Have you ever wondered why concrete is often delivered to construction sites in wet form? Or why some types of concrete are much heavier than others?
If so, then this blog post is for you! We’ll explore the differences between wet and dry concrete and explain how each type impacts the weight of a finished product.
Just to get it out of the way, not all types of concrete have the same weight when it’s dry. It all depends on the composition of the concrete mix, among many factors. Weight differs with the number of ingredients added, their rations, the amount of air, density, and more.
When it comes to wet concrete, it can be made up of not only the same ingredients that are used in dry concrete, but also may contain water as well—hence why it’s often delivered to construction sites in its wet form.
This type of mixture is heavier because of the added moisture content, which increases the weight significantly. Even when the same types of concrete are used, wet concrete will always be heavier than dry concrete.
To add to this difference in weight, there is also a slight difference in the weight of cured concrete from wet concrete. Cured concrete may weigh about 2,400 kg per cubic meter in the metric system unit. Imperial and US customary measurement systems will weigh about 4,050 lbs. per cubic yard, which is approximately 150 lbs. every cubic foot.
Various types of concrete with weight are discussed below showing the difference between different types of concrete:
| Type Of Concrete | Weight |
|---|---|
| Plain/Simple Concrete | Weighs about 150 lbs / cubic feet because of the presence of denser aggregates in the natural state. |
| Normal Strength Concrete | 140 to 150 lbs / cubic feet |
| Reinforced Concrete R.C.C | 156 lbs / cubic feet |
| Prestressed Concrete | 153 lbs / cubic feet |
| Precast Concrete | 150 to 156 lbs / cubic feet |
| Lightweight Concrete | 20 to 120 lbs / cubic feet classed according to unit weight or density |
| High-density concrete | 210 to 240 lbs / cubic feet |
| Air-Entrained Concrete | 137 to 144 lbs / cubic feet according to the size of the aggregate (9.5 to 19 mm) |
| Ready Mix Concrete | 133 to 134 lbs / cubic feet |
| Polymer Concrete | 148 to 153 lbs / cubic feet |
| Self consolidated concrete | 101 to 104 lbs / cubic feet |
| Shotcrete concrete | 26 to 27 lbs / cubic feet |
| Pervious Concrete | 100 to 125 lbs / cubic feet |
| Vacuum Concrete | 110 to 150 lbs / cubic feet |
| Pumped Concrete | 133 lbs / cubic feet |
| Stamped concrete | 150 lbs / cubic feet |
| Limecrete | 156 lbs / cubic feet |
| Asphalt concrete | 140 lbs / cubic feet |
| Roller Compacted Concrete | 15 to 22 lbs / cubic feet |
| Glass Concrete | 156 lbs / cubic feet |
Why Do Wet and Dry Concrete Weigh Differently?
The main reason for the difference in weight between wet and dry concrete is the water content. Water has its own mass, so the more water is present, the heavier it will be. Moreover, wet concrete requires more water to produce a workable mix, which increases the weight even further.
However, once the concrete is cured and the water content has been reduced, the weight will come down significantly. This weight may still slightly be different when compared to dry concrete – but not much.
In the beginning, there might be a significant difference in terms of the weight, but at the end of the curing process, the weight difference between wet and dry concrete becomes almost negligible.
To simply explain this process, think of it this way: whenever you pour dry concrete to a surface that covers one yard, add water to it and stir it to make a workable mix. Obviously, you’ll get more weight compared to the bag of concrete weight that you began with.
But the key is that most of the water will be used during the curing procedure or evaporate eventually. Water usage leaves dried cured concrete slightly less than wet concrete.
It is because concrete is the amalgamation of aggregates, cement, sand, and eventually water. Water brings all items together in the concrete through a particular chemical reaction known as hydration.
As a result, water causes concrete to stay hard by combining compounds found in the concrete and forming chemical bonds. Concrete weighs about 3,900 pounds every cubic yard but can go down to about 3,500 pounds every cubic yard after drying or curing completes.
Does All Concrete Weigh the Same: Final Thoughts
Concluding, different types of concrete have different weights that may include cement, limestone, lightweight cement, gravel, etc. The weight also depends on how concrete is being sold, where it is sold, the type of concrete, and where it originally came from.
Every company that manufactures concrete mix provides a slight difference in weight. This difference can be due to the amount of water added and the amount or type of aggregates included. Moreover, it all depends on the ratio of cement, sand, and other ingredients that are used in the concrete mix.
When it comes to wet versus dry concrete, wet concrete is always heavier than dry because it has more water content present. This extra weight can be reduced as the concrete cures and dries until it reaches its final cured weight.
Ultimately, there are various factors that affect the weight of concrete – making it important to always measure and weigh your concrete batches for accuracy.
