Hello! My names Melissa and I’m the Marketing Coordinator for The Prestressed Group. I have many years of Marketing experience in different industries, and am not afraid to say that I’m new the prestressed/precast concrete way of life.
Since working at TPG, I’ve learned some really cool things about prestressed/precast concrete and much that goes along with. Like most newbies the best way to learn about a new industry is to ask those who know it best like your Executives, Sales Department, Co-Workers or even that old trusty internet, but don’t believe everything your read of course. In doing all of these things I wanted to share some fun facts I have found out that you may or may not already know.
Fun Fact #1: Did you know that Prestressed/Precast Concrete is fire and corrosion resistant? Well, I think that everyone knew that one, but I still think it’s one of the more important fun facts for anyone who didn’t know. Concrete does not need any additional fire-protection because of its built-in resistance to fire. It’s a non-combustible material (i.e. it does not burn), and has a slow rate of heat transfer. This to me is a no-brainer when building, it just proves to me that concrete is long-lasting and incredibly durable.
Fun Fact #2: Do you know how far concrete as a building material goes back? Prepare to be amazed! Concrete dates back to Ancient Rome using it as a building material. Roman builders mixed lime, water and volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius and called the concrete ‘pozzolana.’ In fact, the Roman civil engineer Vitruvius wrote about four types of pozzolana which are black, grey, red, and white. They understood the waterproof qualities of this new building material, and used it to construct their port at Cosa. Even though port at Cosa reached its height in 100 BC there are three of its concrete piers that survived as a testament to the engineering expertise of the ancient world.
Fun Fact #3: Concrete is more popular than you think. It is the most used material in the world in terms of overall volume. Concrete is used twice as much in construction than all other building materials, including timber and steel. It’s popularity all around the world is because it’s composed mainly of materials which are available everywhere, like air, water, sand and gravel. It may seem strange that this amazingly durable and strong material would feature something as fragile and soft as air in its composition, but it does. Essentially, concrete is made from gravel and sand, water, cement and, of course, air. In some cases, the air pockets are purposefully included to allow things like water to pass through.
Fun Fact #4: Did you know the world’s largest concrete structure is in China? At 185 metres high and 2,309 metres long, the Three Gorges Dam on China’s Yangtze River is the world’s largest concrete structure. Built between 1994 and 2006, the dam’s hydroelectric station can generate an incredible 22,500 MW of power. Its reservoir holds as much water as Lake Superior, and displaced around 1.3 million people.
I could go on all day and list hundreds of facts about concrete but I think we would all stop reading it eventually. I am happy to be a part of TPG Team and am excited to learn more and more about the industry. Thank you for reading!
Melissa Roy
Marketing Coordinator
