CONCRETE SERVICES
Valroc Development LTD. is a concrete services contractor promising visually impactful residential or commercial projects that are environmentally friendly, durable, sustainable, and stand up to BC’s heavy storm-water.
CONCRETE SERVICES
Our Concrete Services rely on collaboration between our design team and skilled group of tradesman and is essential in creating sustainable finished concrete with impressive visual aesthetic. Our concrete services rigorously adhere to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) guidelines from foundation to finish. Our concrete is selected based on strength and durability, and is manufactured to CSA A3000 standards. Valroc Concrete Services promise visually impactful residential or commercial projects that are environmentally friendly, durable, sustainable, and stand up to BC’s heavy storm-water.
AWARD WINNING RESULTS
We are a reputable and trusted concrete contractor in BC’s construction industry. TrustedPros awarded Valroc Development LTD “Best of 2015 for Concrete Work in Surrey” and we have maintained a near perfect score with both TrustedPros and BBB. Whether you’re looking for assistance in residential, commercial, and industrial concrete projects, we have the experience and expertise to carry out the job efficiently and meticulously for a better outcome.
When concrete is poured, it must be kept between 5°C and 30°C during the initial curing period to ensure its strength. With that being said, there are ways to ensure the temperature is kept stable even in the harshest weather conditions. Installing hoarding and heating around the frame is common to regulate the temperature during curing, and closely monitoring it in the process.
Concrete requires to be set and cured at an applicable internal temperature to reach its material properties full potential. Hydration gradually slows as the temperature reaches 0°C, then stops. The hydration process creates some heat but is not enough to properly cure the concrete when the temperature nears freezing. In the cold interior areas of B.C., standard procedures will not suffice during a large part of the year. We use a special concrete mixture that can handle temperatures down to -20°C and tackle projects year round in almost all weather conditions.
Concrete hardens through a chemical process called hydration. Cement particles react with water to form new stable compounds that coat and bind the aggregate particles in the mix.
Concrete hardens and gains strength as it hydrates. The hydration process proceeds very rapidly initially, but will continue at a continually slower rate for years after placement. Since it is not practical to wait years to determine the ultimate strength of the concrete, a 28-day period was chosen by engineering authorities for the strength testing of samples. In general, when we refer to a concrete’s strength, we are referring to its 28-day strength.
According to Canadian Standards Association standard A23.1-09, complete discharge of a batch of concrete must be completed within 120 minutes after initial mixing unless otherwise agreed by the owner and supplier. In practice, the workable period of a load is impacted by both type of cement used and by ambient climate, and can be modified by set-retarding or accelerating admixtures. We stock both accelerator and retardant admixtures which enable delivery to remote locations in either hot or cool weather conditions without sacrificing final product strength or durability.
Although the terms cement and concrete are often used interchangeably, they are actually different materials. Concrete is the hardened, rock-like mass that we are all familiar with, and is a mixture of coarse and fine aggregates (gravel and sand), and paste. ‘Portland cement’ is the active binder in the paste that glues the aggregate particles together to give concrete its strength. Concrete hardens through a chemical process called hydration where the cement combines with the water in the mix. The hydration process actually continues for years after the concrete is placed, meaning that concrete gets stronger as it ages.
MPa is an abbreviation for “megapascal,” and is the metric unit of measure for the compressive strength of concrete.
Concrete, like all other materials, will slightly change in volume when it dries out. In typical concrete this change amounts to about 500 millionths – this is about 1/16 of an inch in 10 feet. The reason that contractors put joints in concrete pavements and floors is to allow the concrete to crack in a neat, straight line at the joint where the volume of the concrete shrinks.
In areas of the country that are subjected to freezing and thawing the concrete should be air-entrained to resist flaking and scaling of the surface. If air-entrained concrete is not used, there will be subsequent damage to the surface. In order to protect from this, the water/cement ratio should be as low as possible to improve durability of the surface. Too much water in the mix will produce a weaker, less durable concrete that will contribute to early flaking and spalling of the surface. The finishing operations should not begin until the water sheen on the surface is gone and excess bleed water on the surface has had a chance to evaporate. If this excess water is worked into the concrete because the finishing operations had began too soon, the concrete on the surface will have too high a water content and will be much less durable.
The more cement added, the stronger the concrete becomes. This is calculated by the ratio of water to cement in the paste that binds the aggregates together. The higher the ratio is, the weaker the concrete will be and vice versa. Every physical property will be affected by adding or subtracting water.
MAKE HISTORY.
The Valroc showcase gallery has excellent examples of our concrete team in action and finished work. We pride ourselves on each projects quality and long term value.
VALROC Development LTD
is a general and independent contractor focused on construction, development, and renovations. We handle a large variety of residential, commercial and industrial projects of almost any scale. Give us a call and let’s move forward on your project.