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What is concrete?

Concrete is a building material made from cement, sand, gravel and water. Cement is an ingredient, while concrete is the combined material. For a concrete job, distinguish setting from curing and ask which strength is specified at 28 days or another stated testing age.

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Updated

What this means for your home project

  1. Mark cement as an ingredient on your material list, and concrete as the mixture containing sand, gravel and water. Source: National Park Service, read 2026-11-06.
  2. Request a written curing plan that states how moisture and temperature will be maintained after placement. Source: American Concrete Institute, read 2026-11-06.
  3. Ask the contractor to put the concrete strength-testing age in the written scope; compare that age with the construction documents. Source: American Concrete Institute, read 2026-11-06.
  4. For a home floor slab in a cold climate, request a drawing showing where slab-edge insulation will go. Source: Building America Solution Center, read 2026-11-06.
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What is the difference between cement and concrete?

Cement is one ingredient; concrete combines cement with sand, gravel and water. The National Park Service describes concrete as a "man-made material" (read 2026-11-06). For a material list, distinguish the cement ingredient from the complete mixture rather than treating the two words as interchangeable. (source)

“Concrete is a man-made material composed of cement, sand, gravel, and water.” (source)

What is reinforced concrete?

Reinforced concrete uses steel to help resist pulling forces. The National Park Service contrasts concrete’s strong resistance to compression with "much lower tensile strength" (read 2026-11-06). Tensile strength means resistance to pulling; the steel helps compensate for that limitation. (source)

“The resulting product has excellent compressive strength, but much lower tensile strength.” (source) “Reinforcing concrete with steel helps compensate for this limitation.” (source)

What is curing?

Curing helps newly placed concrete develop its properties by controlling moisture and temperature. ACI describes the aim as "strength and low permeability" (read 2026-11-06): a stronger internal structure that resists water passage. Ask how the concrete will be kept moist and protected during this stage. (source)

“During early curing, the internal structure of the concrete is built up to provide strength and low permeability.” (source)

What are the major factors affecting time of setting?

Concrete setting time changes with temperature: warmer concrete sets sooner. ACI says setting time decreases as "temperature is increased" (read 2026-11-06). Cement composition, the proportion of water to cementitious material, and admixtures also affect the setting schedule, so ask which conditions the placement plan assumes. (source)

“Time of setting decreases as the temperature is increased.” (source)

What does “28-day strength” refer to?

Concrete’s 28-day strength is a test-age reference for resistance to compression. ACI’s explanation of section 19.2.1.3 of ACI 318-19 uses 28-day results unless construction documents specify otherwise (read 2026-11-06). Early results monitor strength gain and are "not commonly used for acceptance purposes"; ask for the specified testing age. (source)

“The 28-day compressive strength is a widely accepted strength index, especially for initial design.” Source: Federal Highway Administration, read 2026-11-06. “However, 3- and 7-day test results are not commonly used for acceptance purposes.” (source)

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