What Is Concrete?
Concrete is the most-produced man-made material on Earth. Concrete’s durability, strength and cost effectiveness make it the optimum building material for infrastructure networks worldwide. Houses, schools, hospitals, recreational amenities, airports, bridges, highways, and rail systems have been made possible with the use of Concrete. The use of concrete in the construction process is steadily increasing to keep up with the demand for urban development, construction to withstand extreme weather events, and the price of other infrastructure materials continues to rise.
Concrete can be incorporated in several key aspects to make projects more durable and disaster resistant. For example, concrete support columns and floor and roof systems offer an unsurpassed combination of structural strength and wind resistance. In addition, hardened exterior finishes for walls and roofs of a home or business provide an optimal combination of strength and security.
Concrete Is Cost Effective
Building with concrete is cost effective due to the ability to have components produced under extreme quality-controlled processes, in climate-controlled conditions, and delivered to the construction site as a ready to be installed building component. Time and material savings, combined with the reduction in labour requirements, and less opportunities for unforeseen events, allows projects to be completed on time and withing budgetary expectations.
Concrete Is Durable
A concrete structure is a long term, quality-based building material, in many ways superior to traditional wood or steel-framed structures. A concrete infrastructure can withstand higher degrees of water and moisture, infestation, fire, and extreme acts of nature such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
Concrete Provides Strength
Concrete structures are better able to resist damage from extreme weather, and generally last longer. Damage from major weather events is less severe and affected communities will spend less energy and fewer resources repairing their community, allowing them to quickly recover to pre-disaster status.
Concrete Is Energy Efficient
Concrete retains surrounding temperatures for prolonged periods, moderating temperature fluctuations and minimizing temperature transfer between the exterior and the interior of a building. The concrete mass retains heat absorbed from sunshine, which is gradually released over the nighttime, and absorbs the cool during the evening which is gradually released during the daytime hours. This results in significantly reduced heating and cooling costs, provides a more consistent and comfortable environment, and allows the temperature to be managed by smaller and more efficient HVAC systems.
Concrete Is Low Maintenance
Concrete is durable and resilient, capable of withstanding weather extremes and required minimal maintenance or upkeep. The inherent resistance to erosion, rot, or insects, ensures buildings will be structurally secure for up to ten times the life expectancy of traditional building materials.
Concrete Construction Saves Time
Building with concrete saves time, allowing builders to complete large sections in a shorter period, using forms, pouring onsite, or precast solutions. Each application provides its own series of benefits and flexibility of use.
Concrete Can Be Used in Construction in a Wide Variety of Weather Extremes
Concrete sets at a regular ambient or room temperature and can be used with minimal temperature management. Concrete can also be produced specifically to set in a variety of weather or climate variations. Modular building units can be manufactured in climate-controlled facilities where temperatures are regulated, and product schedules can be managed without climate related concern.
Concrete Provides Design Aesthetics
Lodestar precast concrete modules make up the main infrastructure, around which the building is constructed, allowing architects and builders to utilize a wide variety of traditional and modern building materials to enclose and finish the construction. Lodestar modules are built to the highest quality standard including a smooth finished surface which, if desired can be left exposed as design characteristics otherwise not available with traditional building materials. Lodestar modules provide the best of both options, while adding multiple levels of design and structural integrity and durability.
Concrete Is Versatile
Concrete is a common product used in most construction projects, can be matched with material used on external features of Pools, driveway, retaining walls, etc. Concrete can be stamped, molded, colored, finished, or enclosed with other material, to achieve desired design aesthetics. The structural integrity allows concrete to be used as both a structural material and a finishing material, suitable for use in most construction projects.
Concrete Can Be Recycled
Concrete can be produced in the exact amount required for a specific job, eliminating the opportunity for excess product which is often attributed to waste. Concrete can also be 100% recycled and used repeatedly in construction projects.
Concrete Encourages Adaptive Re-use
Concrete is produced to both last for an extended period, and with the flexibility to be converted multiple times, used for other purposes throughout its lifecycle. When casted into modular components it adds to the ability of re-use and repurposing the products by relocating or adjusting the purpose of the existing structure.
Concrete Makes Buildings Quieter
Concrete dampens noise and reduces noise transfer than traditional materials, reducing noise from transferring from internal and external sources. The reduction of sound transfer results in quieter spaces and increased privacy.
Concrete Can Be Sourced Locally
Concrete can be produced locally, delivered to the construction site with reduced delivery and travel times. Delivery schedules can be coordinated to ensure the necessary volumes are delivered when and where required, further reducing delays and associated costs. Producing concrete locally ensures the material is produced to withstand the local climate conditions.
Concrete Represents Resource Efficiency
A prominent raw material in concrete is limestone, which is one of the most abundant resources on the planet. Concrete can also be produced with alternative materials including waste byproducts from steel mills and power plants.
Concrete Can Withstand High Temperatures
Unlike wood or steel, concrete does not burn, soften, or bend, concrete structures are more likely to remain standing through a fire. As the infrastructure of the building, fire-resistance enhances safety and security during the construction process and the finished product. The structure’s fire rating satisfies a higher level of fire code requirements, allowing for a more versatile use of the structure in more industry sectors.
Concrete Is Perfect for Construction in Regions with High Humidity
Moisture does not affect concrete to the degree it would wood or metal materials. Buildings built near waterfront or in areas at risk of flooding will have a much longer lifespan if they are constructed out of Concrete vs. wood or steel. Most buildings incorporate concrete into the design, often used for flooring, footings, or subterrain walls. Concrete is used due to its strength, durability, and resistance to environmental elements.