Concrete is a relatively young building material that has only really gained in importance in the last 150 years. Many structures such as bridges, skyscrapers, or tunnels are made of concrete. Concrete is processed fluidly and must, therefore, be poured into specially made molds where it becomes hard. If concrete components are particularly stressed, such as bridges or ceilings, steel inserts must be incorporated. Professional concreters work on different construction sites to build new buildings, and to refurbish or, modernize existing buildings. They work in residential construction, in industrial or bridge construction.
What They Actually Do?
The concrete worker participates in the construction of residential buildings, industrial buildings, bridges, and other objects, works at factories of reinforced concrete structures, and also performs repair work in apartments (floor filling) and private houses. The work schedule of concreters is different – on average, 6 days a week and when performing repair work, the schedule of the concrete worker is free and depends entirely on himself.
Work as a concrete worker is a responsible matter. At the construction site, this specialist plays an important role – makes slabs, panels, stairs, balconies, piles for the foundation. The strength of the whole building or structure depends on the quality of its work. Therefore, its main task is to perform its work qualitatively at all stages of construction. Making a concrete product at a construction site is a complicated process. It begins with the selection of materials for the future mixture – cement or sand. Their quality is of great importance for the concrete worker.
How to Determine the Quality of Concrete
Good quality work not only depends on the concreters but also to the quality of the cement bought. The best way to make a purchase of good quality concrete is to determine until it is unloaded from the mixer. Only professional concreters know the good quality cement. So, it is better to ask them first. You can determine the quality of the mixture by its color. Ideally, the shade should be grey. If brown tones are present in color, it means that a lot of building and has been added to the mixture to save.
First of all, it is recommended to mix the concrete mixture into some small container or bucket. Visually, it is necessary to look if there are no impurity grains that are not covered by the composition. The quality of the concrete mix directly depends on the presence of water in it. Excessive moisture content significantly reduces the strength of the material. If there are clots that float in a liquid substance, then concreters add chemical compounds that break the clots, and again make the cement working.
Conclusion: It’s Not Only Hard, But Risky
Basically, no specific education is required for the beginning of the apprenticeship. However, most companies expect a secondary school leaving certificate, or upper secondary school leaving certificate. Work as concreters at a construction site is dangerous. At any time, a foreign object may fall on the head, and the employee risks his own health and life. Another dangerous factor is small particles of dry cement. They enter the human lungs and cause chronic diseases of the respiratory system. In spite of these circumstances, they work hard and gift us our dream projects.
Concrete slabs, panels and piles are large in size, and they are usually made outdoors in the street. At the same time, construction of facilities and buildings can last for several months, or even years. Therefore, the concreters have to work in the rain, in the snow, and in extreme cold. The result of such conditions is catarrhal diseases, which often result in complications.
