Your Guide to Residential Concrete Work

Ready to get started on your concrete project?

This guide is an essential resource for DIY enthusiasts and contractors alike. If you are looking for practical knowledge on how to construct high-quality residential concrete, you are in the right place. This manual covers everything you need to know about constructing one- and two-family homes with a basement that is either cast-in-place or installed as precast elements, with a maximum height of two storeys above grade.

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world, with residential construction ranking as the second-largest application. The guide provides information on the components, ratios, production, distribution, and testing of concrete, as well as information on the subgrade, forms, reinforcing, and installation, consolidation, finishing, and curing, under the section on footings, walls, and slabs. It also addresses particular issues for insulation and extremes of heat and cold and includes typical issues and solutions.

This manual is subject to applicable codes and building documents. With the knowledge provided in this guide, you can produce concrete with varying qualities and alter the quantities of components to meet project parameters, applicable building codes, ASTM Standard C94, or C685. It covers the basics of mixture preparation, aggregates for the mixture, paste making, and slump. You'll learn how to create cementitious paste by mixing cementitious ingredients with water, and the strength of the final concrete mixture depends mostly on the water-to-cementitious material ratio. The guide also covers slump, which measures the consistency of the concrete, and how it affects the workability of the concrete.

Your ultimate guide to build high-quality residential concrete, providing practical knowledge and information on all aspects of construction is now just a click away.