Why is Concrete a Good Building Material?

When it comes to construction, concrete is THE go to product. In recent years, concrete has been used for everything from polished luxury flooring to important structural applications. In this article, the EasyMix team will be covering just why concrete is such a good, foward-thinking construction material. Take a read, and if you have any more questions, just give the team a call.

Strong

One of the reasons why concrete is such a popular material is due to its strength. Unlike other building materials, concrete actually gets stronger over time. This is because the cement can bond with the surrounding moisture, further solidifying its bonds.

Durable

However, it’s not just concrete’s strength that makes it desirable – concrete is resilient too. Concrete lasts decades longer than alternative building materials. Ultimately, this reduces the overall cost of ownership, and the environmental impact that the structure has.

Unlike wood or metal, concrete doesn’t burn, rust or rot, making it incredibly resistant to the elements; after extreme weather events, concrete structures tend to fare the best.

Energy Efficiency

Concrete has the ability to store energy which helps moderate interior temperature conditions, thus reducing a building’s heating and cooling demands over its service life by up to 8%. This means that occupants pay a great deal less when it comes to air conditioning.

Low Maintenance

Given that concrete doesn’t burn, rust or rot and actually strengthens over time, the maintenance required to keep concrete working its best is drastically reduced. What’s more, concrete’s aesthetic is naturally rugged, making its ageing much less problematic.

These points also make concrete ideal for adaptive reuse. This simply means that concrete structures can easily be converted to other occupancy types during their service life, and reusing structures in this way can really help limit urban sprawl.

Emission Free

Another reason why concrete is a good building material: it’s emission-free. This is because concrete is a totally inert substance when cured, so it will not emit any gas, toxic compounds or volatile organic compounds.

Versatile

Given the adaptive nature of a mix, concrete can easily be altered to suit a variety of different projects by simply adjusting the amount of cement, water, or aggregates. For example, concrete mixes can be optimised for high strength, or if the schedule was tight, a mix could be optimised for setting speed.

100% Recyclable

Yes, that’s right – concrete is easily recyclable. It can be broken down and used as aggregates in a sub-base material for a variety of different construction projects. Ultimately, this means fewer materials in landfill and a reduced need for raw materials in construction.

Low Carbon Footprint

Given that concrete is typically produced close to a building site using local resources, shipping and pollution are minimised greatly. This also provides a significant boon to the local economy.

Here at EasyMix Concrete UK Ltd, we hope that you found our article on ‘why is concrete a good building material?’ useful. EasyMix Concrete UK Ltd are one of London’s leading concrete suppliers. Whether you need ready mix or volumetric concrete, you can count on our team to provide an outstanding service, ensuring that your concrete is delivered on time and to your exact specifications. To learn more about our services, or to discuss your requirements, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. We’re always happy to help.