The Most Common Uses of Concrete in Civil Engineering

Concrete is a material you’ll notice being used all over the world. With its strength, durability, low-maintenance, energy-efficiency and sustainable qualities, this building material is highly prominent in the field of civil engineering. Read on to discover how concrete is used in construction and civil engineering, and find out where to source quality concrete yourself.

Concrete dams

Dams are used to store water and produce electricity. The heavy loads imposed on the dam due to water pressure are very intense - this makes concrete, with its high strength and unit weight, a great material for dam construction.

Residential buildings

Concrete is a powerful building material - it’s used in the construction of small buildings, villas and even high-rise buildings with traditional or modern form-work to form skeletons, foundations, slabs, columns and beams.

Commercial buildings

Similarly, concrete is also commonly used in commercial buildings. This material helps construct safe and secure structures; it is more cost effective than steel and additionally requires less maintenance. A key benefit is that it is easy to control the heat transfer from inside to outside and vice versa, which reduces the energy consumed.

Roads and driveways

It’s a widely accepted fact that concrete streets, pavements and driveways are more durable and stronger than asphalt railways. The long-lasting quality and easy maintenance of concrete roads make it the most popular construction material for building these essential services.

Culverts and sewers

When it comes to sewers and underground construction works, strong and durable building materials are essential. This makes concrete a perfect solution - in fact, culverts, piers, foundations and abutments are all constructed using a special concrete mix.

Fences

Concrete fences are a booming industry, thanks to developments made with precast concrete. This makes it faster to produce and install fence elements as opposed to the traditional method of concrete fence construction - better still, it creates a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing finish.

Bridges

Bridges have always required strength, durability, ductility, weather resistance, fire resistance, and a long-lasting life cycle - this makes concrete the perfect material for the job. Pre-stressed concrete, post-stressed concrete and self-compacted concrete are all frequently used when it comes to bridge construction.

Marine construction

Concrete has been used extensively in the marine industry - when it comes to seawalls, jetties, groynes, breakwaters, bulkheads, and other structures exposed to seawater, it has consistently performed well.

If you’re in need of quality concrete, turn to Forth Valley Concrete. As professional concrete contractors, we can supply premium concrete products to both domestic and commercial clients in Scotland. We’ll supply everything you need including concrete blocks, ready mix concrete and even provide durable materials for your concrete driveway. So don’t hesitate - get in touch with us today and find out what we can do for you.