Concrete
Non-professional users of concrete need to know a few things about concrete before they choose to work with our product.
Fresh, unhardened concrete is very alkaline, and can cause severe alkali burns to your skin and eyes. The bleed water is particularly alkali, and you need to change any clothes that get soaked with this water quickly. Wash exposed skin with soap and water.
Our trucks and drivers deliver the concrete, and while the are very helpful, it is completely your responsibility to get the concrete in the forms, spread and worked down. You need to have the proper equipment and people on hand to get the job done. If your job requires a 2 inch slump and you need every section of chute, you are going to need some men to rake the mix down the chute. We are happy to help, but we are not the contractor.
When you order concrete, err on the side of ordering too much. Most people make the biggest mistake measuring the depth of their forms. Measure at more than one place, and measure out in the middle of the pour. If you are pouring on #57 crushed stone, add 1/2 “ of depth. The greater the area of your pour, the more critical an accurate depth becomes. Just a 1/4” depth error on a 25’x50’ pour is a 1cy shortage.
Broom finished concrete is a lot easier to succeed with than smoothly finished concrete, so try that first. Use retarder and give yourself some extra time, too.
Concrete will always crack, and most wire mesh never gets placed in the right place. Use fibers.
Perhaps you have heard of flyash, a material used in concrete as a substitute for cement. Flyash enhances the finishibility of the mix and decreases permeability. Flyash comes from coal-fired electric power plants, and while its use in concrete is desirable, it can cause production problems particularly with maintaining consistent air content.
We can also add color to concrete, some are economical, some are quite expensive.