Concrete is a popular building material. It is a stone obtained by hardening a mixture of binder, fillers and water, as well as additives. A wide range of concrete applications is associated with a wide variety of its types, the ability to operate in different conditions and for different purposes.
How much does one m3 of concrete weigh?
This value may vary depending on the filler. The weight of concrete in 1m3 is, in fact, its density. The following groups of concretes are distinguished:
- Lightweight - with a density of 500-2000 kg/m3. It is done both on porous and dense aggregates of various sizes. Used in enclosing and load-bearing structures, also popular as thermal insulation.
- Heavy - average density 2000-2500 kg/m3. The composition already contains denser fillers - limestone, granite and similar rocks, varieties of Portland cement usually act as an astringent. Typically, this concrete is used in housing construction, for hydraulic structures and as a component of road and airfield pavements.
- Heavy-duty concrete has a density above 2500kg/m3. Scope of application - special designs, for example, nuclear power plants. The fillers are heavy metal ores that can protect against radiation.
It should also be taken into account that the weight of concrete in 1m3 of dry mix and after mixing it with water will be different. This is due to the compaction of the components. Even the weight of 1 m3 of M200 concrete, for example, can vary. The components sometimes have a density that differs up or down, and the use of coarse fillers increases the porosity of the concrete stone, thereby lightening it.
Concrete stone parameters
The main characteristics of concrete are class, frost resistance, strength, moisture resistance. Indicators for these characteristics are indicated in the marking of concrete.
- Water permeability is marked with the Latin letter W with a numerical coefficient that determines the pressure of the water jet that a sample of concrete of this brand in the form of a cylinder can withstand.
- Frost resistance, denoted by F, shows how many cycles of defrosting and subsequent freezing (in other words, winter-summer transitions) concrete can withstand without loss of bearing capacity and other important qualities. This indicator plays a role only for a cold climate, and in the conditions of subtropics and tropics, the temperature does not drop so much that the concrete freezes, and not just cools.
- The class and grade of concrete determine the compressive strength of the stone.
Requirements for components
Used for concretematerials must be free of foreign matter. You should make sure that the composition of the sand contains a minimum amount of organic impurities, since they significantly reduce the strength of the concrete stone. The main requirements for crushed stone are good indicators of strength and resistance to low temperatures. As for cement, its brand is 2-3 times higher than the brand of concrete at the outlet. Water must be clean, free of chemical and biological contaminants.
Supplements
They can affect its properties in a variety of ways:
- increase the mobility of the mixture;
- prevent stratification during transportation;
- reduce liquid evaporation;
- adjust the curing speed of the mixture;
- change the density, and hence the weight of concrete in 1m3, the degree of porosity (due to the entrainment of air, the formation of foam, gases, compaction);
- protect against various types of corrosion;
- to give special properties (for example, to regulate electrical conductivity).
Mostly complex additives are used, that is, they have an impact in a number of areas.
Buy or make your own?
The quality of structures made from it, their durability and safety during operation depend on the competent selection of the composition of the concrete mixture. Therefore, you should not save on material. Although, if desired, you can mix concrete with your own hands, the use of factory products is preferable. Mortar concrete units continuously monitor the quality of the componentsand the mixture itself, make adjustments, which means that the weight of concrete in 1m3 and other necessary characteristics will be observed.
If you still need to get concrete on your own, then the regulatory documents offer clear and understandable process algorithms. To calculate the weight of concrete in 1m3 and select the proportions of the components, there are also computer programs and various online calculators that perform the same function.
For the most part, they take into account only the desired grade of concrete, the grade of cement used and the fraction of fillers, however, in addition to these factors, the exact proportions are also significantly affected by the moisture content of sand and crushed stone.
