Admixtures and Aggregates: Key Elements of Athletic Concrete

This article discusses athletic concrete, which has great endurance with respect to long-term durability, increased abrasion resistance, and decreased permeability, cracking, and curling. It is muscular in the sense that it has a strong paste with a proper water-to-cementitious materials ratio, but not too much of it. The solid frame of athletic concrete is composed of a high content of well-graded combined aggregates and its water content should be minimal. Athletic concrete is economical on an initial cost basis and very economical in the long-term, since the cost of maintenance, repair, and replacement becomes very low. Several tables are included in the article showing recommended mixtures for various applications and uses such as industrial floors, parking structures, and heavy traffic airport and highway projects.