Concrete Construction Tampa
Concrete Construction Applications
All but the most ardent skeptics agree that climate change is occurring. Although the ramifications and causes are debatable, nearly everyone agrees that man-produced CO2 is a major contributor to climate change and global warming. It is a fact that the operation of residential buildings in the U.S. comprises 21% of our energy consumption. Other statistics are even more convincing. We must do more to reduce energy consumption, and thereby CO2 contributions, in our homes and buildings
How do concrete homes save energy? Concrete's thermal mass has tremendous heat storage capacity, which means that maintaining a desired temperature is easier and uses minimal energy input. Lower, slower temperature swings also make a house more comfortable. A 4- to 6-inch thermal mass located on the warm side or interior of an insulation system contributes significantly to the energy efficiency of a home, and the amount of insulation significantly reduces when thermal mass is factored into energy use needs. In some parts of the country, especially those where the temperature gets too hot during the day and too cold during the night, insulation may be eliminated.
Applications of Concrete
A study by the NRMCA Research Laboratory compares the properties of concrete mixtures optimized for performance that may not comply with typical prescriptive provisions in specifications for concrete construction.
Concrete Construction Study
The Prescription to Performance (P2P) Initiative has been identified by concrete producers as an important initiative that will elevate the quality of concrete construction by providing qualified concrete producers the opportunity to use their expertise to optimize concrete mixtures for intended performance of concrete structures.
One of the goals of the P2P Initiative has been to develop technical data that demonstrate the benefits of performance-based specifications that could be used to support changes in codes and specifications.
This study addresses three cases:
- Concrete Floor Slab Construction
- Concrete Bridge Deck Construction using high performance concrete (HPC)
- An evaluation of the current prescriptive provisions for durability in ACI 318 "Building Code for Structural Concrete."
It compares concrete mixtures according to the current typical prescriptive specifications or code requirements and demonstrates the benefits by developing concrete mixtures to intended performance criteria.
Concrete mixtures were prepared according to prescriptive requirements of an example specification for each application and compared with mixtures that satisfy the intended performance attributes. Fresh and hardened concrete properties were measured and compared. This comparison demonstrates the benefits and optimization of concrete mixtures for performance over prescriptive provisions. Funding for the study was provided by the RMC Research Foundation.