How to Use Ready Mix Concrete

Ready mix concrete, Ready mix concrete industry, Ready mix concrete construction

Concrete can be an enormous hassle to mix and pour. Whether it’s for a home renovation project or for use on a construction site, it’s often too much trouble to make yourself. Ready mix concrete comes pre-mixed and ready to pour. The ready mix supplier makes the concrete and drives a truckload to the project site where it is then poured and set up by skilled workers. It saves you time and you can avoid the trial-and-error process of pouring the concrete yourself.

Instructions

1- Use a concrete calculator to calculate how much concrete you’ll need for your project. You can find a link to an online concrete calculator in the Resource section below.

2- Make a list of possible suppliers for your ready mix concrete. You can check in your local Yellow Pages under “Concrete – Ready Mixed”, or online at yellowpages.com. There is also a link in the Resource section to concrete supply companies across America.

3- Determine your price range before ordering. A budget keeps you from overspending. According to the Concrete Network, you’ll want to consider the price of the concrete, grading, subbase, forms and finishing and the reinforcements.

4- Check that a truck can access the area where you need the ready mix concrete poured. The site should not have extremely soft ground where the vehicle will get stuck, be at a steep angle the truck cannot climb or descend, or have a path or road that is too narrow for a large truck.

5- Call your chosen suppliers and discuss what your needs are. Ask them what their recommendations are for your project, how long the job will take, when they can start the job, and what they estimate the job will cost.

6- Choose a company from those you called and schedule a time for them to visit. They will send someone to the building site to evaluate the project.

7- Go over your needs again with them during the visit and compare your results from the concrete calculator with their estimates of how much concrete you’ll need. Ask again about pricing, and discuss the type of concrete mixture needed for your project. Ask what their “lead time” is. Lead time is the number of days they’ll need to prepare before they can make your delivery.

8- Check the weather forecast and schedule the delivery for a clear, sunny day.

9- Order your ready mix concrete delivery when you are satisfied with the supplier and your choice of concrete. You’ll need to tell them how much you need, what type, when and where it should be delivered, and how far apart the trucks should arrive if you need more than one.