What Can You Use Concrete For?

Concrete has been used for many different things over the years and the industry still shows no sign of stopping.

With its consistent popularity, concrete is still very much a favourable material, useful for everything from domestic driveways to structural beams. So what types of concrete are there and what can they be used for?

Standard Ready-Mix Concrete

This type of concrete is the most commonly used and most widely produced. Made at a batching plant and taken to site in a traditional drum mixer, it’s highly efficient and expertly made. It’s fundamental that you order this type of concrete accurately, with the design of the mix prepared in accordance with what you intend to use it for.

What standard ready-mix concrete can be used for:

• Basement building
• Large work sites
• Domestic foundations
• Edging, kerb bedding, haunching and backing
• Small spaces
• Projects where time is short

Volumetric Concrete

This is produced in a mobile batching plant, allowing you to only pay for what you use. A benefit being that the mix design can be adjusted to suit the application and site conditions as and when required, making it the ultimate concrete for convenience.

What volumetric concrete can be used for:

• Multi-site projects
• Basement building
• Large sites
• Projects where two separate mixes are required on the same site
• Projects where an exact mix hasn’t been nailed down

Self Compacting Concrete – SCC

This concrete has chemicals added to ensure a quicker flow rate, allowing it to level off and self compact. It’s easier to pour and place without mechanical compaction being required.

What self compacting concrete can be used for:

• Foundations
• Precast structures
• Sites where time and labour is limited

Decorative Concrete

Achieve a whole range of colours and textures with decorative concrete. This can be used at any point where you’d like to make an aesthetically pleasing impact.

What decorative concrete can be used for:

• Decorative flooring
• Paving
• Architectural features

Rapid-Set Concrete

This type of concrete is perfect for projects where time is short. With a quicker setting time than most types of concrete, this material can prove useful in the Winter where normally, the cold would prohibit the use of normal concrete.

What rapid-set concrete can be used for:

• Concrete repair
• Roadworks
• Fence posts

Roll Compacted Concrete

This concrete has the ability to withstand heavy loads, making it perfect to use on roads. Requiring less finish and form work, it’s deployed in a similar way to traditional asphalt only with added environmental benefits – fewer emissions are released when this is produced.

What roll compacted concrete can be used for:

• Pavements
• Roadworks
• Driveways
• Car parks
• Industrial surfacing

Fibre Concrete

Fibre concrete generally has a greater strength than more basic concrete types. Structures that are made from fibre concrete can last longer, seeing less cracking and shifting.

What fibre concrete can be used for:

• Industrial surfacing
• Driveways
• Domestic projects
• Light commercial projects

Pervious (Permeable) Concrete

This mix is relatively porous, allowing water to penetrate it in order to reduce flooding risks. It can also be used to limit water waste, making it a highly sustainable, environmentally friendly material.

What pervious (permeable) concrete can be used for:

• Swimming pools
• Sustainable projects
• Car parks
• Light traffic areas
• Flatworks
• Sustainable projects

Fluid Concrete

Known for high precision and smooth finishes, added plasticisers aid in the pouring of this concrete, allowing it to flow more freely. It can create castings which offer high precision and excellent surface quality.

What fluid concrete can be used for:

• Pipe laying
• Cable laying

Foamed Concrete

This concrete has highly rated thermal qualities, with the ability to be mixed with a variety of different additives. It’s a versatile material with numerous application possibilities.

What foamed concrete can be used for:

• Foundations
• Void filling
• Backfilling
• Trench reinstatements

Here at Concrete Drilling Services, we’re committed to ensuring a great quality finish and excellent results, always staying on the cutting edge of concrete innovation. We believe it’s of fundamental importance to produce concrete and undertake our services in the most eco-friendly way possible.

For more information, or to enquire about any of our extensive range of services and materials, give our friendly team a call today – we’re more than happy to help.