It's hard to imagine a world without concrete. Its in our roads and bridges, our schools, hospitals, workplaces and homes. Concrete provides the foundation for a stronger Australia.
Concrete is the world's most widely used architectural medium, owing to its incredible versatility. As a building material it has a unique ability to be shaped and sculpted into anything from roads and footpaths to art sculptures, residential homes and skyscrapers.
There are no limits to where and how concrete can be used and its inherent strength and durability underscores its credentials as one of the most sustainable building products.
Watch the short video to learn how the concrete industry helps build a stronger economy for all Australians.
Cement is the grey powder that when mixed with water acts as the glue that binds the hard concrete together. Cement, water, sand and gravel are all mixed together to form the durable, strong, inexpensive and flexible construction material that we all know as concrete.
Concrete is the second most consumed substance (after water) in the world. In fact, 70% of the world’s population lives in a structure that contains concrete.
Concrete is the most cost effective construction material for many applications. Some 29 million cubic metres of pre mixed concrete is produced to build Australia each year. That is enough to fill up 18 Melbourne Cricket Grounds!
Concrete needs to be made close to where it is used as it generally only lasts 90 minutes before it starts to harden. The sand and gravel within the concrete also need to be locally sourced to keep transportation costs low to help keep building costs down for local projects and supporting local jobs.
Concrete’s strength, durability, flexibility, energy efficiency and low cost make it ideal to be used in a range of homes, shops, workplaces, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals. You can build without limits with concrete.
The concrete industry has worked hard to reduce its environmental footprint. It has reduced CO2 emissions by using what would otherwise be waste products such as fly ash and slag to deliver energy efficient buildings, underscoring concrete’s credentials as one of the most sustainable building products.
How do you make concrete? Here’s a simple overview.
Want to know more about the concrete industry in Australia? Download the factsheets for further information.
Learn how concrete is made and how important it is to the Australian construction industry
Concrete is strong