March 29, 2024

Mold It, Break It, Certify It

Posted by Bob Taylor Engineering
Pax Leader

Concrete is the single most used building material in the world; a version of its contemporary composition dates back to ancient Egypt.

It is typically made today of Portland cement, both a fine and a coarser aggregate (such as sand and limestone or granite), water and a chemical additive. A compilation of sourcesĀ  cited on Wikipedia list such additives as volcanic ash in Roman and ancient Egypt which allowed concrete to set under water, horsehair that the Romans discovered “made concrete less liable to crack while it hardened and adding blood made it more frost-resistant.”

Concrete is used in footers, highways, curbs and gutters, walls, bridges and structures of all kinds. Designs for every project carry specifications right on the plans noting the pressure the concrete must withstand.

It is imperative that a project’s geo-technical work can guarantee the concrete’s strength.

There are numerous types of concrete. Some projects, those without the tremendous weight bearing need that regular concrete provides, now use light concrete. There are also, today, increasingly robust concrete formulas capable of handling more than 6,000 pounds of pressure per square foot.

Safety and building standards determine the weight bearing capacity the concrete must possess. Certification of each project’s concrete is required. The capacity is assessed in laboratories which undergo national professional inspections and regular equipment calibration.

Bob Taylor Engineering maintains its own certified concrete laboratory to assure all of BTE’s projects meet their clients’ specifications. This week the concrete lab underwent its annual certification.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoY2VMidjj0]

 

 

Comments
One Response to “Mold It, Break It, Certify It”
  1. Ethel says:

    I used to test concrete for a company in VA a long time ago! And I was the only one doing it! Sometimes it was a ‘blast’ when the concrete didn’t make specs!

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