Construction Issues

By  J. Benjamin Alper, P.E., S.E. and Cawsie Jijina, P.E.
For Structure Magazine, Construction Issue

From Mix to Plant to Placement
Over the past decade, the use of high-strength concrete has gone from the exception to the norm. Uses of concrete strengths exceeding 10,000 psi are easily achievable on any building. The use of cold or hot weather concrete, high-performance concrete, self-consolidating concrete, architectural concrete, etc. is increasingly common, even for small projects. The material itself is not the same as it once was. The standard mixture of cement, water, stone and sand that the Romans perfected now regularly comes with a wide range of chemical admixtures that can vastly improve the composition, strength and performance capabilities of the concrete.