Why Concrete Is Essential in Modern Construction

Concrete is one of the most important materials used in modern construction. Found in buildings, roads, bridges, and foundations, concrete is strong, durable and widely available. Concrete is inexpensive to make, which makes it practical for large scale infrastructure. 

The first key advantage of concrete is durability. Once hardened, it can last for decades with minimal maintenance. It resists weathering, fire, and water damage far better than materials like wood. Concrete can also be poured into molds before it hardens, allowing engineers and architects to create a wide range of shapes and structures efficiently. Despite these advantages, concrete is not perfect. Its performance depends on how forces act upon it. In construction, materials experience many different types of forces. Pushing from the gravitational force of heavy buildings, pulling from tension generated from bending, and many more. How well a material handles forces determines where and how it can be used. 

Concrete performs extremely well when forces push down on it, known as compression. This is because it can withstand high amounts of downward force without significant deformation or failure. This is attributed to the strong aggregates in the concrete mixture, such as gravel or crushed stone. Paired with the cement paste, the material becomes very resistant against pressure, distributing the load across the aggregate mixed within the solid. Whilst concrete is very strong in compression, it fails against forces that pull things apart, known as tension force. Concrete's limited tensile strength comes from its brittle structure, which cannot stretch or elongate like ductile materials. 

In most constructions, concrete is used on the ground because it only experiences compression from the building's gravitational force. However, for more situational uses, concrete is often reinforced with steel rods within the block, because steel is known for being ductile and resistant to tensile forces. The use of reinforcements help address shortcomings of the material, strengthening it overall. The two strengths of steel and concrete come in tandem to allow for a more balanced structure, resilient to both types of forces.

Overall, concrete remains as one of the most important materials in modern construction. Despite its shortcomings with tensile strength, its compressive strength is both cost and material effective. 

Works Cited

The many benefits of using concrete in construction. (2022, June 4). ProallInc. https://proallinc.com/news/the-benefits-of-using-concrete/  

Marketing, T. (2024, May 6). Is concrete good in tension or compression? Verenfabriek Tevema. https://www.tevema.com/is-concrete-good-in-tension-or-compression/