ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Types of concrete

Concrete is like having a big box of legos. It's made up of different materials that are all put together to create something strong and sturdy.

First, there is regular concrete, which is made up of cement, sand, and gravel. Think of this like a basic lego set with only a few different shapes and colors.

Then, there is reinforced concrete, which is made up of regular concrete plus steel bars. The steel bars act like extra support beams to make the concrete even stronger. This is like adding more legos to your set to make your structure even bigger and sturdier.

Next, there is prestressed concrete, which is similar to reinforced concrete but the steel bars are put under tension before the concrete is poured over them. This makes the concrete even stronger and more resistant to bending or cracking. Think of this like flexing your muscles before lifting something really heavy.

Lastly, there is fiber-reinforced concrete, which is regular concrete with tiny fibers added to it. These fibers can be made of things like glass or plastic and help to prevent cracking by absorbing some of the stress. Think of this like adding some super strong tape to your legos to keep them from breaking apart.

So just like how there are different lego sets with different pieces, there are different types of concrete with different materials or techniques used to create them.