The History of Cement and Concrete Part 5
Introduction
Cement and concrete have a long and illustrious history. From the Ancient Egyptians to modern buildings, both have served as materials for the most astonishing of construction projects. This five-part series tracks how the materials have developed over time.
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Of course, ancient civilizations have been using a type of cementation before the modern concrete was invented. The Romans, the ancient Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians all had their types of binders. The Romans and the Greeks utilized a pozzolan, sometimes artificial, for creating hydraulic cement. Before that, the Babylonians used bitumen as a binder for bricks and Egyptians used mortar for their stones.
Continue reading “What is cement and when and how was it invented?”
For many, Houston has an enviable climate: hot in the summer; mild in the winter; and with levels of humidity throughout the year to make it a fertile growing spot. But how does the heat and moisture impact on Houston’s infrastructure and, specifically, its concrete?
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Bollards are a series of short post utilized to protect specific and sensitive areas as well as guiding traffic appropriately. It can provide relief from certain impacts where building protection and security are important. Bollards can also be placed in series or in line to serve as a visual characteristic to manage pedestrian walkway areas and warehouse driveways for vehicle loading and logistics. Other applications might include boundary demarcations or access prevention to restricted areas as well as building entrances and utility rooms.
When driving the streets of Houston you will notice retention ponds on the sites of new construction and usually associated with these ponds are lift stations that aren’t very noticeable unless one was looking for it. Often built near new developmental areas, detention ponds and basins are created to catch water runoff from higher elevations during heavy rain. The run off water is then retained until the streets and ditches have drained away, at that point the detention pond water can be released but only at the rate of release determined by the governing body.
Continue reading “The Role of the Retention Pond Lift Station”
WHAT IS EQUAL?
Several factors must be included when deciding if concrete or asphalt is more suitable. See the chart for comparisons to see what is equal between concrete and asphalt (subgrade conditions also play a major role).
Continue reading “What is Equal Between Concrete and Blacktop?”
For most people, the easiest place to begin the hunt for a Houston concrete contractor is on the internet. Due to Houston’s large population, an internet search will return thousands of results, and the task of choosing the right one for a specific project can be a time-consuming endeavor.
However, you can narrow your results by looking for top-rated contractors, current websites, history and references. We suggest you put together a short list of 5-7 potential contractors that might fit the needs of your specific concrete project.
Continue reading “Selecting the Ideal Houston Concrete Contractor for Your Project”