Why Concrete?

Concrete is one of the oldest composite building materials in the world. Made of natural ingredients, concrete is environmentally sound, economical to manufacture and is relatively energy efficient to produce. (compared to other structural building materials) Examples of its durability span the globe, from Greece to the Americas. Some profess the Great Pyramids of Egypt were made of poured concrete.

Of all its attributes; strength, rigidity, durability, and watertightness, it's most miraculous characteristic is its ability to be molded into any shape. This is why we see concrete used in so many applications. From building blocks to bridges and towers, from massive dams to counter-tops and sail boats. Is it any wonder that it is the ideal and obvious choice for water and waste-water containment?

Ideal, not only by how it performs, but because of a long standing confidence and history of use. In many cases the value of the function of the product far exceeds the initial cost of the product. If a septic tank fails and causes the treatment system to malfunction, the repercussions are far greater than the price of the tank. If a water cistern allows contaminates to infiltrate, the outcome could be catastrophic. This is why warrantees based on "replacement cost" and "money-back guarantees", claims made by competitive products, are meaningless. The designer, specifier and end-user need the assurance that a product has a known track-record, a history of success, before the purchase is made. Concrete products are used throughout the world. Contractors know how to use them, regulators and specifiers trust them. They have a reputation that spans history.

• Can the same be said about polyethelyene or fiberglass?
• Have you ever seen a 100 year old piece of plastic?

But what about bad concrete? We've all seen or heard of examples of poor workmanship. Concrete curbs deteriorating in the winter, house foundations with settling cracks, leaking septic tanks. Sometimes it's extenuating circumstances like poor installation or maintenance. Sometimes it's poorly made concrete. Concrete production isn't about a wheelbarrow and a shovel anymore. Today's manufacturers use properly specified materials, computerized batching, a range of chemical admixtures and controlled production environments to produce consistently high quality, high strength concrete. The concrete manufactured today is better than ever. Even that which was produced just 20 years ago.