The ancient Romans discovered concrete. The Roman mixture of volcanic ash and lime was nowhere near as solid or versatile as the concrete we use today, but it pointed us in the right direction of the excellent building material.
Concrete is an artificial substance. It is the most widely used synthetic substance in the world. Let’s see what interesting facts and characteristics we can discover about concrete.
How Much Does Concrete Weigh?
The weight of concrete varies depending on the ingredients used to create the material. The weight also fluctuates due to the size and amount of the substance you are referring to.
This substance that we know as Joseph Aspdin invented cement in 1824. The strong stones he used in his creation came from the Portland quarry, so he named his product Portland. This cement is the most frequently used variety.
Concrete is a mixture of cement, rock and sand, and chemicals mixed with water.
How Much Does Concrete Weigh by The Foot?
By cubic foot, concrete weighs about 150 pounds per cubic foot. If the cubic foot of concrete is broken, it will weigh about 75 pounds.
- A cubic yard of broken concrete weighs about 2,025 pounds.
- A solid slab of concrete weighs about 4,050 pounds per cubic yard.
- About 20,000 pounds or ten tons of concrete can be placed in a typical dumpster.
How Much Does The Water Add to Dry Concrete Weigh?
To mix concrete, you mix the dry ingredients with water. One gallon of water weighs slightly more than eight pounds.
To make a mixture equivalent to one yard of concrete, you must add between 20 and 25 gallons of water. That means the water in the concrete weighs about 168.8 pounds to 208.5 pounds.
Because of the water weight, concrete that is freshly poured and still wet will weigh about 4150 pounds. About half of the water will evaporate from the mixture. When the concrete reaches a dry or cured state then it will weigh about 4050 pounds.
How Much Does Crushed Concrete Weigh?
The size of the pieces will determine the weight of the final product. The smaller pieces allow more product to fit into the container.
Crushed concrete with 1.5” pieces weighs about 2,450 pounds per yard.
Crushed concrete with ¾” pieces weighs about 2,550 pounds per yard.
How Much Does A Concrete Truck Weigh?
A concrete truck that is loaded with 10 cubic yards of concrete will weigh close to 66,000 pounds.
The truck that carries the concrete will weigh about 26,000 pounds and the concrete mixture will weigh another 40,000 pounds.
Did You know?
- Does Thomas Edison have more than 49 patents for inventions that used concrete in their construction?
- 62,000 cubic yards of concrete were used to construct the Empire State Building.
- Concrete is resistant to water and fire, so it is an excellent construction material.
- The world uses more than 5.2 metric tons of concrete each year.
- The heaviest reinforced concrete structure is the Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River in China. More than 144,309,356,753,.51 pounds of concrete were used to create this dam.
- Cement and concrete are not the same things. Cement, like Portland cement, is an ingredient in concrete.
- If you pour concrete when the temperature is above ninety degrees then the mixture may dry or harden before you can get it smoothed and finished with a bull float.
- If you pour concrete when the temperature is below 35 degrees then will not harden or cure properly.
- Concrete has no components created from petroleum products so the substance does not cause environmental issues. Concrete homes also save as many as 41 trees from being cut down to build a home. That means concrete helps the environment.
- Concrete homes are energy efficient and will save a great deal of money on energy bills. Concrete walls are solid and air leaks are virtually eliminated by having them. The concrete walls help the home retain the temperature of the interior. If the temperature changes outside it will take four to eight hours for the difference in temperature. If you lived in a wood frame home with typical fiberglass insulation the temperature change outside would be felt through the walls of the home in less than 2 hours.
- In Brazil, the statue is known as Christ the Redeemer is made of 635 tons of concrete plus soapstone.
- Concrete does not have a melting point but will decompose at temperatures of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
FAQs
Who uses more concrete: the U.S. or China?
During 2011 and 2013, China is said to have used more concrete than the United States used during the entire 20th century.
Are there any concrete roadways?
Yes. The very first concrete road was built in 1909. It is in Greenfield Township and called Woodward Ave.
What is the largest concrete structure?
The Pantheon in Rome is the largest concrete structure to be built with no reinforcement.