Concrete is used as a generic term quite frequently, but concrete is not one material. In fact, there are many variations to concrete, and working with a concrete company to get the right mix for your situation can make a difference in how durable the concrete is. 

What is Concrete?

The essential components of concrete are water, coarse or fine aggregate, and cement. These three components mixed in the right rations make up the concrete, but depending on the mix, the concrete changes, and the properties of the concrete can be very different. 

Something as simple as adding more gravel and less cement to the mix can have an extreme effect on how the final product comes out. The cement is a binding agent for the concrete, so if there is not enough of it, the concrete may crack or break eventually.

Wet or Dry Mixes

When you are working with concrete, the concrete mixing service that is preparing the material for your job can mix the concrete with a little more water if you want it to cure more slowly. Some jobs require a bit more time to get the concrete in place or need a wet mix to run through a concrete pump truck. 

A mix that is too dry will not pump well, and a mix that is too wet will take a long time to cure. Getting the moisture content right can be tricky, but for contractors working on large jobs, they often evaluate the first load of concrete and then ask the concrete mixing service to make the next load a little drier or a little wetter, and this can change every load until the concrete consistency is right.

Custom Mixes

Working closely with the concrete mixing service to get the right consistency makes it easier to complete the work and have a final product that is going to work correctly. In some situations, the concrete mix is specified by the architect or engineer on the job. This happens for things like foundations or footings that have a critical strength requirement, because the concrete is supporting the structure or has a specific task that engineers know requires a particular mix of concrete. 

The formulation for a custom mix may be something that has been developed with a lot of trial and error. So, most of the time, if the mix of the concrete is specified for the job, it is crucial that the concrete mixing service follow the mix and let the job engineer alter it if they feel the mix needs to be changed on the fly.

For more information, contact companies such as R. Pepin & Sons Inc.

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