The Uses and Benefits of Foam Concrete

There are several very good reasons why concrete is the most commonly used man-made material on the planet and the second overall, with only water ahead of it. The most common factors include it being so strong, so reliable and so cost-effective. 

To the uninitiated – even taking those plusses into consideration – concrete is still just concrete; but those who use it on a regular basis know how it can be successfully adapted to many different conditions, requirements and construction needs.

One version of concrete that may not be familiar to those not in the trade is ‘foam concrete’, and in this article, we’re going to explain what it is, what it’s used for and outline some of the many benefits it brings to different construction projects.

What is foam concrete?

Foam concrete is a lightweight form of concrete made by combining cement, water, a fine aggregate and a special type of foam. Foam concrete can be made up of anywhere between 30% to 80% air bubbles, with the result that it expands to a greater volume, and becomes both lighter and easier to pour than standard concrete. 

What is foam concrete used for?

Given that we’ve established that foam concrete is a low-strength concrete – and that if there’s one thing that most people know about concrete, it’s that it’s an incredibly strong material capable of bearing very heavy weights – what possible uses could it have? Here are just a few:

• Insulation – foam concrete offers superior thermal and sound insulation properties to standard concrete
• Void and cavity filling – foam concrete flows easily into voids and cavities, adding stability and strength to a structure without significantly increasing its overall weight
• Trench reinstatement – such as infilling excavations created for the installation of cables and other services under an existing road
• Road construction – foam concrete makes an excellent road sub-base, because reducing the overall weight means you minimise the chances of the ground beneath giving way or subsiding
• Partition walls – quick, easy and inexpensive to install, while still providing impressive strength and insulation
• Stabilising tunnels and embankments
• Covering underground cables and pipes without crushing them
• Foundations

What are the benefits of foam concrete?

These are just some of the benefits of foam concrete:

• It’s a self-levelling and self-compacting concrete that can fill just about any space without the need for vibrating equipment
• It’s easy to pump – because it’s so much lighter, foam concrete can be pumped for much longer distances than standard concrete
• Foam concrete will easily fill otherwise inaccessible parts of a void or cavity
• It’s resistant to fire, water and frost
• It’s an extremely cost-effective option
• Its lightweight properties make it easy to handle and transport

If you’d like to find out more about foam concrete and other solutions from Stewart Brothers Concrete, why not get in touch with us today? We’ve been delivering professional concrete services to commercial and residential customers across Kent and East Sussex, thanks to our depots in Ashford, Sittingbourne, and Dover,  for more than 35 years and we pride ourselves on providing a high-quality product with a first-class service every time.