How long does concrete last?

The life span of concrete can be anywhere between 50 to 100 years and currently building codes and policies are put together so that concrete structures last several decades. Deterioration can begin as early as 10 years. Current designs are made to have a lifetime of at least 30 years but buildings can last as long as 50 to 100 years.

Sometimes you will see buildings being demolished but that is because of functional issues instead of deterioration. Concrete can withstand the natural deterioration of nature but it can also be strong enough to handle natural disasters.

The truth is that concrete cannot last for ever, but if its properly mixed, cared and installed it can last for decades. We strongly recommend caring for your concrete as soon as you notice cracks of breaks. You should contact professionals to inspect your damage and hire experts to do the repair jobs.

One of the things that plays a big part in how long concrete can last is the way it is designed. When you look at old structures from the past you will notice that they have thicker columns, beams and slabs that give a better superior support to the structure. The big problem today is that developers are more concerned with expenses and reducing cost that they sacrifice quality and sometimes designing slabs that are not as thick as they should to last longer.

Another invisible factor to durability has to do with the building foundation. In order for buildings to last longer the foundation has to be deep and strong and set in ground soil that is able to support heavy structures.

At Builtridge Concrete we always reinforce our concrete projects with 3500 PSI and fiber just to add more strength and durability than your typical concrete contractor.

Contact Builtridge Concrete Solutions if you have any questions!