Jargon Busting Technical Terms in The Concrete Industry

As with any industry, the concrete sector is full of jargon and technical terminology. We know we are guilty of using this language when talking to our clients, forgetting that often, they don't really know what half of the words mean. It is an innocent mistake, but we understand it makes communication hard and twice as long as it needs to be as we backtrack, explaining concrete jargon terms. This wastes your and our time.

While we try to keep the use of technical terms to a minimum, we thought explaining concrete jargon terms would be a good idea. In this blog, we share the definitions of the most common jargon you will hear coming from our mouths, giving you a go-to guide when talking about concrete or concrete pumping.

General Terminology

Aggregate: Crushed stone, sand and gravel used as an ingredient in the production of concrete. Usually, one type of aggregate is selected and mixed with cement and water. The aggregate used will depend on the strength needed. This could be primary (not used before and freshly minded) or recycled (used before and has gone through a cleaning and separation process).

Batching Plant: Machinery used to produce large quantities of concrete that is transported to the site.

Cement: An ingredient in concrete. Cement is a powdery substance made with calcined lime and clay.

Curing: The process of concrete setting. This describes moisture evaporating from the mixture, solidifying and strengthening the concrete.

Formwork: Moulds in which concrete is poured so that the concrete is the right shape and size for your project. These could be temporary or permanent.

Rebar: A contraction for "reinforcing bar", which refers to steel or mesh bars used within concrete structures to reinforce the material.

Screed: A material used as a base for concrete flooring, usually used for indoor flooring. This can be a dry or liquid state.

Slump: Refers to the consistency and workability of the concrete mix.

Mixing and Pouring Jargon

Design Mix: The type of concrete being used, selected based on the project and the characteristics needed from the concrete, e.g. strength. The design mix chosen will determine the amount of each ingredient used.

Ready-Mix Concrete: Concrete manufactured at a batching plant according to the design mix required and then delivered to the site. It is named "ready-mixed" as the ingredients are already mixed before arriving on-site.

Drum Mixer: A truck that has a spinning drum used to transport concrete from a batching plant to a site. The drum spins to keep the concrete moving, ensuring it doesn't cure and is workable when it arrives.

Mix-on-site concrete: Concrete that is mixed on the project site in a volumetric truck.

Volumetric truck: Also known as a mix-on-site truck, these vehicles carry aggregates, water and cement behind a large drum. When they arrive on-site, they mix the ingredients to create the exact concrete design mix and the amount needed for the project.

Slab: A flat, horizontal element made from concrete used in flooring and roofs.

Boom Pump: A piece of equipment with an extendable robotic arm which extends over obstacles to reach project sites. The arm contains pipes that pump concrete from the drum or volumetric mixer to the site.

Line Pump: A piece of equipment that utilises pipes laying on the floor to transport concrete from the mixer to the project site. These pumps go around or through obstacles. They can also be added to a boom pump to extend their reach.

Structural Components

Beam: A horizontal structural element that supports loads and is supported by columns or walls.

Column: Vertical support structure that holds beams or slabs.

Footing: The base of a foundation that spreads the loads from the structure to the ground.

Precast Concrete: Concrete that is cured in a set environment and transported to the project site.

Post-Tensioning: A way to reinforce concrete structures with steel strands or bars. This is typically done once the concrete has cured.

Surface and Finishing Terms

Troweling: the process of smoothing and finishing the surface with a trowel.

Float: A tool used to level and smooth the surface once it has been poured.

Stamping: Pressing a pattern or texture into the concrete before it cures.

Polishing: A process of grinding and buffing the surface of cured concrete to achieve a smooth, glossy finish.

Durability and Testing

Shrinkage: When the volume of concrete reduces as it cures and hardens.

Segregation: Separation of the ingredients in the concrete design mix when wet. This will often lead to a lack of uniformity if poured.

Bleeding: When water rises to the surface when concrete has been freshly poured.

Specialty Concretes

Lightweight Concrete: Concrete that uses lightweight aggregates to reduce its density.

High-strength Concrete: Concrete that can withstand heavier than standard loads.

Self-compacting Concrete: Concrete that will fill the framework as a result of its own flow. This will usually require minimal assistance from manual labour or vibrating.

Concrete Specialists Here To Help

At 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping, we are concrete specialists with a combined 25 years of experience.  

We have worked on both residential and commercial projects, providing a range of concreting services. This has allowed us to build up a wealth of knowledge in working in a variety of situations.  

If you still aren't entirely sure about the terminology used, don't worry! Our expert knowledge allows us to provide professional services to any project, working with you to figure out what you need. And our team are friendly and easy to talk to, so you should never worry about asking them to repeat themselves or explain jargon further.  

If you need a conversation or quote decoding or are looking for concrete services, get in touch with us today.  

Call us on 01489 552737 or complete our online contact form to request a callback.