4 YARDS OR LESS

Concrete consists of a mix of ingredients, including Portland cement, pozzolans, water, coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, and additives. Concrete may also contain mineral colors, granulated blast-furnace slag, and blended cements. When fresh, cement can be molded hours after it is produced. Once the initial set time is reached, the concrete continues to gain strength.

First of all, concrete can be ordered in many colors. The natural color of concrete is gray because the color of the cement used to make it is typically gray. Now, the reason the cement is gray has to do with the manufacture of Portland Cement. In cement manufacturing, Iron Ore is used as one of the main constituents, and Iron Ore is black in color, so when it is combined and melted with the other materials it tints the cement gray.

Scientists use compression and flexural mechanical strength tests to determine the strength of concrete. The strength of concrete depends to a large degree on the water-cement ratio, and the quality of the aggregates and paste in the cement.

Yes. Concrete must comply with local building codes, ACI, and ASTM.

It’s simple. Concrete is used for the finished products, such as sidewalks, foundations, and the surface of many roads. Concrete contains sand, gravel and cement. Cement is the special hardening ingredient (the gray powder) that makes concrete harden. Cement is usually made of 60% lime (limestone), 25% silica, 5% alumina, and 10% other materials, such as gypsum and iron oxide. (Content provided by the Mineral Information Institute, © 2002 www.mii.org)

Concrete is measured by the cubic yard – measuring three feet by three feet by three feet, or 27 cubic feet. One cubic yard of normal concrete will weigh about 4,000 pounds. (Content provided by the Mineral Information Institute, © 2002 www.mii.org)