The specific weight of concrete depends on its type

Artificial stone, which is created by mixing water, binding agent and aggregates (gravel, sand or gravel), and their further solidification, is called concrete.

As a building material began to be used in ancient times, concrete, whose composition was then significantly different from the current. There was a period when it was temporarily stopped, but in the 19th century new hydraulic binders, such as portland cement, were invented, and concrete again became popular in construction. In the 60s of the XIX century. The technology of cement manufacturing has been improved, the brand strength has increased and it has been used as the main binder for concrete. At the moment, this product is one of the most important building materials that is used in almost all areas of modern construction.

This recognition he received due to the following characteristics:

• A variety of properties acquired due to the variability in the use of quality stone and astringent materials and the variety of methods of physical-chemical and mechanical processing;
• Ease of work with a concrete mixture, which has a high plasticity and allows you to produce a variety of shapes and sizes of durable, high-strength building structures;
• The ability to completely mechanize the process of work with concrete;
• Economy, since its volume of 80-90% consists of stone aggregates of local production.

The production of a high quality concrete mix is possible only if you have the knowledge of technology, the skills of selecting materials of a certain quality and the ability to calculate their ratio, find methods of packing, compaction and modes of mixture preparation.

For the erection of various engineering structures, different types of concrete are used ( depending on the field of application). There are several main features on which the material is classified: the specific gravity of concrete, its strength, the type of binder, the purpose and frost resistance. The main classification is by volumetric weight. Accordingly to it, concretes are especially light, light, heavy and especially heavy.

1. In the first - a significant number of medium and small cells about 1-1.5 mm in size, so they are also called cellular. The concrete weight of 1 cubic meter is about 500 kg. As a rule, this kind is used as a heat-insulating layer.

2. The lungs. This type includes those for which simple lightweight materials are used as a filler - claydite, tuff, shellfish, or no fillers are used at all, and blowing agents are added - aerated concrete, foam concrete, etc. The specific weight of concrete in cubic meters is 500-1800 Kg. The bulk of its composition is sand - up to 600 kg. Such material is often used to make building blocks.

3. In the heavy concretes are large-fraction heavy fillers - gravel and crushed stone. One cubic meter weighs approximately 1800-2500 kg. This volume contains 1150-1300 kg of gravel or crushed stone, 600-750 kg of sand, 250-450 kg of cement, 150-200 liters of water. Heavy concrete is a classic and is used in many areas of construction.

4. Particularly heavy concretes include barite, magnetite and some types of metal scrap. The specific weight of concrete in a volume of 1 cubic meter can be from 2500 to 3000 kg. The main component of most of its mass is a large aggregate. This kind of concrete is used mainly for the manufacture of protective structures on AEC.

When calculating a cube of concrete, do not forget that its components can have a different specific weight. For example, fine-grained aggregate is heavier than coarse grained, and quarry sand is lighter than river sand.