When building our dream house, we want everything to go according to plan. What if we use too low a strength class of concrete in our ceiling?
Each stage of the construction of our house is important. Failure to follow construction procedures, or neglect of individual works, can lead to serious consequences. There is a reason why construction engineers and people who know their trade are hired. Building a house yourself can only highlight many mistakes in the future.
One of the most important stages during the construction of our house is the creation of the ceiling. The itself types of concrete floors We described in our other text. But what if we use too low a concrete strength class when pouring our floor?
Classes and types of concrete
The strength class of concrete is determined by how resistant it is to compression. Concrete is also divided into volumetric weight.
- Heavy concrete – has a volumetric weight of 2600 kg/m3 and above;
- Plain concrete – from 2000 to 2600 kg/m3
- Lightweight concrete – 800 to 2000 kg/m3
Classes of heavy and ordinary concrete are specified by adding the letters C, CC or LC, where C specifies ordinary concrete, CC – heavy, while LC – light. The letter is followed by the minimum compressive strength (MPa), and the slash by the maximum.
The most common classes of concrete:
- Plain concrete: C12/15, C25/30, C50/60;
- Lightweight concrete: LC12/13, LC25/28, LC/50/55;
- Heavy concrete: CC30/37, CC50/60.
What if we use too low a concrete strength class in our floor?
Once we know what concrete grades are, it’s worth considering what can happen if we choose the wrong one for our floor. To generalize – this can lead to serious structural problems, both short and long-term.
Concrete with a lower compressive strength class may not be strong enough to bear the weight the ceiling will be subjected to. As a result, the ceiling may deflect, crack and, in the worst case, even collapse. When such a problem arises, there is an opportunity for reinforcement, for example, in the form of metal rails supported by load-bearing walls, but the use of the right grade of concrete will be the best solution.
If a lower grade of concrete is used, it may be more susceptible to cracking, both by loading, but also during shrinkage during hardening. The cracks themselves not only look unsightly, but can also lead to moisture ingress, which accelerates corrosion of the applied reinforcement.
Concrete that is too weak is also less resistant to external factors. This primarily refers to places where the floor will be exposed to moisture or changing temperatures (garages, basements). This leads to its faster degradation, crumbling and shortening of its service life.
Don't take any chances
When we build a house ourselves, we often start thinking about which stage of construction can be saved. After all, the grade of concrete doesn’t have to be that high, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. Selecting the right materials for the construction of our house, especially for such important structural elements as ceilings, is very important. This will be helped by the general contractor, who takes all responsibility for the materials used, and knowledge and experience will not allow him to make mistakes.
Don’t take risks and build your dream home with us!
