Ready mix concrete offers a number of advantages over concrete that is mixed on a job site. A central plant mixes each batch of ready mix concrete within their facility prior to delivery. This reduces the potential for contamination and ensures product consistency.

There are a few important things that you will need to know before you invest in ready mix concrete for an upcoming project to make your concrete purchase as productive as possible.

The Volume of Concrete Needed

Calculating how much concrete you will need to finish your project is critical when you are investing in ready mix concrete.

Because each batch of ready mix concrete is mixed at a central factory, you don't want to pull concrete from separate batches when completing a single project. This could result in inconsistencies in the concrete mix that allow your driveway, sidewalk, or other concrete fixture to break down over time.

Concrete is sold by the cubic yard. To find the volume, you need you will need to know the length, width, and thickness of the areas you are covering in yards. Multiplying these three dimensions together will give you a sum total of cubic yards needed for your project.

Concrete Performance Requirements

Not all concrete projects are created equal. The type of project that you are working on will determine what you need the concrete to do over time. Understanding the required performance of your concrete will help you source a ready mix that will meet your needs.

If you plan to pour a large concrete slab and then add a decorative stamp pattern, you will need a concrete mix with a slow curing time. You will also need to consider the environment in which your concrete will exist.

Enhancers can be added to ready mix concrete batches to help minimize water infiltration or corrosion and reinforce structural strength. Performance requirements will play a major role in determining which elements are added to your ready mix concrete prior to delivery.

Estimated Delivery Time

The final consideration to make when investing in ready mix concrete is the estimated delivery time from the central factory to your work site. Try to avoid scheduling your delivery during rush hour so that the concrete truck isn't delayed by traffic.

Source your concrete from a local factory to help reduce delivery time and increase the freshness of the ready mix concrete when it arrives at your worksite. The quicker a ready mix concrete is delivered from the factory to your job site, the more reliable the product will be over time.

For more information or help, contact a local company like Southport Concrete Corp. 

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