Is it cement or concrete I need?
What’s the difference?
When you pour a mixture to make a new sidewalk or driveway for your house, are you using cement or concrete? What’s the difference between the two?
Most people don’t know the difference between ‘cement’ and ‘concrete’ and they are likely to ask “Aren’t they the same thing”? While cement and concrete are related they are nowhere near the same thing.
Cement, which is the abbreviation of the correct name, “Portland cement” is a fine grey powder which looks very much like grey flour. Portland cement is not a brand name. Instead, it’s a generic term for the most prevalent type of cement—just like stainless is a type of steel, not a trademarked name.
Cement is one of the ingredients in concrete. It is an adhesive that, when mixed with water, hardens through a chemical reaction (called hydration).
Cement makes up from 10% to 15% of the total mass of concrete; though the exact proportions are different from mixture to mixture, depending on which type of concrete is being made. Cement is the ‘glue’ in the concrete that holds the sand and stone together.
Concrete is that pourable mix of cement, water, sand, and gravel that hardens into a super-strong building material in use since Roman times. Concrete is the material we encounter in our everyday lives. Sidewalks, foundations, and highways are all made of concrete. So we always see a concrete side walk or poured concrete walls or slabs.
Though people use the words cement and concrete as if they were the same, they’re not.
Because concrete is so durable and versatile, it can be used in many different ways. You might find a way to use polished concrete in your home instead of granite or tile. You can learn all about concrete countertops and their design possibilities.
Maybe a stamped concrete patio or a concrete driveway would be a better choice than pavers or asphalt. Just ask a concrete expert!
- Normal concrete – also called normal weight concrete or normal strength concrete
- High Strength Concrete – high compressive strength
- High Performance Concrete – tough, highly workable, long life in severe environments
- Air Entrained Concrete – used where the concrete is vulnerable to freezing and thawing action
- Light Weight Concrete – lower mass volume
- Self Compacting Concrete – where no vibration is required; the concrete is compacted due to its own weight
- Shotcrete – uses compressed air to shoot concrete onto (or into) a frame or structure
- Pervious Concrete – allows water to drain naturally through it
- Roller Compacted Concrete – is compacted in place using large heavy rollers typically used in earthwork
It’s all in the mixing!
Now you know the difference between cement and concrete!
