8x8x16 Cement Blocks
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They are cement blocks, concrete is a mixture of cements and agregate materials such as rocks, steel rods, and any materials added to strenthen or materials used as a fill. Gravel stones used in concrete are stronger than the cement used, but overal does not add strenth to the structure. It is used a a fill because it is a cheaper material than cement. As the concrete is fractured it is the cement material that will break first.
HAMSTER INSPECTOR said:
Cement is the powder that is used to make concrete (the binder). Typically concrete is made of cement, 3/4" angular limestone, and graded sand. (They also put in cement replacements such as fly ash (increases workability), silica fume (finer than cement to create concretes resistant to chloride penetration), and slag cement,
If the blocks were pure cement, they'd be rediculously expensive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit
Concrete does not contain steel rods. For example, concrete sidewalks are not reinforced, nor do they contain anything other than what comes off the back of the truck. With steel rods is known as "reinforced concrete" since concrete is very poor in tension (but excellent in compression) so you add 400 MPA deformed bars to create a composite section wherein the steel reinforcing is placed in the tension zones.
Interchanging the words "Cement" and "concrete" happens all the time. But they are not the same.
