Cold, Hard Facts: 5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Concrete

Modern civilization and the world we live in would look a lot different if it were not for concrete and the relentless expansion of construction companies in Texas. Out of all the construction supply materials, concrete might be the most versatile. The sturdy heat and water-resistant material is found everywhere from our sidewalks to bridges, retaining walls to skyscrapers.

1. Concrete is the most widely used man-made material on Earth

Concrete is transformative. It supports nearly every aspect of our daily lives. 70% of the world’s population lives in concrete structures – everything from single-story buildings to the tallest skyscrapers. It’s the backbone of our infrastructure, and as a construction material it is utilized at twice the rate of aluminum, wood, plastic, and steel combined.

2. Concrete has an important role to play in sustainability.

You might be surprised to learn how much building with concrete can do to save energy, increase efficiency, and minimize costs and how construction companies in Texas are doing so.

Built to last: Roads, buildings, and other concrete structures are often far more economical to build, last for decades and require virtually no maintenance throughout the duration of their service lives.
Safe and reliable: Concrete is an incredibly durable material, making it highly resistant to chemicals, harsh weather conditions including rain, freezing and thawing, and damage from heavy vehicles. Because concrete does not rust, rot or burn, it requires far less maintenance over its lifetime, resulting in significant cost savings for paving jobs requiring the material.
LEED-friendly: Concrete is an essential component in constructing green, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings. Building with concrete helps optimize energy performance and lower heating and cooling costs, and when used in pavements and parking lots, its light color reduces the ‘heat island effect.’ And with the sun-soaked streets down south, this factor is particularly important for construction companies in Texas. Additionally, using pervious concrete reduces stormwater runoff and mitigates flooding.

3. There is far more than just one type of concrete!

Whatever the building project, there’s a specialized concrete mix to make it happen! Local construction companies in Texas can customize a mix based on the needs of each particular project. For example:

The high-rise residential and commercial buildings popping up all over the Austin, Texas area are built with specialized high-compression concrete mixes reinforced with rebar or fiber.
Pervious concrete allows water to flow through easily, which reduces flooding and is particularly effective in parking lots, on sidewalks, and around swimming pools, among many other applications.

4. Concrete cannot catch fire.

Concrete provides the highest level of fire resistance of any construction material. It requires no additional protection measures from fire, and it cannot burn or be set on fire. Because it is comprised of naturally-occurring materials and does not contain toxic preservatives, it does not emit smoke or toxic fumes when exposed to extreme heat or fire.

5. Concrete is among the best weapons we have to defend against the effects of natural disasters.

Concrete is often our first line of defense against devastating natural disasters. Reinforced concrete is highly resistant to earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. It is nearly impervious to water, which is why concrete structures are often the only ones left standing after hurricanes and serious flooding events.