It is common knowledge that concrete is one of the, if not the most, important ingredients in the process of construction. But did you know that there has never been one particular type of concrete? Depending on the constituent material, mix design, area of application and the method of construction, different types of concretes are produced and introduced into the market. The different types of concrete are listed below –

  1. Normal Concrete – The basic ingredients of cement, water and aggregate and mixed together to create normal strength concrete. Its strength varies from 10 MPa to 40 MPa. Its initial setting time ranges from 30 to 90 minutes, while being dependent on properties of the cement and weather conditions at the construction site. Its slump varies from 1 to 4 inches, air content is at 1-2% and density ranges from 140 pcf to 175 pcf.
  2. Plain Concrete – The constituents of plain concrete are cement, water and aggregates in the mix design of 1:2:4. Plain concrete has no reinforcements. Its compressive strength is 200 to 500 kg/cm2, and its density varies between 2200 and 2500 kg/metercube. Plain concrete is usually used to build pavements and buildings in areas with less demand of high strength.
  3. High Strength Concrete – By lowering the water/cement ratio to 0.35 or lower, high strength concrete is made. The compressive strength of the mix is greater than 6000 pounds per square inch. Weak aggregates are not strong enough to resist the imposed load on the concrete, so aggregate needs to be picked wisely. To compensate for reduced workability, superplasticizers are commonly added to high-strength mixtures. High-strength concrete is typically used to erect high-rise structures, in columns, shear walls, foundations and in bridges.
  4. Light-weight Concrete – Lightweight concrete has substantially lower mass/unit volume than concrete made of ordinary ingredients. The lightness in weight are due to the aggregates used. Density of lightweight concrete ranges from 15 pcf to 115 pcf, and strength of lightweight concrete blocks varies from 7 MPa to 40 MPa. With the addition of air entrained admixtures, it has high resistance to freezing and thawing. Lightweight concrete is used where extra load is not applied or to reduce dead load.
  5. Shotcrete – Shotcrete is concrete conveyed through a hose or nozzle on to a surface, at a high velocity. Shotcrete concrete uses compressed air to shoot concrete on to a frame or structure. It is used against vertical soil or rock surfaces, as it eliminates the need for formwork. Shotcrete is applied in situations where seepage is an issue, as a quick fix for weathering for loose soil in construction zone. Shotcrete can be impacted on to any type of shape of surface, including vertical or overhead areas.

These are the main types of concrete.

Other types of concrete include prestressed concrete, precast concrete, high-density concrete, polymer concrete, self-consolidated concrete, pervious concrete, vacuum concrete, limecrete, asphalt concrete, roller compacted concrete, rapid strength concrete and glass concrete.