Concrete work is one of the most demanding jobs in the building trades because it requires a lot of lifting ad bending. Before ready-mix concrete was available, concrete was mixed in small batches, and it could be hard to get each one the same. Now, with concrete mixed offsite and delivered in large amounts, the consistency, and quality of the concrete is higher, and the entire process of mixing on-site no longer slows down the process.

Buying Concrete

When concrete is necessary for a job you are doing, ordering ready-mix concrete, mixed by a concrete plant operator and delivered in trucks carrying several yards at a time, is typical. Precise measurements allow the plant operator to get the same mix each time.

The concrete is still batch-mixed, but the batch size is larger, and the plant operator can tailor the mix to your situation. If a load is delivered that is too dry, the next batch can have more water in the mix. 

Additives can also be mixed in at the mixing plant, so the concrete is always ready to pour when the truck arrives at the job site. Ready-mix concrete can save time and reduce the need for additional materials on the job site.

Specialty Mixes

When working with concrete for a floor or foundation, there may be a specific mix required for additional strength and durability. In some cases, the designs for the building will have concrete requirements, so working with a ready-mix supplier to make the concrete to the engineering specs is crucial.

In this situation, the batches of concrete coming to the job site must be the same if you need one yard or one hundred. The ready-mix concrete supplier can create a recipe for your concrete and mix it each time they send another truck to the site. 

Modern concrete plants use computers and large scales to determine the amount of each item going into the mix, so you get the best quality material every time. A concrete pour over several days can benefit from this precision, and if the humidity or weather changes, the concrete plant operator can adjust the mix on the fly to compensate. 

Ready-mix concrete is often the best solution for any job taking up more than a few yards of concrete. Having the ability to pour from the truck or use a concrete pump truck on the job can speed up the work and make it easier to get high-quality concrete work with half the amount of labor that was required in the past.

Reach out to a company like Southport Concrete Corp to learn more.