Benefits of concrete
- It is an inorganic, versatile and durable construction material.
Its unique properties provide a comfortable and safe environment in which to
live and work.
- Due
to its high thermal mass, concrete provides a stable indoor climate by
moderating rapid temperature swings which otherwise would necessitate the use
of expensive, energy intensive air conditioning units. As an inert, stable
material, concrete is completely non-toxic and contributes to good indoor air
quality and a healthy living environment. Concrete consists of naturally
occurring materials, produces no emissions and needs no toxic preservatives.
This is becoming an increasingly important issue.
- Concrete also has excellent sound suppression and
vibration dampening properties. It absorbs both low and high frequency sounds.
It also displays safety and security benefits that are related to its
massiveness and density.
- Concrete
does not burn and therefore provides comprehensive fire protection including
life safety, protection of properties and of the environment in case of fire.
Its well documented high resistance to fire stops fire spreading and is an
effective fire shield, providing safe means of escape for occupants and
protection for fire fighters. Concrete is naturally and inherently fire
resistant and needs no additional application of fire protection.
- Furthermore, it is easy to repair after a fire, and so
helps businesses recover sooner at lower cost than rebuilding. People need to
rely on structures which maintain their robustness during extreme events.
Concrete offers resistance to explosions, break-ins and break-outs, high
temperatures and extreme natural events, and is not affected by fungal or
insect attack. Concrete-framed structures suffer less damage from leaks or
water ingress.
- Other
inherent sustainable benefits of concrete structures are its long lifespan and
recyclability. Well designed and well placed concrete offers exceptional
durability and long life in any structure. Concrete structures built over 100
years ago, indeed as long ago as the Romans, are still in active service today.
- Precast concrete elements can even be re-used in their
original form. In terms of cost-efficiency, using concrete elements in house
construction contributes to ‘affordable homes’ by reducing energy consumption.
- Concrete
has low operational and maintenance costs, which are the most important part of
a building’s whole life-cycle costs. Construction materials that require
servicing and maintenance become extremely expensive over the long term.
The above diagram show the process of making concrete.
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