The Basics of Ordering Concrete
If you are a residential customer getting ready to order a ready-mix concrete delivery, here are a few basic items you will want to know when placing your order.
Quantity: How much concrete do you need? Once you are confident in your measurements, figuring out how much ready-mix you need is easy thanks to the literally hundreds of concrete calculators you can find online.
Here is a calculator for square and rectangular areas.
Disclaimer - this calculator is intended for estimating purposes only. Rocket Concrete Company is not responsible for any discrepancies in yardage based on the information provided.
Here is a calculator for round areas.
Disclaimer - this calculator is intended for estimating purposes only. Rocket Concrete Company is not responsible for any discrepancies in yardage based on the information provided.
Contractors will recommend ordering anywhere from 4% - 8% extra to cover discrepancies in the surface of your job site, spillage, settling, spreading of your forms, etc. Both the above calculators have an 8% buffer included in the final number. If this is your first time working with concrete, here is a good post to help determine if you need a ready-mix delivery.
Strength: This is the compressive strength of the cured concrete rated in Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI). We wrote a more detailed post on this you can read here. The standard mixes are 3000 psi, 3500 psi, and 4000 psi. Higher is available if your project requires a stronger mix.
Slump: Slump is how we refer to the consistency and work-ability of the concrete mix. Slump is referenced from 1-10 inches. This could be a whole post on its own. But for now, the important thing to know is the lower the slump number means the concrete is thicker and more difficult to work.
A higher number means it will be thinner and easier to spread around in the forms. For an average residential job a 5” slump will do just fine. It is always best to have the slump set from the batch plant. We can adjust the slump on-site by adding water, but this can damage your mix. Adding 1 gallon of water per 1 yard of concrete will lower the strength up to 200 psi.
Interior or Exterior: The type of concrete mix will vary depending if the project is indoors or outdoors. Concrete used for an exterior application will often require entrained air. Entrained air is tiny air bubbles in the ready-mix that helps reduce the chance of cracking during the freeze / thaw cycle of the seasons. Interior mix usually does not need to have entrained air due to not being exposed the elements. This post isn’t meant to cover the final surface finish, but keep in mind that it is not recommended to slick finish an entrained mix. So if you are intending to have a smooth or polished finish don’t order with entrained air.
Unloading the Concrete: We will ask if your job site is accessible to the mixer truck, if there are any obstacles or hazards, and how you are going to unload the concrete from the truck. This previous post has all the information you will need to help you answer this question. Long story short, you can pour direct from the truck, use wheelbarrows, rent a Georgia Buggy, or hire a pump truck. The important things to consider when choosing a method are; the time it will take to unload, the safety of the truck and job site, and how accessible are the forms with the option you choose.
Washout Area: All concrete delivery companies require the job site to provide an area for the driver to washout the truck after pouring. It is illegal to wash concrete into the street or storm drain. We require a contained area that will not allow the liquid to seep or drain into surrounding areas. Good options are a wheelbarrow or even a cheap plastic kiddie pool.
Give us a call when you are ready. We would be honored to be your concrete supplier. Call Rocket Concrete at (980)281-3131 to schedule a delivery. We proudly deliver ready-mix concrete to Charlotte, NC and the entire surrounding area.
