This concrete type can be used as a heat and sound insulating material for roof slabs and precast components in partitions in modern construction procedures.

Lime Concrete

Lime concrete can be made by combining lime, fine and coarse aggregates, and water. The standard proportions of the materials for creating lime concrete are : lime (1 part), sand (2-3 parts) and coarse aggregate (3-4 parts). 

For lime concrete, fine aggregates such as sand, surkhi, and cinder can be used, while coarse aggregates such as broken bricks and stones can be used. It’s worth noting that while lime concrete is less expensive, it’s not as strong as plain concrete.

Plain Concrete

Cement, sand, and coarse aggregate are mixed in appropriate amounts with water in plain cement concrete. Shingle, gravel, broken bricks, and stones can all be used as coarse aggregates.

The proportions of the components required to make plain cement concrete are 1:2:4, which means one part cement, two parts sand, and four parts aggregate. The most of the time on site, the proportions can be modified for specific requirements.

Because this concrete isn’t reinforced, it can’t acquire high tensile strength. Plain cement concrete excels at withstanding heavy compressive stresses.

We’ve tried to cover the most prevalent types of concrete, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of others entering the race. The list goes on and on until the concrete-making process gets improved and updated from time to time.