This project by Colour, Placerville, Calif., began with an almost 80-year-old floor that was so deteriorated it looked like old exposed aggregate.
Testing concrete slabs for excess moisture has become a common construction requirement, particularly where flooring or impermeable membranes are to be installed on top of the slab. But, while several standard moisture test methods are available, no single test reveals everything that should be...
With their excellent performance, relative ease of construction, and economy, post-tensioned residential foundations are becoming a more standard foundation system for residential construction regardless of soils classification.
Post-tensioned concrete construction is a little different than standard reinforced concrete construction. There are several construction issues with post-tensioned concrete that are found consistently among engineers and contractors. Understanding the causes of some of these problems should help...
A new house in Sun Valley, Idaho, features decorative concrete throughout.
The Burj Dubai—meaning “The Tower of Dubai” in Arabic—is now the tallest building in the world and it's still rising. At the time of publication, the building's height has reached 1921 feet (totaling 156 floors), making it 251-feet taller than the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan, the previous...
For commercial construction it's hard to beat the cost, quality, and versatility of tilt-up construction. Now, tilt-up contractors and designers are teaming up to produce unique residential structures.
AAC is beginning to catch on in the United States, where there are now three AAC manufacturing plants with several more planned. This represents a serious commitment since the cost of a plant to produce AAC blocks and panels is high.
Placing concrete around plastic voids increases efficiency and reduces costs.
Post-tensioned concrete is a term heard more and more in the construction industry today.
Choosing this construction method offers builders a variety of sustainable opportunities.
After 18 years as a structural engineer, I have worked on numerous slab-on-grade projects and used traditional wet-cure methods. Most of these techniques, particularly synthetic curing blankets, were time-intensive, expensive, and they sometimes left discolored areas on the slab.
There are many opinions floating around as to the benefits, or lack thereof, of reinforcement in slabs on ground. Not all reinforcement works the same way. To be able to understand the potential benefits and negatives of any particular reinforcement system, one has to understand how that system...
Concrete is a diverse structural and design element for modern home building. In the past 10 years the Arts and Crafts movement has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, and is being used in the design of concrete elements inside of homes. Contractors and architects have been able to take the comfort...
For our 50th anniversary, Concrete Construction takes a look back to our own beginnings by pulling some of our favorite products of yesteryear from our archives.
We've all heard the saying, “With concrete there are two guarantees: it will get hard and it will crack.” How hard it will get and how much it will crack has a lot to do with the amount of water and cementitious material used to make it.
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Industrial slabs need contraction joints to minimize random cracking. The most effective and efficient method of producing contraction joints is by sawcutting.
Waterproofing below-grade foundations is straightforward in principle but difficulties can come up during application. This article focuses on issues related to waterproofing foundations in below-water-table construction that is close to the property line, although most of the principles apply...
Achieving a flat and level elevated slab is a challenge, but one that has been met by many concrete contractors.
Polishing saves removal cost, corrects problem concrete, and beautifies concrete slabs. Placing concrete, adding color, seeding semiprecious stones, and polishing all create stone-like surfaces that save money. The main variables that affect the polishing process and equipment needed are the...