Concrete

Basically there are three different common finishes for plain concrete driveways paths etc. Brushed This is probably the simplest finish if you are going to do some concreting yourself. You compact the concrete and ‘strike it off with a straight…
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I see a fair bit of discussion in forums about whether to go for a plain concrete driveway of the additional expanse of an exposed aggregate surface. While I was in Japan last year I saw this concrete driveway which…
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If you have got a concreting job to do there are a few different options for getting the mix: Small Jobs Up to about 0.1m3 buy premixed bags 20kg bags ( 0.01m3) from a DIY store. Not cheap at a…
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Have you ever seen concrete that looks like this on a vertical face? Its called ‘Honey combed’ Sometimes its in large areas like this, sometimes in smaller patches. This concrete is obviously weaker and more porous than dense concrete. The…
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I regularly hear the question  “Where should the reinforcement mesh go in slabs?” Well here is some advice. . . . Understanding The Materials Concrete – Strong in Compression, but weak in Tension. Steel Reinforcement– Strong in Tension, and strong in…
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Some people refer to these as  ‘spiderweb’ cracks but the technical name is ‘mapping cracks’. That’s because they can look like a street map. Generally they are much more obvious after rain as water seeps doown into the cracks. These cracks are typically…
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One simple thing to improve the quality of concrete is to use a spray applied curing membrane. . . it’s a pity that this techniques doesn’t seem to be used much in Australian domestic building. Purpose of Membrane These membranes…
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I have previously talked about the importance of Well Designed Concrete Paving so here is a product that will help you achieve that. It’s  called the Connelly Key Joint A galvanised steel strip forms a keyway in the vertical face of the…
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