The architect today is both an artist and an engineer who must synthesis his architectural ideas with scientific knowledge of design and construction of civil structures. He must be conversant with the available resources in labour, techniques and materials to produce a harmonious, durable and functional structure in lime with his architectural concept. Architecture has always been constrained by the availability of materials and restricted by techniques of design and construction.

Discovery of newer materials of construction along with the development of sophisticated design and construction technology, steel framed super structures and reinforced and pre-stressed concrete have provided the architect an unlimited scope to use their creative imagination to put up structures which not only display architectural elegance but also need the functional requirements without jeopardizing structural safety in any manner.

Almost all the buildings cropping up in the recent times are either steel or reinforced concrete structures. Cement concrete can be considered as one of the significant building materials available today. The cement concrete is a mixture of cement, sand pebbles or crushed rock and water, which when placed in the skeleton of forms and allowed to cure becomes hard like stone.

The cement concrete has attained the status of a major building material in all branches of modern construction because of the following reasons. It can be readily moulded into durable structural items of various sizes and shapes. It is possible to control the properties of cement concrete within a wide range by using appropriate ingredients. It possesses adequate plasticity for the mechanical working.

The concrete is designated in seven grades viz., M10, M15, M20, M25, M30, M35 and M40. The letter M refers to the mix and the number indicates the specific compressive strength of that mix at 28 days.

Concrete is used most extensively for foundation and pavements. However there are many forms of concrete building systems, some of which are unique to the material. Domes shells and folded plates can be built in forms that only concrete can accomplish.

Concrete has high compressive strength and is free from corrosion. There is no appreciable effect of atmospheric agents on it. It hardens with age and the process of hardening continues for a long time after the concrete has attained sufficient strength. Concrete is proved to be more economical than steel.

Prefabrication is an advanced and upto date method of reinforced concrete construction. Prefabrication means that the structure is disunited into members and these are pre-cast either in factories built and equipped particularly for this purpose or in temporary plants established on the site. Then the pre-cast RCC members are shifted to the lace where they are to be used. Here they are hoisted and assembled to form a complete structure.

Building industry without cement concrete is unimaginable. Today the whole of the world is dotted with magnificent concrete structures that will stand for centuries.