Construction Cores
Construction cores, also known as construction tubes, are a type of spiral-wound cardboard (wood pulp fiber) tube used primarily in construction. Construction cores are also useful in small commercial and DIY home improvement applications. In construction, they assist in forming load bearing concrete columns. The load bearing columns they help make are used in all sorts of applications, including foundationing (concrete piles), and highway support.
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Construction Core Design and Function
Construction cores act as a mold into which workers can pour liquid concrete. They are strong and stable enough to hold and pressurize the liquid concrete. Once manufacturers have poured the concrete inside the construction core, the workers let it sit until the concrete cures. Then, they can either remove the cardboard core or leave it on. To assist them in their endeavors, customers may purchase construction cores in a wide variety of lengths, diameters, and thicknesses. Note that the thicker the core, the stronger the resulting column. Cardboard core manufacturers accommodate not only varying size requirements but also specific concrete related requirements. Specifically, they often line the inside wall of their construction cores with a water resistant layer, such as wax. They do this to keep water inside the concrete, where it helps keep it strong as it cures.
Benefits of Using Construction Cores
Construction cores offer construction workers many benefits over traditional concrete forming methods. Its big draw is its simplicity. It is straightforward, easy to execute, and effective. The longest part is curing, which takes around 24 hours. Another great thing about construction cores is that they are easy to cut down to size. Also, in general, provided they have not been soiled by the concrete, cardboard cores are recyclable. Similarly, construction cores are made using low impact processes, so they are much more gentle on the environment than other tools. Learn more about your construction core options by checking out those manufacturers we’ve listed on this page.