Preparation of concrete and the secrets of its quality

The preparation of concrete can be done manually and with a concrete mixer. When it is necessary to prepare a small amount of the mixture, it is best to mix everything by hand.

In order to measure the right amount of materials, it is most convenient to use two large buckets. One of them must be adapted for cement, and the second one should be used for sand and large aggregate. Shovels most conveniently also use two.

The preparation of concrete manually requires maximum precision when measuring the number of ingredients. To do this, it is best to monitor the level according to the bucket edge. When filling the tank with cement or sand, you need to compact the loose particles by tapping along the side wall. Mix the material best with shovels.

With regard to the mechanical method, the preparation of concrete in this case implies the use of cyclic action concrete mixers, which differ in the way they mix the constituent ingredients.

The mixture in the concrete mixer should be stirred for several minutes. Then you need to tilt the mechanism so as to pour a little mixture into the wheelbarrow, thus checking its readiness. The drum should not be stopped at the same time.

If you need to know how to make concrete for the foundation, you need to read this in detail. So, as a filler it is better to use rubble or sand. The proportions are as follows: sand-cement - 3: 1, and sand-rubble - 3 (4): 1. As for water, it should be added with extreme caution. The fact is that concrete, which is most optimal when building a foundation, must be plastic. Because the material is stacked, but not poured. Therefore, the higher the degree of rigidity, the stronger will be the foundation as a result.

Note that if you are preparing concrete using wet materials (after rain, for example), then you should know that they already contain about 20% of the liquid. Therefore, it is necessary to add only 80%, and not 100%.

Note that in the production of concrete , the storage life of cement is of great importance. The longer it is stored, the lower its mark, which automatically reduces the quality of concrete.

The preparation of a concrete mix requires appropriate storage of materials. So, if you have sand left, it needs to be stored in the same container in which you bought it. Bulk components should be kept separately from each other, and they should be placed on a hard surface or a thick polyethylene film. And on top of this heap should be covered with the same film and secure with a load.

Storage of cement requires more stringent conditions. So, paper bags with this component should be put on a pallet, which is placed on the bars. So they will not touch the ground. The most optimal storage space is a dry shed or garage. If there is no possibility to place cement in the premises, it must be covered with polyethylene film and fixed with bricks. If the package with cement is not used completely, the rest of it should be put in a plastic bag.

To date, the preparation of concrete is not always possible at home, because there is a ready-mix concrete for sale . As a rule, it is used in cases where a large number of it is required. To unload it it is necessary directly near manufacture that then to not carry a mix in a wheelbarrow. However, if unloading takes more than half an hour, the supplier may require an additional fee.

Today there are a number of companies that prepare the mixture right on the spot and bring with them individual ingredients. You just have to transport the concrete and pour it. In this case, no waste remains, and payment is made only for the amount of material used.