<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Concrete is a stone broken into small pieces and glued together with paste that is Portland cement, sand, and water.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Concrete continues to get stronger when it gets older. Most of the hydration and strength gain take place within the first 28 days. However, hydration and gaining strength continues at a slower rate for many years.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The latest technologies use additives that replace cement with cementitious material such as fly ash, ground blast furnace slag, and silica fume. By using these industrial by-products, the amount of cement is reduced, thereby creating a more environmentally friendly mix. These products yield concrete that is of higher structural strength but denser and less porous, which produces a longer service life.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The versatility of concrete means its adaptability to a wide variety of purposes. It is about concrete that provides itself with varied uses and how those many uses reflect concrete’s character.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>What are the characteristics, both inherent to the material and imparted by decades of development, which led to a wide variety of uses over the years?</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The primary thing is its plasticity and the variability of its constituents. It can be produced in its final shape on-site or at the factory. No other material can offer this flexibility.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>That opens up many more options for construction, including the method of placing, size of the possible element, flexibility of form, and adjustability to the construction programme.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>However, it does leave concrete open to blame for inconsistency and difficulties in quality control.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Concrete is strong and durable, resistant to deterioration and damage. It shields the temperature, and it can be colored and placed to do this in a way that works with passive solar energy to heat or cool spaces.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>It buffers sound, providing relief in a crowded, noisy world.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>It is versatile, allowing large choices of shapes, different types of textures, and many structural approaches to create and feel appropriate to the project.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>It is also versatile in the flexibility of component materials, a quality which both extends the range of performance properties such as insulation, permeability, and strength. Also, it allows variation in the resources used to produce it.&nbsp;</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Concrete can play a vital role in the way we conserve and protect natural resources in the structures we create with it and the processes by which we produce it.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Concrete is also the material of choice for all structures in contact with water, such as dams, waterfalls, water distribution facilities, treatment facilities, force mains, and piping where the use of concrete is the primary material.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->