Overtime, every house moves. The house moves as the earth moves, and the unbendable structures that support the house (concrete foundation) begin to buckle under the pressure of the movement. Overtime, the amount the foundation moves will cause damage; the severity of foundation damage can range from the simple and cosmetic to the drastic and…
Overtime the earth moves, and slopes or cuts can erode and structurally degrade; even if you have areas like these on your property that have not yet completely deteriorated, these areas will, eventually, become a problem. Luckily, one option, for keeping erosion at bay, is to use shotcrete to stabilize the slope. If shotcrete is…
What is a culvert? A culvert is a type of structure which allows water to pass through an opening, but remains closed off at the top. Simple. Culverts can be found almost anywhere. The closure allows people and vehicles to pass over the top. You can find a very simple version of a culvert along…
Concrete is a sturdy, green, and economic building material. And, believe it or not, scientists have figured out how to add strength and green sustainability to an already incredible product. How did they do it? Scientists have discovered how to add a material called graphene to the concrete. Graphene is one of the strongest materials…
Concrete is one of the world’s greatest eco-friendly building materials, and it’s known as such because it remains eco-friendly in all its steps of process. First, the foundation of all concrete is limestone, and limestone is the most abundant mineral to be found on planet earth; yes, it is mined, but it is abundant. And,…
The major difference between shotcrete and concrete is the method used by a concrete contractor to place the concrete; there are clear advantages aside from just method, but we’ll get to those in a moment. Basically, shotcrete was invented when the concrete “gun” was developed in early nineteen hundred. Originally this gun shot out a…
Some jobs are practically made for the average weekend home-improvement-warrior. Most anyone can learn to mix simple batches of concrete, to build forms correctly, and then to pour concrete, float it and seal it. But there are reasons to hire a professional. And it’s not just for the big jobs—although size is a valid reason.…
The very word foundation conjures images of strength and stability. And a quality foundation made of concrete should outlast the structure it supports. Concrete isn’t impervious to age and other environmental factor, but, when it’s created, it should be perfectly mixed then poured without pockets and other factors that create instability within the finished project,…
Usually, it’s the shoulder seasons—both Spring and Fall—that have the best temperatures for a concrete pour. The reason is that temperatures are usually neutral, and milder. Two things to be cautious of in these seasons are precipitation, and that temperatures don’t swing dramatically in either direction. Sometimes, especially in the early spring, days can warm…