Concrete is one of the most versatile building materials used in construction today. In the 1960’s concrete construction challenged steel structure construction in the United States. Rather than large steel girders and steel decking, reinforced concrete was used to make building columns and decks in high rises. This economical building method is used more than ever today.
Part of the versatility of concrete is its wide availability and wide range of applications. In addition to large building construction, concrete is often used in residential applications for driveways, house foundations and walls, as well as many others. Concrete is often used for paving and curb and gutter applications. Precast concrete refers to the process of filling pre-made molds with concrete to produce a variety of things such as drainage piping or underground vaults. Tilt-up concrete construction is a building process often used in large warehouses with a large flat floor and semi-identical wall sections. Construction crews pour a large flat floor then spray a non-stick film onto the floor. The wall sections are actually formed on top of the floors and "tilted up" into place using a crane.