If you are looking for ways to improve the condition of your concrete flooring at home or your workplace, then using Ecolabel concrete additives is the best option. The proper concrete treatment enhances the aesthetic appearance of your flooring. Aggregates provide the structure of the concrete material and make it possible for it to adhere to the surface it is laid on. However, not all aggregates for concrete are equal. Learn the types of aggregates for concrete that are used in construction today.
Compacted aggregates for concrete such as sand, gravel, and limestone are considered low-priced alternatives for concrete, which are also termed alternative aggregates for concrete because they have microscopic structural properties. These aggregates are used for construction mainly because they have a meagre cost of production, but they do not offer high-quality structural qualities. They provide moderate protection from wear and tear, but they do not offer the protection that higher-quality concrete aggregates provide. Therefore, you should use this type of concrete in low-cost projects only.
On the other hand, organic aggregates for concrete consist of cement slurry, grit, sand, and reclaimed cement, which has a much higher cost of production. However, when used in high-cost projects, they can resist extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and even fires. Moreover, they provide the building with better resistance against fire. Some examples of organic aggregates for concrete are Portland cement and calcium chloride. However, environmental concerns are associated with these types of aggregates for concrete, which needs to be considered before they are used in any project.
Aggregates for concrete may be coarse or fine. Fine aggregates allow more water permeability, thus facilitating easier drainage; however, they also result in more compact soil particles. Meanwhile, coarse aggregates have little fibre structure, which can reduce both water permeability and soil compaction. These fine aggregates are often blended with rough materials like sand, aluminum oxide, and other sedimentary materials in concrete mixes. Thus, when coarse materials are combined with fine aggregates in a mixer, the outcome is a combination that results in a stronger foundation and more excellent durability.
One of the most common aggregates for concrete used for new concrete is the fine-grained aggregates. These include gravel, sand, and bone. The aggregate may offer lower compressive strength than some coarse aggregates. The reason behind this is that fine-grained aggregates usually require additional processing to increase their compressive strength. In addition to this, they can sometimes offer lower melting points, which can be used as a lubricating agent during concrete freezing. On the other hand, sand aggregates melt at relatively low temperatures, making them ideal for use as an ingredient in concrete construction projects.
Other commonly used aggregates for concrete include both coarse and fine aggregates. The coarse aggregate used mainly for piers and walkways has gallstone, rock dust, sand, gravel, and flagstone. Meanwhile, the fine aggregate is frequently used for floor mixes, layer base concrete, slabs, and poured interior concrete. Although both have good compressive strength, the fine aggregates exhibit more excellent wear resistance. They can also add texture to concrete by honing, polishing, or marring the surface.
To increase the strength of aggregates for concrete, various processes can be employed. The two most common types are referred to as the paste-aggregate bond and the paste-in-place bond. The paste-aggregate bond is more commonly known as the available aggregates because its essential ingredients consist of coarse and fine Ecolabel aggregate materials. Meanwhile, the paste-in-place bond is a process wherein two pieces of same-sized aggregates are layered, sealed, and then inserted into a specially designed concrete batch.
Other aggregates for concrete materials used as ingredients for structural concrete products include rubber, crushed stone, and recycled rubber products. Recycled rubber products such as wheelbarrows, ladders, buckets, tubes, pads, and other artificial products may be recycled using techniques such as carbon segregation, flash drying, or direct foam injection. Recycled stone aggregates may be purchased from hardware stores and other retailers who purchase construction waste materials. In this manner, recycled materials are used to create new materials for the production of concrete.