Some Interesting Facts About Cement and Concrete Structures

Concrete is one of the most versatile building material, hence it is no surprise that it finds use in almost every form of structural construction, from walkways to skyscrapers to kitchen bench tops. Even in Brooklyn, cement and concrete work can be found in almost every old and new buildings, signifying their indispensable importance in construction.

But did you know that ancient desert traders (700 BC) actually developed underground cisterns from concrete-like material to store water and food? It is widely believed to be one of the first discoveries of an ancient form of concrete!

Want to know some more fun facts about concrete? Read on:

Reinforced Concrete is fire resistant: One of the primary reasons for the popularity of cement work in Brooklyn, Queens, NYC and other surrounding boroughs is their ability to resist fire, making them perfect for fire-proofing buildings.

Reinforced Concrete is water resistant: While it is not technically water resistant by default, the versatility of the concrete lies in the fact that it is a mixture of components, and a little tweak in the aggregate mixes can bring out the water resistant qualities of the concrete, making it perfect for underwater structures.

Early Concrete was used in Ancient Rome: Ancient Roman builders had found a way to make concrete by mixing lime from limestone, volcanic ash, and water, resulting in a concrete-like mix they called Pozzolan. This was used in the construction of ports as it was water resistant, unlike structures made of mud and clay.

The First Concrete highway was built in 1909: The strength of concrete makes it a better choice for highways as compared to hardened tar, hence the very first concrete highway was built in 1909, which stretched between the Six and Seven Mile roads in Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

The Largest Concrete Structure in the US is the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington: With an estimated volume of 27,200,000 cubic meters of concrete used in the construction, it was the largest also in the world, until it was surpassed by the Three Gorges Dam in China in 2009.