Woodward Avenue made history when it became the first paved road. Specifically, a mile of Woodward from Six Mile Road to Seven Mile Road was converted to a concrete highway in 1909. Seven years later, the rest of the 27-mile stretch of Woodward was paved.

The first concrete pavement in the world was built in Inverness, Scotland, in 1865. Some of the concrete pavement laid in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1872 is still in use today. One of the earliest uses of concrete in America was in the construction of a Greek revival house in New York City in 1835.

1913

Bellefontaine

The first home built using reinforced concrete was a servant’s cottage constructed in England by William B. Wilkinson in 1854. In 1875, American mechanical engineer William Ward completed the first reinforced concrete home in the U.S. It still stands in Port Chester, New York.

Five years later Ransome built the Alvord Lake Bridge in Golden Gate Park – the world’s first reinforced concrete bridge. The warehouse was demolished in 1930 but the bridge remains the world’s oldest surviving reinforced concrete structure.

As it turns out, not only is Roman concrete more durable than what we can make today, but it actually gets stronger over time. This aggregate has to be inert, because any unwanted chemical reaction can cause cracks in the concrete, leading to erosion and crumbling of the structures.

Modern use Usable examples of Roman concrete exposed to harsh marine environments have been found to be 2000 years old with little or no wear.

Saltwater corrodes modern concrete within years. But the concrete used by ancient Romans doesn’t suffer this same issue. Minerals called Al-tobermorite and phillipsite form as the material leaches mineral-rich fluid that then solidifies, reinforcing the concrete and making the structures even stronger.

Concrete is a durable material that can last a lifetime. The term durability means that something can last for a long period of time without significantly deteriorating. With a durable material such as concrete, the environment is conserved as well as waste reduced.

Without rebar reinforcement, concrete is highly prone to cracks due to tension forces. Rebar helps prevent cracks from growing wider largely by preventing cracked slabs from moving apart.

The shelf life of cement is 3 months When cement comes in contact of moisture, it undergoes a process called Hydration. This makes it crucial to protect cement from moisture even within the 3 month period. This is why it is important to store cement carefully and prevent it from coming in contact with moisture.

If you’re not doing a commercial-level project but still want some additional reinforcement for your concrete, a wire mesh is a great (and cheaper) alternative to rebar. Wire mesh use is becoming much more common for projects like a home driveway.

Direct alternatives to rebar include the use of aggregate materials or metal mesh. Metal mesh ranges from chicken coop wire to fencing. Any type of metal mesh that you may have lying around can be used as a substantial support for concrete.

Considering the support constraint, rebar is undoubtedly stronger than wire mesh. Several constructors consider rebar for domestic jobs. For thicker driveways and locations that involve greater traffic, rebar is always a good option to consider.

You should not pour concrete over the grass directly. For your concrete to harden flat and smooth, it is best to clear all vegetation and pour the concrete on top of smooth and debris-free soil. Leaving grass under your concrete slab can cause some unnecessary issues for you in the future.