Small Concrete Projects
Concrete is used in so many kinds of buildings, homes and other structures that it is difficult to name one that doesn’t use concrete. Concrete can be paired up with wood, stone, steel and glass to make the project even more interesting and attractive. This list does not even include other uses like roads, dams and stadiums. The list goes on and on.
Fortunately, a building concrete project does not have to be enormous to use concrete. Small and large companies of all sorts, and many homeowners, have small concrete buildings and farm constructs outside the main residence or commercial center. Feeding and watering troughs and dairy floors are examples of concrete structures on farms.
Sheds, garages, parking lots and guard houses are smaller commercial concrete projects. Multilevel parking garages can be found in many places throughout most cities to conserve space and house more cars on a daily basis. Even historic areas can hide two, three or four level parking garages behind older buildings. This way, people have access to attractions and the restored, historic era buildings can be viewed as they were in the past.
Recreational sites also need concrete structures. Baseball fields need dugouts and press boxes, depending on the size of the field. Little league, softball, semipro and professional teams have dugouts and most need press boxes. Press boxes are usually contained within a stadium at a professional baseball field, but other fields have small, two-story buildings sited to provide a good view for announcers and reporters.
Commercial swimming pools are concrete of course, and come in all sizes for residences and public parks. High schools and colleges usually have swimming pools for teams and intramural games. Some communities have one large pool for the neighborhood, supported by the homeowners’ association.
Homes have various sizes of pools, now, that include lap pools, plunge pools and pools with waterfalls. Many also have cabanas beside the pool for changing clothes or for actual housing, depending on the size of the cabana. Patios and outdoor kitchens are often made of concrete as well, and outdoor barbecues are ever popular.
Another small, but very important, concrete structure is the outdoor restroom. Almost every public venue has to have public restrooms, by law, somewhere on the premises. Parks, athletic fields, stadiums and non-residential swimming pools must have bathrooms. RV and recreational trailer parks also need to provide bathrooms with public access. Let’s face it, the wooden ones deteriorate faster, and the concrete ones feel safer.
Another popular, small, concrete building is the concession stand. All the places that must have public restrooms usually have concessions as well. You can’t have concession stands without bathrooms, so plan on both when you’re building recreational facilities. Little league fields and other outdoor athletic venues usually have both. People like to eat, and you know what follows.
Why use concrete on such small buildings? Lately, damaging winds and storms have affected many areas of the country. Strongly built facilities stand a much better chance of survival, and concrete is a good way to reduce risk. Build once and, hopefully, avoid rebuilding.
Other small outbuildings include electrical and mechanical stations set apart from any other structures. Small buildings are often sited beside large utility constructs, like water or electric processing stations. Pump houses and storage facilities also need to be housed in dependable materials. HazMat storage of chemicals most certainly needs to be in a secure facility to prevent leakage, even if it is a small amount of chemical waste.
Storage buildings for nonlethal items are often made of concrete and can be built as small, individually leased or owned units. This may be preferable to one long, multi-unit structure for better security; it’s all relative.
Sometimes small offices are needed in remote areas, or just because large offices are not needed. Radio stations often have a small building beside a tower out in the middle of nowhere. Concrete can be made to look like brick or stone, so it can look like almost any style of building. A business owner can represent a company with his or her preferred architectural facade and still have a strong, well-built structure.
Small concrete project structures are affordable and strong. They can be adapted for many different uses and endure for the long run. Build once and avoid rebuilding.
