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If you have this question, you’re not alone!

 Cement is made from calcium and silica-rich materials, such as limestone and clay. When cement is mixed with water, it creates a paste. And when that cement paste is mixed with aggregates, like gravel and sand, the result is concrete.

Concrete is much more durable than cement and is used in many projects, both residential and commercial. Cement is used mainly for small jobs, like grouting, small repairs and specialized masonry.

Weather and temperature can be complicating factors when it comes to curing concrete. If the temperature is too hot, too much water will be lost from the newly poured concrete. If it’s too cold, hydration slows too much. In either extreme, concrete will not gain enough strength. 

Concrete, like all materials, will slightly change in volume when it dries out. Contractors put joints in concrete to allow the concrete to crack in a neat, straight line at the joint when the volume of the concrete changes due to shrinkage.

Yield can be determined based on a sample unit weight test, a simple calculation that requires the unit weight of all materials batched.

In areas of the country that are subjected to freezing and thawing (such as Colorado), concrete needs to be air-entrained to resist flaking and scaling of the surface. If air-entrained concrete is not used, there will be subsequent damage to the surface.

In addition, too much water in the concrete mix will produce a weaker, less durable concrete that will contribute to early flaking and spalling of the surface.

Air-entrained concrete contains billions of microscopic air cells per cubic foot. These air pockets relieve internal pressure in the concrete by allowing water to expand into the tiny air chambers when it freezes.