Asset Management: Keys to Maximizing Return on Investment in Concrete Assets

By Edward Faust, Ross Smith & Joseph Greiner

According to the Global Cement and Concrete Association, concrete is the most used man-made material on the planet. This should come as no surprise. Its strength, durability, resilience, safety and affordability have contributed to its use in much of the world that surrounds us, from the roads and bridges that we travel to homes, offices, residential and commercial buildings. These attributes have also made concrete a key and quite ubiquitous component of water infrastructure, from water storage tanks to water and wastewater treatment plants.

Successfully maintaining concrete assets requires not only a lot of experience with this material but also a keen understanding of its unique nature and the factors that can impact its performance. It is made up of many different components: cement, water, aggregates such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, etc., and often, admixtures used for various functions such as reducing the required water content for a concrete mixture, modifying the setting rate of concrete, or inhibiting corrosion. This makes concrete a remarkably interesting and specialized construction material.