Polymers in concrete fall into the three categories of polymer concrete, polymer modified cement concrete, and polymer impregnated cement concrete. The first of these incorporates no water or cement, but a binder which comprises a two pack system of resin and hardener. The resulting material can be cured quickly or slowly to produce a range of textures from rubber-like to glassy. Epoxy and polyester resins are most commonly used, with acrylics beginning to catch up. Brighton Polytechnic's civil engineering department, headed by Barry Staynes, is conducting research into the properties of polymer concretes. These materials are not cheap, costing up to six times as much as traditional concrete in terms of pure materials. By the time they are placed in the structure, they are probably only twice as expensive as traditional concrete. Cost of polymer concretes must however, be appraised in the light of their advantages.
