Cement is one of the most widely used and known construction materials worldwide. When mixed with other ingredients, it forms concrete, rock-solid in its hardened state. Could you imagine concrete without the addition of cement and could it work? This course introduces you to other binders that you can use in place of Portland cement and still produce strong concrete. Firstly, we will take you through the basics of mixing concrete, the procedures and methods applied and the types of mixers used in the process. We discuss ready-mixed concrete and shotcrete. We examine the composition of shotcrete, its applications and its characteristics in detail. Study a special type of concrete known as ‘high-strength concrete’, together with the materials used to make it and its purpose and advantages over standard strength concrete. We present its characteristics along with its design process. Then you will discover polymers, a type of materials that you can use in place of cement or alongside cement to improve concrete properties, chemical reaction processes and polymer concrete applications.

The course then investigates the importance of improving the quality of cover concrete and the role of formwork towards this objective. Learn the different types of formwork and their specific applications. We will take you through the compaction process, the various types of compaction and the effects of improper compaction. Understand why too much compaction is bad for concrete and why you should avoid this. We examine precast concrete (PCC) and the steps involved in its preparation and construction. We reveal the methods used to cure PCC and compare PCC's advantages over ordinary concrete. Did you know that you could reuse waste materials salvaged from construction and demolitions to build new structures? Learn how to separate valuable materials from non-recyclable materials. The quality of the recycled materials differs so learn how to handle this limitation to ensure that the resulting structure is robust and structurally sound.

We cannot overemphasise the importance of special concrete. It is essential for use under particular circumstances and environments. Professionals in the construction industry should therefore understand its use, preparation and characteristics. This knowledge ensures that building practitioners remain versatile, adaptive and capable of handling projects under any circumstance. Furthermore, knowledge and skills in recycling construction waste are helpful, especially in today's world, where we need to take care of the environment for sustainability purposes. If you are a professional in the building and construction industry and would like to enrich your skills or refresh your knowledge or aspire to join the field as a contractor, engineer, technician, artisan or in any other capacity, this course is for you. So do not hesitate: start the course now!