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 amountmaterials, 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 coarse aggregate. Shovels most conveniently also use two.

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

As for 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 must be mixed inwithin a few minutes. Then you need to tilt the mechanism so as to pour a little mixture into the wheelbarrow, thus checking its readiness. At the same time, the drum should not be stopped.

If you need to learn how to implementpreparation of concrete for the foundation, it is necessary to familiarize with 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 in the construction of the 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 withusing wet materials (after the rain, for example), then you should know that they already contain about 20% of the liquid. Therefore, it is necessary to add only 80%, but not 100%.

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

Preparation of concrete mix requiresappropriate storage of materials. So, if you have sand left, you need to store it in the same container as you bought it. Bulk components must be kept apart 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 compliance with more stringentconditions. 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 place for storage is a dry shed or garage. If there is no possibility to place cement in the room, 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 notis 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 preparemix directly on site and bring with them individual ingredients. You just have to transport the concrete and fill it. In this case, no waste remains, and payment is made only for the amount of material used.