Concrete is a mixture of cement, aggregates, water and admixture and it is obtained by three easy ways.
- Portland cement, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, water and admixture are mixed at the site manually or in the concrete mixture machine.
- Readymade Pre-mix bags of concrete ingredients are purchased and water is added to it at the time of pouring of concrete and all ingredients are well mixed together manually or mechanically.
- Ready mix concrete in which concrete ingredients are first weighted in way batcher and mixed at the batching plant and then it is delivered at site at the specified time.
First and second ways are favorable for small repair or small work like one cubic meter or cubic yard concrete. But, for large works like foundations, slabs, etc., Ready mix concrete (third way) is more suitable and beneficial.
In last 15 years, the growth of ready mix concrete is remarkable and it would be more prudent to view the developments positively. Nowadays ready mix concrete has made a place for itself throughout the world. More and more people are now aware of it and they suggest other people to use it and this scenario will accelerate the future growth of the ready mix concrete in the world, and particularly in developing country.
Also Read:
What is the Workability of Fresh Concrete?
Segregation of Concrete: Types and Causes
What is Bleeding in Concrete?
However, before you buy ready mix concrete from local RMC dealer or producer, it is necessary to understand following tricks and tips.
(A) Personnel Requirements
Nowadays, ready mix concrete is widely used in construction. Ready mix concrete becomes need for those houses, which requires high strength structural member for the long-term stability.
01. Need or Desire
Have you ever Think why you need Ready Mix Concrete?
The ready mix concrete requires less man-power, time, efforts and cost as compared to the ordinary concrete mix. Ready mix concrete helps to maintain uniform quality throughout the work. Ready mix concrete helps to avoid the problems like poor workability, segregation and bleeding, improper water cement ratio, inadequate mixing time which we face in the traditional concrete mixing done at site. Hence, it becomes a great solution for high speed and heavy concrete works.
Please note that use of RMC should be need in term of above parameters and not a mere desire for some automation or mechanization particularly for small scattered projects.
What and when Actually you Want to Buy?
Ready Mix Concrete is generally defined by their grade i.e. M15, M20, M25, M30, M40, etc. Each Grade of concrete is used for the specific work and depending upon the quantity of work, you can randomly choose particular grade of the concrete. I.e. M10 or M15 for the PCC work (levelling course, and bedding for footings) and M20, M25, M30 for the RCC work of the foundation, column, slab-beam, etc. Remember that when you select the grade of concrete for any work, make sure it is a right grade for that particular work. Normally the structural designer specify the grade of concrete as it is directly concerned with structural design.
The grade of concrete should satisfy the basic minimum needs i.e. if you want to pour a foundation slab, beam, column, etc., then the grade of concrete should satisfy the criteria of strength. In the same case, if you order higher grade of concrete or it has higher strength than the required one or it possesses more properties than the required then it may cost you more.
If you want to buy ready mix concrete for constructing a new house, it is advisable to use the designed ready mix concrete as suggested by the reputed structural designers or concrete experts.
Is there any Warranty/ Guarantee Provided on Ready Mix Concrete?
Many times, what the RMC dealer represents to you and what is actually manufactured by them and what is understood by you are totally different. Ultimately what is written on the RMC delivery ticket and the results of cube testing at 28 days will be final and will prevail.
Buying ready mix concrete is a tricky job. You should know the basic information’s while booking RMC. We have already described “how to order a ready mix concrete“. It will provide you the basic necessary information on RMC.
Also find out whether the manufacturer has all testing labs facilities, certification like IS/ANSI/ASTM.
(B) Finance
How much Budget do you need for Buying Ready Mix Concrete?
Before constructing a new house, every individual decides and plan the budget for each and every item. But, in case of concrete, one cannot ignore the cost. Your home need strength to stay strong during the service life and the strength is achieved by providing a minimum amount of concrete and steel to the foundation, column, slab, beam, etc. Hence, it is advisable that you do not compromise with the cost of ready-mix concrete. When you are buying so many items at a time, budget is to be viewed in totality as compared to your overall budget of the home.
How much Quantity of Ready Mix Concrete you want to Buy?
You should estimate the right quantity of ready mix concrete that you want to buy. If you know the exact quantity of RMC, you are in a right position to bargain with the producer. You can also reduce the wastage of ready mix concrete at site and you can save the excess cost of wastage. As per the expert’s opinion, in most of the cases, lump sum quantity of RMC will always result in the wastage or shortage of materials at the site.
Where is Ready Mix Concrete Available or From where to Buy?
You must search for the right seller/manufacturer of ready mix concrete and their location. You can find the list of local ready mix concrete dealers from the internet or yellow pages or find below.
What is the Cost of Transportation of Ready Mix Concrete?
Generally, the cost of transportation of RMC is included in the cost of one cubic meter or cubic yard of concrete but sometimes producers charge the transportation cost separately. They also charge when you delay the unloading of transits mixture at a site. Hence, it is advisable to discuss all the terms and condition of work before you order a ready mix concrete.
(C) Quality and Brands
Do you know which major Companies Provide Ready Mix Concrete?
Following are list of major ready-mix concrete companies which provides concrete.
- Cemex
- LafargeHolcim
- Heidelberg Cement
- Buzzi Unicem
- US Concrete
- Votorantim
- Siam Cement Group
- CRH plc
- Cimpor
- China Resources Cement Limited
- Sika
(D) Testing
Do you know which tests are to be performed to evaluate the quality and strength of concrete?
Majorly concrete can be tested by the slump test and cube test. Slump test helps to know the workability and cube test helps to know the strength of concrete. Nowadays concrete is mostly used overall in the world so it is better to learn the procedure of concrete slump test and cube test to achieve a good quality of work. The test results will help you to know whether you are buying the right material or not.
Conclusion
Manufacturing of Ready mix concrete is highly mechanized and/or fully automatic and hence a probability of errors at site is minimum. Ready mix concrete has gained acceptance in the Indian industry due to several advantages including overall quality control and economy. As a homeowner, buying ready mix concrete is a tricky job but not an impossible job. Aforementioned FAQ of ready mix concrete will help you to buy ready mix concrete.
But keep in mind the major factors i.e. select the right supplier, place a written order, and check the quality of ready mix concrete before you pour it on the site. Once you are satisfied with the quality as well as the quantity both, honour the payment as per the contract and obtain a receipt of payment. Preserve the receipt of payments for long term period as you may need it in future.