Concrete Building Blocks

Concrete dates back to the Roman Empire era, they first started using it when they built many of their great buildings.  Many of those buildings are still standing, as well as many of the aqueducts and other things that they made out of concrete at that time.  Some examples of these buildings are the Baths of Caracalla, the Pantheon, and many of the aqueducts, and bridges that date back to that time are still standing.  The technology of their concrete far preceded anything else that had ever been invented, and the same principle of how it was made is still used today.  The only difference is the ingredients that are being used now are a lot different then that of the Romans.  When concrete was first invented the Romans used a mixture of Pozzolana, Poszzolanic ash, Quicklime, and pumice.  Pumice was the aggregate of the mixture.  This all, of course, depends on whether or not you believe the Romans invented concrete, and not Fred Flintstone, as related in the second live action movie, when he was trying to save Pebbles and Bam Bam from a psychotic Hank Azaria look-alike, and in doing so, mixed water with sand and rock fragments.

The concrete that is produced now is made out of oxides of aluminium, silicon, and calcium, and then normally mixed with sand as the aggregate.  There are many different forms of concrete that are made today, it all depends on what you are using it for.  For finer my finished looks people will use smaller, finer aggregate, these will give better finishes.  They will also use smaller river rock, and other small colored stones that will add color to the concrete.  They normally use these for floors, patios, and other areas that will be finished.  The things that use larger aggregate would be foundations, driveways, and other larger areas that do not need to be finished, and where smoothness doesn't really matter so much. 

There are other things that are made out of concrete as well, these are concrete building blocks.  These are made for foundation building, and they are also used to build walls for basements and other buildings.  These blocks are made out of the same thing that poured concrete is made out of, they are just made because it is a faster way to make walls for a home.  They are basically bricks, but they are made out of slightly different material than the red brick you are probably thinking of when you think of bricks.  These are made at a concrete company and then shipped to companies that build homes.  These concrete blocks are just as durable as dried concrete but with them being so much faster to build the home it saves you money.

Concrete poured homes are getting more and more popular as the prices of gas and electric are increasing.  Before this the fact that block is more expensive then wood frame homes made people go with wood frame homes.  Concrete brick homes are more economical in the long run because they are more eco-friendly, and the concrete is much more insulated then wood frame homes.  That will save you money on gas, and electric to heat and cool your home.

Additionally, concrete is a little bit more solid, and if built correctly, will be slightly more durable in the face of disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, or hurricanes.  Wood, being flammable, is susceptible to fire, and concrete really isn't.

There are a number of different gradations of rocks, and they go in this order:  sand, gravel, pebbles, cobbles, stones, and boulders.  Cobbles are the size of rock you would see on a cobblestone street.  Anyway, obviously, rocks are pretty solid, sturdy materials, which is why concrete is so useful.  It is a very malleable substance, which makes it spectacularly useful for building and for the fact that it is relatively easy to transport - basically being dust and sand which can then be mixed on site.  That's what a cement mixer is for. 

Ultimately, there are many reasons to use cement blocks in your home.  It is slightly more green than wood, because you aren't chopping down trees and the insulation is just generally better.  So if you want to find a nice, green way to save on insulation and to save on gas and electric bills, try getting concrete or brick homes.  They will generally be a bit more expensive, but over time, they will start paying you back both in the lack of maintenance required when compared to a wood house and in the amount of money you save in lower electric and gas bills.  It is a great way to save a lot of money and to protect the environment at the same time!

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