By looking at how our current world has been constructed, it becomes easy to see that concrete has become one of the most pivotal building materials used in the modern-day. Used in practically all forms of construction, concrete’s capabilities extend from flooring to bridges, from sculptures to skate parks and from warehouses to homes, etc. By reading this quick article, you can start to see how concrete has been used to construct some of the most widely known landmarks from around the world to inspire you to get started on your own projects, all before ordering your own concrete mixers and other necessary tools at handsomely reduced prices through BS Power.
Which World Famous Landmarks Have Relied Upon Concrete?
The thing about concrete is that many people have become desensitized to just how reliable this building material really is, while others remain completely oblivious to it from the get-go. This is because concrete can generally be seen as the main material being used within a vast majority of constructions throughout any given urban environment. This is the result of there being a number of different aspects of concrete that are not easy to mimic when using any other form of material on the construction site.
For instance, when throwing in a combination of the right materials at their correct measurements into your concrete mixers, it can become one of the most convenient and time-saving materials to be found on practically any construction site. Many people would equate this to an overall reduced level of quality and durability, but rest assured that this is not the case. A part of what makes concrete far more enticing than any of its counterparts is that it is able to withstand and endure some the harshest of external forces without having the integrity of the construction as a whole become compromised.
In fact, with the help of the right concrete mixers and the best ingredients, concrete can easily become one of the most valuable materials an architect can have at their disposal. This can be confirmed by looking at any number of the most extravagant monuments and landmarks from around the world, countless of which have had cement be an integral part of their design and structure. Each of these structures are also built with different aesthetics, uses, geographies and cultures in mind, showing how truly versatile concrete can be without having to worry about its strength being diminished at all.
In no particular order, here are only a few of the many treasured landmarks from around the world that have made great use of concrete in their design:
The Pantheon, Italy – composed of approximately 4 535 metric tonnes of concrete, brick and white marble by Marcus Agrippa over the course of 41 years, this remains as the largest unreinforced dome throughout the world while also being one of the most well-preserved buildings of ancient Rome, despite being built just over 2 000 years ago in 14 AD, and then rebuilt again during 125 AD after being partially destroyed by fire in 110 AD. While the Roman Pantheon was originally used as a dedication to all the gods of Pagan Rome, before being converted into a Christian church, is still used to this day for Mass, weddings and for significant Catholic holidays too!
Hoover Damn, United States – With a height of 221.5m and a length of 379m, this gargantuan arch-gravity dam was built and completed in 1936 over the course of just 5 years with upwards of 5 million tonnes of concrete being its main ingredient throughout construction. Holding a whopping 3 250 000 cubic metres of water, this dam was constructed with the purpose of providing surrounding towns and cities such as Las Vegas and Boulder City with electricity, flood control, regulation as well as general water storage too. Constructed during the midst of the Great Depression, it initially cost Six Companies Inc. roughly $49 million, which would equal to $675 million in today’s prices.
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil – Designed by a French sculptor known as Paul Landowski and taking only 9 years for him to finish with construction in 1931, this spiritually significant structure was completed through the use of soapstone in combination with reinforced concrete in order to create what is now considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Weighing in at roughly 1445 tonnes at a width of 28m and a height of 30m, this statue is seen as a symbol and a reminder of Christianity throughout the world. Since its construction, many countries and architects alike became enamoured and inspired by its presence, so much so that similarly designed statues with similarly inspired symbolism would spring up throughout the world, including Portugal, Spain, Bolivia, Vietnam and far more!
The Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates – Made up of reinforced concrete alongside a mix of steel and aluminium, the Burj Khalifa currently holds the world record for the tallest manmade structure with a height of nearly 830m, while also breaking a number of other records during the time of its construction. Taking only 6 years to complete since construction began, this incredible feat in human engineering would go on to set several records that include the world’s highest nightclub, restaurant, display of new year’s fireworks as well as the tallest height for concrete to be pumped vertically during the construction of a building, which would come in at roughly 606m during the time of construction.
Panama Canal, Panama – Widely considered to be one of the most difficult and largest engineering projects to have ever been completed, this canal was constructed in 1914 over a 10-year period at a total length of 82km that splits between North and South America in order to connect the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. This canal’s original purpose was to shorten the travel distance for ships wanting to travel to and from the surrounding oceans by a significant degree, allowing some of these trips to be reduced by as much as 16 000 km.
With engineering marvels such as these being made up of concrete predominantly, it is clear to see just how versatile and reliable concrete has and continues to remain throughout recorded history. Never before has there ever been a material in construction that is easily malleable enough to help shape it into practically any design and structure you can think of, while still being durable enough to help support its own weight, alongside an increased abundance of extra weight once having dried and with construction completed. What adds to the already immense value that concrete provides us with is that it can be far cheaper when compared to other building materials that provide the same amount of structural support, especially in terms of its price as well as the time you save when mixing too.
How BS Power’s Concrete Mixers Can Help You with Your Home Projects
Despite the fact that many of the world’s sturdiest structures were made with cement, something that prevents far too many people from starting on their own DIY renovations around the house is the thought that the end product may not last too long before breaking and withering away. While outcomes such as this are unfortunately possible, it can also be avoided without much strain but just ensuring that the tools and materials that you have at your disposal are able to serve towards the end product that you would like to achieve. Homeowners from around the globe that have gone back to retry their hand at renovations have found that projects of any size are far easier to accomplish with ease within a significantly shorter period of time whenever they had reliable concrete mixers by their side with the addition of high-quality building materials.
Many people have unfortunately come to the conclusion that concrete mixers of any size can be incredibly expensive, especially for the average person that may only be wanting to do a few touch-ups around their house. This is unfortunately true in most regards but is something that can be forgotten about almost entirely when shopping at BS Power, where our prices are rarely ever matched by our competition. Not only are many of our Baumax concrete mixers and other construction tools far cheaper from the get-go for your benefit, but many are even placed on sale to help reduce the total cost of your projects even further.
As home renovations of any size can be an incredibly taxing project to undertake in many regards, having the tools and materials be on the cheaper end can certainly help ease the stress, even if only by a little. As we have been in this industry for nearly 20 years, we have come to know and understand this stress all too well, which is why we aim to provide our clients with the help and service that they deserve, allowing them to commence with their projects with peace of mind and with a much broader knowledge of what it is that they are wanting to achieve.
To do this, it has been incredibly important to us that we hire none other than the best employees that are all fully trained and with years of experience within the industry. It is through this drive for quality that we currently hold over 100 years of combined work experience within the field across all our employees, ensuring that you are able to receive the answers that you need before your next big project, no matter what the question may be. We even provide our more curious clients with a wealth of articles in the “Blog” section of our website, containing a number of posts that each go over a variety of different topics all revolving around different aspects of construction and the tools needed for the job.
Some of our clients may not have the time or energy to drive out to our Brackenfell branch in Cape Town when looking for their own concrete mixers, which is why we also made it our mission to provide you with the most convenient service currently possible. If in-store visits are just simply not a possibility for you, then we still provide a number of time-saving methods of reaching us via the “Contact Us” button that is found at the top of our website’s homepage. On this page, you are given the option of contacting us via our telephone numbers, email address as well as FAX. You can also contact us through our website directly by filling in the contact form with all the relevant details and information regarding the project that you are undertaking.
It is because of our drive to provide you with the most convenient service possible, one that still does not see you burning a hole in your wallet, that we have been able to garner and maintain the respect of homeowners and professionals from across the country, as well as those surrounding, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and more!