is a robust construction material, usually consisting of Portland cement which hardens due to hydration in water, fly ash, slag cement and fine and course aggregates, such as sand and limestone. The coarse limestone or granite aggregates are in gravel form. Water and chemical admixtures are also added. Portland cement, a hydraulic cement, when mixed with the water and the chemical admixtures, binds all of the aggregates together to form concrete. So, concrete, cannot be without cement, but cement will always be cement, binding other materials together.
How long have people being using concrete?
The word concrete, has it's origin in the Latin word concretus (condensed or compact) and is the most used man made material in the world. Since the Egyptians in ancient Africa and the Romans later, concrete has been used to build remarkable structures and power advanced civilisations. In the United States alone, concrete is a 35 billion dollar industry employing over 2 million workers and is set to increase as the demand for concrete appears never ending.
What is ready mix concrete?
Ready mix concrete or RMC, has been manufactured according to site specifications by a specialist plant. Ready mix concrete suppliers, such as Cemex and Lafarge, specialize in making a concrete recipe mix specific to each client's mix design. This ready mix concrete is then delivered directly to the construction site by transit mixer in a plastic or unhardened state, ready for use and saves time, complications and mistakes. It also allows for a better and more accurate quality of concrete that can be supplied for a wider construction area. In addition, using the RMC manufactured in a plant enables large batches to be produced away from residential areas where the concrete is to be used. This minimizes the environmental impact to residents as plants are located in specific industrial estates. The potential downside of ready mix concrete is it's inflexibility, due to it being already 'made to order'. Alternatively, the concrete can be mixed on site according to the needs of each individual construction task. A more time consuming process.
What influences the price of ready mix concrete?
Ready mix concrete prices will vary according to the price of it's ingredients, which is mainly cement. Cement prices vary according to demand, oil and electricity prices and plant closures which in turn, affects supply.
