Five Reasons Why Concrete is Such an Important Construction Material

Concrete is just about everywhere, even if you can’t always see it. In the UK alone, we use more than 15 million metric tons of it every year.  Here Madmix, who supply ready mix concrete to customers in Cambridgeshire and further afield, look at why it is such an important construction material in this country and across the world.

1. It Can be Used on its Own

Concrete is used in dams, bridges (pictured), roads and buildings—some of these needing a waterproof admixture because of regular contact with water and moisture. Concrete’s lack of permeability and fire resistance also means it is an ideal choice for food storage areas such as a farm.

2. It Can be Used with Other Materials

Even if it’s not immediately apparent, concrete is present somewhere in virtually all housing developments.  This applies even when traditional designs and materials such as brick, stone and wood are used. For instance, any home will usually have concrete foundations.

Oversite concrete is also used beneath floors and the underlying earth (or whatever is beneath it) because this forms a seal that helps prevent damp from becoming a problem, and because this admixture is in liquid form when it’s applied, it can be used to smooth out irregular surfaces, providing a level base for construction.

3. There’s Plenty of Choice

As well as waterproof concrete, there are plenty of other admixtures to suit any construction project. For instance, a lean/kerb mix will suit those situations where strength is not the top priority such as cavity wall insulation or kerb bedding for pavements, driveways and paths.

If you want something a lot stronger, then our reinforced concrete contains polypropylene fibres which offer greater protection against moisture, cracks, shrinkage, abrasion, shattering and impact damage. This makes it an ideal choice for buildings that have a lot more traffic, both human and vehicular, than the average home (such as farm buildings, which have to bear the weight of heavy agricultural vehicles, or shops and offices that have a much higher footfall).

And our pumpable concrete will be easier to pour if you need to reach the upper storeys of a building.

4. It Lasts a Long Time

If an admixture has been properly prepared, it should last up to 100 years or longer, making concrete extremely cost-effective. Madmix supply accredited concrete from our Cambridge base, meaning you are guaranteed a high-quality product.

There are other factors at play, too, including the climate and the amount of footfall (people as well as vehicles) the structure gets. However, with concrete, it won’t suffer from many of the problems other construction materials do. For example, it won’t rot, or catch fire, like wooden structures will; it won’t rust, unlike structures which contain steel, and it won’t be damaged by chemical spillages, which is important in many commercial and industrial locations.

In fact, it’s more likely that the building’s purpose will have outlived its usefulness rather than the concrete itself having any faults.

5. It Has Some Green Benefits

Concrete reflects heat rather than absorb it, which helps to cool buildings down. Likewise, in the winter, it will retain heat for better, cutting both heating and air-conditioning costs. Another huge benefit is the fact that the materials that make up concrete can be recycled and reused many times.

And, if you live in Cambridgeshire or the surrounding area and you order your concrete from a local supplier like Madmix, you won’t be hugely increasing your carbon footprint either.

Ready Mix Concrete in Cambridgeshire from Madmix

If you would like to know more about the ready mix concrete we supply across Cambridgeshire, to towns and villages, including St Neots, St Ives, Royston, Huntingdon and Newmarket, follow this link and fill in the online form. Alternatively, you can call us on 01954 212212.

If you are unsure how much concrete to order, our site has an inbuilt concrete calculator to help you work out how much you’ll need, saving on waste (another green benefit). However, don’t worry if you don’t get it quite right because we will take away any excess at no extra cost. We offer Monday-Friday and Saturday morning deliveries, although the last comes at a premium.