It can, but not all cement and concrete mixes do. While asbestos was once used in a whole slew of applications, usually it is – not- found in most poured concrete. (Most. There are always exceptions and one should always get a material tested before demolishing.). Asbestos was found in cement building materials such as Pipe cement, mortars, Transite and wallboard systems, and If asbestos is to be found in cement, it’s typically in a building material. It is commonly seen in pipe cement, as well as in concrete/cement mixture that’s found within transite or wall board systems, or even as ‘asbestos brick’ in the United States. In other countries, it can be commonly found in ‘pressed concrete’ wall boards, and other materials. Basically , if you’re doing renovations and need to destroy any of the following :
Some of the standard cement ACMs were:
- Powder for masonry mortar and binding cement.
- Foundation and building support cement.
- Cement roofing, flooring and siding materials.
- Pressure pipe and drainage products.
- Gutters and downspouts.
- Fire control bricks, chimney flues, and heat shields.
- Asbestos-cement sheets.
- Insulation and acoustic inhibitors.
- Roofs- typically on industrial or farmyard buildings.
- Flat sheets for house walls and ceilings
- Battens used to cover the joints in fibro sheets.
- “Super Six” corrugated roof sheeting and fencing.
- Internal wet area sheeting, “Tilux”
- Pipes of various sizes for water reticulation and drainage. Drainage pipes tend to be made of pitch fibre, with asbestos cement added to strengthen.[7]
- Moulded products ranging from plant pots, roofing, to outdoor telephone cabinet roofs and cable pits.
Or if you find work or currently work, or have worked in one of these fields :
- Bricklayers and masons.
- Foundation contractors.
- Renovation and demolition specialists.
- Siding, roofing and flooring installers.
- Plumbers, pipefitters and boilermakers.
- Shipyard and dockworkers.
Remember :
Asbestos is microscopic, and it’s impossible to tell if a material contains it without having PLM bulk sampling. Even if you aren’t dealing with Asbestos when handling concrete, you should remember that there are other safety risks involved, and use precaution. Respirable Silica is potentially just as hazardous as asbestos, and silica -is- in all concrete type materials.
