How to Avoid 5 Common Causes of Concrete Failure

Concrete is the main construction material that is used for the creation of roads, pavements, apartment blocks, houses and many other things. It is the binding substance that is composed of cement and sand, which after mixing with water gets hardened with time. Concrete Brisbane is highly used in construction work due to its properties like resistance to heat and fire, durability, and mechanical strength. Apart from all these strengths, concrete failure takes place if careful measures are not taken.

Here are 5 ways concrete can fail and ideas on how to avoid it:

1. Use of Improper Raw Materials

The raw materials that are used to make concrete should be of good quality and mixed in just the right proportion. If the bad quality materials are used to make concrete then it fails. The strength is not achieved which is desired in this main construction element. Also, the ratio and proportion of these raw materials are important. Otherwise, the result obtained will be negative and of poor quality.

Solution: Use the right materials in the right proportion.

2. Insufficient Quality Control and Supervision

Insufficient supervision and less-skilled workers can lead to concrete failure. The knowledge which experts hold and can advise while making concrete cannot be obtained from low-level workers. The right proportions and good quality materials can only be judged by experts in this field.

Solution: Employ skilled labourers and engineers who know the details. Contact steel suppliers Brisbane for better understanding.

3. Overloading Concrete

There are different kinds of concrete available to serve different purposes. For example, reinforced concrete should be used if the structure has to bear heavyweights. Some people, who are not experts in this field and are low-skilled, use the wrong type of concrete which ultimately leads to failure.

Solution: Right type of concrete and concrete prices Brisbane should be kept in mind to serve the purpose. Also, if you try to cut down the costs by using poor strength concrete then you might have to pay even higher when the structure fails!

4. Water or Air Accumulation

Concrete fails when air or water gets trapped inside the surface and starts accumulating. This results in the higher water to cement ratio, which decreases the strength of concrete. That particular area gets weakened and fails whenever higher weights are put on it.

Solution: The ambiance should be taken care of. It should not be moist and tests can be conducted to check the air/water content in concrete.

5. Alkali-Silica Reaction

When silica agents react and causes the concrete to expand, an alkali-silica reaction can occur. They react to form an expansive gel-like substance which is the cause of failure of concrete. It results in crack formation. Although this is not a very common way that concrete creation fails, it still should not be overlooked.

Solution: Ensure that silica aggregates do not come in contact with humidity.

Conclusion:

We hope this post gives you an insight into concrete failure and its reasons. We, as concrete suppliers Brisbane, tried to be as informative as possible. Still, for any queries, feel free to contact us.