Thursday 16 August 2018

Considering Your Cost of Concrete

It is important thing to consider when purchasing concrete is the price; whether using ready-mixed concrete or any other method. The ready-mix concrete supplier could offer you a quote once you define the scope and provide details on where the concrete is going to be poured, the formwork used and the amount of concrete that you will need. Time is the other thing that can really affect a concrete job. If you live far away from the concrete plant and the total time from when the concrete is put on the truck and mixed until it comes off the chute is an hour or greater, the concrete will not be good because it has already begun to set, and you should not accept it. concrete prices can quickly spiral out of control if you don’t factor in delivery expenses. It’s important to talk to suppliers about your needs and they’ll be able to help you determine the best time for delivery.

There are several facts that you need to ensure and covered all the bases:
  1. Delivery Time
    To make scheduling as efficient as possible, companies don’t want to wait on site for an extended period of time. Any delay can result in costly extra fees. If you’re worried about not having enough time to get the job done quickly, contact some contractors on for extra help. In some cases, such as bad weather, you might need to postpone your concrete delivery. However, failing to find out from suppliers the latest cancellation time can be costly, especially if your concrete has already been mixed and is on its way.
  2. Concrete Curing
    You don’t want concrete to begin setting before you’re ready, resulting in an entire batch being wasted. In general, ready-mixed concrete is workable for an hour and a half. After this time, it’ll begin to cure. In hot conditions, however, you should aim to complete the job in less than an hour.
  3. Extra costs for partial loads
    The average cement truck carries around 6 cubic meters of concrete. Partial loads may be subject to a fee per empty cubic meter. As an alternative, ready-mix trailers can sometimes be hired. These carry up to 1 and three quarter cubic meters, can be attached to a pick-up truck and work out cheaper. 
concrete prices can significantly vary depending on the type of finishing requested in the drawings. Concrete could be finished in many different ways such as smooth surface, exposed aggregate surface or stamped concrete finish. Some surfaces may require only strike off and screed to proper contour and elevation, while for other surfaces a bloomed, floated, or troweled finish may be specified. To consider this in your concrete pricing analysis you could add per square feet or maybe higher, depending on the complexity of the finished being requested. Also be sure to include in your concrete prices, the cost of the curing compound and testing services.