What’s so special about specialty concrete?
It could make a major difference in your next project!
Just like many products out there, the OG concrete recipe is the most popular. Good old-fashioned tried-and-true concrete is made with aggregate, water, and cement, which works great for a lot of projects. But if classic concrete isn’t right for a job, what do you do? Some days, you need something a bit extra. You need specialty concrete!
What is specialty concrete?
In a nutshell, specialty concrete is simply regular concrete with extra ingredients mixed in. These bonuses can add strength, durability, and other properties to concrete. Superficially, specialty concrete is perfect for jobs requiring a unique architectural finish.
Check out these super special specialty concrete examples:
Grout
Made of: Proportioned aggregates with a pourable consistency.
Best for: Filling in spaces, like between tiles or around joints.
High strength
Made of: Aggregates, silica fume, and superplasticizers.
Best for: Jobs needing high-performance concrete like bridges, dams, water pipelines, and high-rise structures.
Fiber-reinforced concrete
Made of: Fibrous material to help with its structural integrity, such as steel, plastic, glass, and other natural materials.
Best for: Basement foundations, sidewalks, floors, and pavement repairs.
Self-consolidating concrete (SCC)
Made of: Fine and coarse aggregates, mineral admixtures, and superplasticizers.
Best for: Spots where it’s tricky to place regular concrete, like consolidated areas in bridges, because it spreads easily and can fill even the smallest gaps in concrete molds.
Structural lightweight concrete
Made of: Lightweight aggregates like clay, shale, or slate to form a lower bulk density product lesser than regular concrete.
Best for: Load-bearing, non-loadbearing, and firebreak walls, bridge decks, and piers.
Pervious concrete
Made of: Coarse aggregates and sometimes a little bit of sand.
Best for: The foundation for greenhouses, pedestrian-only pathways, and residential streets. Its high porosity allows for water to pass through it, which reduces groundwater runoff.
Find the best specialty concrete for your needs
If you have a project needing specialty concrete, Mathews Readymix can help. We’ve been providing our clients with the best concrete and services since 1947! Contact us today to get started.