Concrete is a building material consisting of cement, fine aggregates or sand, and coarse aggregates that mix with water and harden over time. Used in concrete construction to build steel frame foundations, columns, beams and other load-bearing elements.
Concrete components
The components of concrete are cement, sand, aggregate and water. It is called a mixture of cement and water paste. Therefore, concrete can be considered a combination of paste, sand and aggregate. Sometimes stones are used instead of grains.
What is the grade of concrete?
The grade of concrete indicates the force required for construction. Class M30, for example, indicates that the compressive strength required for construction is 30 MPa. The first letter in degree M will be the combination and 30 powers required in MPa. Based on various laboratory tests, the grade of concrete in the mix composition is presented. For example, for the M30 class, the composition ratio could be 1: 1: 2, where 1 ratio of cement – 1 ratio of sand and 2 ratios of coarse aggregates based on the volume or weight of the material.
This force is measured by a concrete cube or cylinder by civil engineers at the construction site. The cube or cylinder lasts for 28 days during molding of structural members and after hardening. The compressive strength test is then performed to find strength. Concrete grades are M15 – M20 – M25 and …. M15 is generally used for simple concrete work. Used to reinforce M20 grade flat concrete.