Contemporary Concrete Structures and Designs

Many people think of concrete as an industrial or heavily commercial material. When many people think about concrete structures, images of parking lots, malls, and government buildings come to mind. Contrary to this belief, concrete is being used on some of the most modern, innovative structures on the planet. In fact, contemporary designers are even designing residential homes with bare concrete siding. Here is just a sample of contemporary innovations and uses for concrete.

Inflatable Buildings

Engineers have developed a way to create an inflatable concrete structure. As bizarre as it sounds, the structure is crafted from a concrete “fabric” material. The material starts in a dry form, is then inflated with air, and then moistened with water to precipitate the hardening of the structure. The chemical reaction between this fabric material and the water, like traditional concrete, hardens the shell.  While this technology is very much in its infancy, the potential applications are truly worth watching.

Underground Homes

The trend of survival prepping and “bunker” homes has indeed had an impact on the concrete market. In fact, outside of heartier materials such as steel and titanium, concrete is the material of choice for many underground homes. Not all underground homes are bunkers. Many contemporary designers create partially and fully underground concrete homes for their energy efficiency and ultra-modern aesthetic.

Contemporary Concrete Residences

Because of the strong minimalist aesthetic of many contemporary home designers, bare concrete homes are making a comeback. The sleek, complete silhouette of a solid concrete home is perfectly suited for the modern look. In addition to fully concrete residences, more and more homes are using concrete floors for their energy efficiency and excellent heat retention/distribution.

The Conco Companies are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products.  While we tackle projects both big and small, our experience includes providing the entire cast-in-place concrete for the Wilshire Grand, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, along with other notable projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Source:  asce.org/magazine/20151013-innovative-concrete-building-inflates/