If you are like most professionals in the industry who are operating a small pool/spa business, then there is a good chance you got involved in the trade because it was a fun summer job or way to help out with the family business. However, what you may not have realized until after starting the business and stopped working as an employee, is the work is not all about ‘fun’ anymore.
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Concrete is undoubtedly one of the most widely used materials in construction. It is used in everything from sidewalks and skyscrapers to swimming pools and landscapes. Much of this is due to its relative abundance, ease of use, portability, and cost effectiveness. Due to its physical properties, concrete is best suited for applications where it is loaded axially in compression (i.e. columns, slabs on grade, etc.). Concrete has an extremely high compressive strength with a normal range of 15 to 32 MPa (2,175 to 4,641 psi) in the pool and landscaping industries. This is perhaps the most popular and well-known property of concrete and is often the only one used to specify a concrete mix in pool and landscape projects.
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Structures surround the modern world. Buildings, bridges, roads, and tunnels are everywhere. By definition, a structure is something made up of parts that are held or put together in a particular way. In construction, structures are designed by architects and engineers, and built by contractors or builders using many different materials. The most common, however, are concrete, steel, timber, plastic, and glass.
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