Concrete is the most
widely used material in the world after water. For thousands of years,
concrete has been used for construction of landmark monuments. Most
of these structures have suffered the ravages of war as well as the
aggressiveness of the environment, and yet have withstood the test of
time, owing to the versatility and durability of concrete.
Concrete technology
has progressed rapidly, especially since the 1950s, thanks to the advancement
of materials science, particularly, material characterization techniques.
Today, concrete is studied from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, where
chemistry and materials science occupy equally important positions as
civil engineering. Another aspect that has led to this progress is the
development of additives for concrete.
In spite of the available
know-how, modern concrete is beset with problems. Premature deterioration,
unexpected and uncontrolled cracking, poor appearance and finish have
become the order of the day. Apart from a general apathy towards quality
issues in the face of an increasingly profit based construction business,
the main factor for the poor state of today's concrete construction
is the lack of application of the available knowledge.
This web page - THE
CONCRETE PORTAL - intends to provide a forum where concrete practitioners
can get in touch with the latest advances in concrete technology, apart
from recollecting their basics. The portal also serves as a useful resource
material to teachers in colleges for their concrete technology classes.
Additionally, through links with other info pages as well as concrete
industry sites, this website would be an important resource for students
and budding concrete technologists.
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