For many of us, we may use the words cement and concrete interchangeably. If someone were to say to you that they were pouring cement and that the structure was made out of concrete; would you know the difference? While these two have more similarities than differences, they are, in fact, different.
What confuses us most is that concrete has cement in it! Concrete is created by mixing dry aggregates and a paste. The dry ingredients are usually sand, gravel, and other dry aggregate materials while the paste is traditionally made up of water and cement.
Joseph Aspin of Leeds
Cement is a binding agent and has been used for thousands of years as a building mater that binds structures together. Cement can be made with limestone, clay, sand, or shells. Each of these agents is crushed and carefully chemically combined create cement. It was created by a mason named Joseph Aspin of Leeds. He said it reminded him of the of stone quarries on the island of Portland. That is why you will often hear it called Portland Cement.
Strong, Lasting and Versatile
As stated before, concrete is made by mix cement and other dry materials along with water. Concrete is one of the most durable and longest lasting materials known to man. It can last hundreds of years. Which is why it is used in building’s foundations, schools and other various projects that need to stand the test of time. What we love about concrete is how versatile it is. It is simple enough for a weekend warrior to use in their backyard. But it is also durable enough to be used in creating some of the most significant structures known to man. In these structures, additional support in the form of rebar is used to aid. It can be hand mixed or used in a huge cement (um, excuse us… concrete) truck and poured out in mass quantities.
If you are looking to do a project and need the perfect mixing materials, look no further than Hoyt Materials. We have the ideal supplies that you need to finish you next cement job!
