From the Latin concrētus, concrete is an adjective that allows mentioning something solid, material or compact. The term is usually opposed to the general or abstract, since it refers to something specific and precise.
For example: “I don’t want any more excuses, I need a specific answer”, “I commented on my ideas but he asked me for a specific project and the truth is that I don’t know what to say”, “After several hours of negotiations, it can be said that I still haven’t there is nothing concrete ”.
In the same way, it should not be overlooked that, very frequently, we make use in our everyday language of an expression that incorporates this term that concerns us now. We are referring to “specifically”. It is an adverbial phrase that we use as a synonym for “precisely”.
All this without forgetting that there is also what is known as a concrete number, which indicates the surface of a certain area.
The concept has another use in several Latin American countries, derived from the English word concrete. In this case, the concrete is the mixture of stones and mortar also known as concrete. It should be noted that mortar, on the other hand, is the mixture of cement, sand and water.
Concrete is a very common material in construction as it has the ability to resist great compression forces. However, it does not perform well against other types of stress, such as bending or pulling. Therefore, concrete is often used in conjunction with steel, in a compound called reinforced concrete.
It is common for concrete to have various additives added to modify its characteristics. Among these additives, it is possible to mention waterproofing agents, colorants and setting retarders, among others.
This type of material we have to emphasize that it already has its origin in Ancient Egypt and since then it would also be used in later centuries by other cultures and civilizations such as Greece or the Roman Empire. Precisely during this last historical period, it should be noted that concrete was used in part to build such important buildings as the Colosseum in Rome.
Other unique information that is worth knowing about this material is that the first bridge created with it in its entirety was built in the French city of Souillac in 1816. And all this without forgetting that in the United States one of the most significant that used it as we know it today is the Erie Canal.
The Panama Canal, the internationally famous Alcatraz prison and even the spectacular Sydney Opera House, located in Australia, are other surprising buildings that have also been built using part of the material at hand, concrete.
Residential buildings, bridges, tunnels and canals are some of the works that can be done with concrete or reinforced concrete. The world’s leading concrete producer is China, followed by India, the United States, Japan and Russia, in that order.
