How is concrete made? Find out here.

All the answers to frequently asked concrete questions

Do you feel like concrete is a material of mystery? Have you found yourself Googling away late at night while clutching a warm mug of milk and your favorite pet rock, desperately searching for details on how concrete is made? At Mathews Readymix, we know you have concrete questions. And in this month’s blog, we’ve got answers!

Let’s get to it:

1) What is concrete made of?

Concrete is made of a mixture of water, aggregate, and cement.

But wait…aren’t cement and concrete the same thing?

Nope! Concrete contains cement. Cement is actually a binding agent made of a powdered chemical combination of powdered calcium, silicon, aluminum, and other raw minerals.

2) Where do concrete’s ingredients come from?

Let’s break it down:

  • 60-70% of the mix is usually aggregate, which is made of rock, gravel, and sand.

  • 30-40% of the mix is usually water, air, cement, and additives like admixtures, which are liquid chemicals that improve the plastic qualities—how workable and cohesive it is—when the concrete is wet. They can help with durability, temperature issues, pumping ability, water ratio requirements, and much more. 

Like all of us, concrete gets by with a little help from its friends. Other additions to the concrete mix can give it specific superpowers, depending on how you need the concrete to perform.
For example:

  • Fiber→ makes concrete more durable

  • Rebar→ makes it stronger

3) How do the different elements come together? 

  • Step 1: Mixing. All the dry elements we listed above are mixed together in a pre-packaged bag, concrete mixer, or barrel of a blue-striped truck.

  • Step 2: Hydrating. When water hits the other elements in the mix, a unique chemical reaction called “hydration” occurs to activate the binding properties of the cement. 

  • Step 3: Curing. Kick-started by hydration, the curing process is key to concrete’s development. The first 28 days of this are the most critical for proper formation. Hang a big “Do Not Disturb” sign by your concrete and let it rest during this time!

Since you now know how concrete is made, what other concrete questions are keeping you up at night? Mathews Readymix can help get you answers and provide you with the best ready-mixed concrete in Butte, Yuba, and Sutter counties. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you with your projects!

Aaron Bacon