Once you have decided to tackle a Ready Mix Concrete project, you need to have a plan of action. Concrete is a very heavy building material and once it is poured on the ground, it is not easily moved. Concrete is a very perishable product and sets up or becomes hard within a few hours of being batched at the concrete plant. It is not like dry wall or painting; you cannot put down your tools to eat lunch or decide to finish tomorrow. Also, finishing concrete takes some degree of knowledge and skill. Concrete is not your everyday homeowners project; placing and finishing concrete is hard and physical work. Having a firm plan and proper preparation can make the project a little easier. There are many forms of literature online and in print form to help you develop a plan.
The first step in the planning process should be to contact your local building department to check on any requirements. Do you need a permit, do you need to notify anyone before you dig to check for utility lines, what is the strength of concrete required for your project, and their minimum measurement required for width and depth of sidewalks, driveways, walkways, footings and foundations.
The next step would be to make a scaled drawing of your project. This will aid you in figuring out how much lumber you will need for concrete forms and calculate the square footage for your project. You will use the square footage and the depth of your project to calculate the quantity of Ready Mix required. Then calculate the yardage required. Multiply the square feet by depth and expressed in feet (i.e. 6 inches = .5 of a foot) and divide by 27 (one cubic yard = 27 cubic feet). If you are not comfortable making this calculation or you want to double-check your numbers, you can ask our dispatchers. When ordering Ready Mix Concrete one should add 10% for spillage, an uneven base or irregular shapes and forms. Next, determine if you will be removing grass, roots or any other existing obstructions that may require the area to be replaced with fill, such as recycled concrete base, sand or stone.
It is now time to develop a list of tools required to set up the job, finish the concrete and clean up the project area.
All of the above tools can be purchased at hardware stores and home improvement centers and many can also be rented at a local rental center.
Next, survey where you are pouring the concrete and how you will get the material there. Can the truck reach the area from the street, will it be carried to the area by wheelbarrow, check for low wires, soft ground or underground obstacles, such as dry wells. If you have a difficult area to reach, consider renting a concrete pump which parks on the street and pumps concrete to the formed area.
Make sure you have plenty of manpower on the job to pour, place and finish the concrete as soon as possible. You are allowed 5 minutes per yard to pour out the concrete, anything over and above that, you will be charged $2.00 per minute stand-by time. Most homeowner projects are related to flat work (sidewalks, driveways, patios, and pads for sheds). As a result, we will discuss subgrade preparation and form construction for types of projects.
Remove all soil, dirt, grass tree roots and other obstructions so the depth of the final surface is about a ¼” above ground level. Remove any large stone imbedded in the ground, and remove any soft, loose or spongy areas in the subgrade and replace with sand, stones or recycled concrete. Next, back fill the entire area with sand, stone or recycled concrete to a level and uniformed grade, leaving a top grade for your concrete of at least 4” for walks and patios and at least 5-6” for driveways. Now you will compact your subgrade with a power or hand tamper depending on the size of your project. Remember, if your subgrade required a large amount of fill, compact 4” levels. Your subgrade should now be hard, level, uniform and free of debris. Failure to properly prepare the subgrade will result in setting cracks.
The final grade of your concrete depends on the size of the forms used and the accurate setting of the forms. Set stakes in the corners of the area. Use the mason line and level to set your grade or height of the slab. Set your grade to a slight pitch of an 1/8” per foot; this will allow water to flow off the slab. Remember always pitch slabs away from existing houses or buildings. If you are pouring between two structures pitch to the middle of the slab and then front to back also so the water will flow towards the street. Stakes should be placed every 4’ apart and behind every joint in the form lumber. The most common type of wood used for forms are 2x4’s. Making sure the form lumber is clean and straight, raise the 2x4 so that the top is even and level with the mason line. Always nail from the stake to the 2x4. To make disassembling easier use double headed nails and form release oil so the forms pull apart easier. Continue until all sides of the project are complete. If you are placing new concrete against existing concrete, plane an expansion joint in between. Curves should be made by bending 1” lumber, be sure to use stakes 2’ apart and back fill in these areas, as they are prone to blow out.
When you know that your Ready Mix Concrete order is en route to your location, dampen (not soak) the subgrade with water and then apply your form release oil.