The differences between heat-resistant concrete and ordinary commercial concrete are significant. Heat-resistant concrete is a type of fire-resistant material, while commercial concrete is a building structural material. The raw materials, processes, mixtures, and ways of cementation are completely different. Moreover, the industries they are used in are also different. Ordinary commercial concrete is suitable for buildings, floors, and roads. Heat-resistant concrete and fire-resistant bricks have the same pore structure, and they are used in the high-temperature parts of industrial kilns as internal linings.
Ordinary commercial concrete only withstands normal temperatures and can be used when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees; while heat-resistant concrete is specifically used in high-temperature conditions, and it does not crack or fall off. It is commonly used in conditions ranging from 300 to 1400 degrees Celsius.
There are also significant differences in construction, mixing, and curing. Ordinary commercial concrete is mixed directly in the mixing station tanker during transportation and is directly vibrated and sprinkled with water at the construction site after that, and can be used without the need for heating and drying in an oven. However, heat-resistant concrete requires the sand particles and binders to be separately packaged and can only be mixed on-site using a forced mixer for 5 minutes, then a certain proportion of drinking water is added, and the formwork is erected for vibration construction. After 1-2 days of demolding, there should be a reasonable drying process with a temperature rising from low to high for 5-7 days before it can be put into use.
In addition, due to different raw materials, the cost and price also vary greatly. Ordinary commercial concrete is cheaper, while heat-resistant concrete uses aluminum silicate sand, powder, and high-alumina cement as binders, and its price is several times or even ten times that of ordinary commercial concrete.
Therefore, in engineering, one should select based on the requirements, not based on price or just listening to the name. Also, do not blindly mix half of the raw materials of heat-resistant concrete or half of the construction methods of ordinary commercial concrete to confuse and mix them, to avoid unnecessary losses.