Fine-Aggregate Concrete

(or fine-grained concrete), concrete produced from a mixture of fine aggregate (sand), a binder (cement), and water. Fine-aggregate concrete is similar to building mortars in its composition and certain properties. It is used mainly for making thin-walled and conventional rein-forced-concrete structural components and products.

Fine-aggregate concrete is used in highway and airfield construction because of the high tensile strength that results from its fine-grained structure. The absence of coarse aggregate (crushed stone or gravel) substantially facilitates the preparation, transport, and placing of the concrete, particularly when concrete pumps are used. A disadvantage of fine-aggregate concrete is the increased consumption of binder compared to other types of concrete and the associated greater shrinkage and creep. The quantity of binder in the concrete can be reduced by pulverizing some of the sand, by the use of plasticizers, or by autoclaving of products.