I know very little about mixing concrete and don't want to f*#k up for obvious reasons.
I know (well, I think I know) that if I get C35 from Readymix it will be C35.
The cost for what I need will be about 150 delivered.
The vague calculation I have done based on local builders' merchants prices is not much short of that for the raw materials, before the hire of a mixer.
For the peace of mind I have decided the Readymix solution if probably better for me even if it means an hour's back breaking work getting the stuff into the hole.
(Thanks also to previous replies about spread and free polythene.)
Form observing the nature of this product when I did my foundayions
The most obvious issue is splatter, as you pour the concrete from a wheelbarrow, the water will splatter, all over you, the second load will splatter water, and runny concrete all over you.
The next issue must be when you walk on the stuff to flatten it, you sort of float, a few inches below the top, I guess with it runny, you will sink further, making bigger holes to fill to flatten it
The forcast (-4) for Saturday is not good for concrete ......
This is something I spent lots of time working on, as I can not get the mixer truck within 1/2 a mile of my house, and I had 3 trucks full in one day .......
Options
1) The mix & barrow guys, they mix on site & barrow to your location, proably your best option, as they charge for what you use. You simply level it. However these guys seem to like more populated urban areas to do business in.
2) The lorry based mixer. They charge say 60 quid a cube for the RC35, and 25 quid a cube to bring to nothing at all, so a 6 cube lorry will cost to 2*25 quid to bring you freah air. Now you can get smaller 3 cube lorries, but again they like populated urban areas, but in your case you will still pay for lots of fresh air. Then you get delivery/waiting time. You get 5 mins + 5 mine a cube to empty the thing, then time on site is charged. The stuff will not go solid all the time the lorry is turning, but if you leave it too long it will go hard very soon after it leaves the lorry. Beware, if you are a long way from the batching plant, you might be cutting it fine.
3) "sexy" delivery systems on lorries Some lorry based mixers have long shoots, conveyors or even pumps to deliver the mix. over see notes on pumps below
4) concrete pumps you get these on lorries, or smaller ones you shife by tractor, crane, etc .. The mix has to be the right slimp, and you have to have lots of water at the head end to clean the thing out. You can alos hire the pump on its own for a DIY job, bit OTT for you I guess. A lorry based one will cost 300 a day, and will pump a max of arround 200m. This depends upon the terrain. You need to work out how to lay the pipes.
5) dumper truck these come from 3 foot wide to huge monsters. You can only get about half the quoted max load in, so a 3 tonne dumper is 3 tonne heaped, so you get 1.5 tonne (about .75 cube) in it. If you have the lorry delivery option, these are fun.
6) lorry & dump, then shovel & wheelbarrow probably the hardest work of all. 1 cube will weight over 2 tonnes, and you don't have long to do the work. I did a lorry - dumper - to dump - sholvel - wheelbarrow - lay, with 6 cubes. Even with 4 guys, 3 were used to this work, we were knackered.
7) self mix with mixer, about the same amount of work as using lorry & dump. Buy "ballast" from the local builders merchant.
8) mini digger, can be used in conjunction with any mechnical delivery system, to locate the concrete more precisley
What I did/do
I take a lorry full (6 cubes), then run 1 or 2 * 3 tonne dumpers to ferry the stuff, a mini digger to empty the dumper, and put the stuff where I need it, and me, to level it off.
For smaller mixes, upto 3 cubes, I get all the stuff next to the mixer, next to the hole, and have a mixing day. One of the kids plays mud pies to level it off - take care this stuff will burn you.
I recommend you go for options 1, then option 7.
I recommend you start first thing in the morning, you then have all day to clean up the mess, well you don't reallys, you have to do that before it sets.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.