Published on May 11th, 2016, 5 Tips For Buying The Right Concrete: A blog on different things to consider when buying concrete.

Buying concrete is a complex process because there is a wide range of concrete mixes and strengths to choose from. Different types of concrete are needed for different projects, and the right type will ensure a strong and durable finish. However, it is important to know how to choose the right type of concrete before placing an order. These five tips will help you choose the right concrete for your project:

Choose the correct mix ratio

Different grades of concrete are available and each has its own mix ratio. For example, grade 30 is a mix that contains 30 parts cement, 60 parts sand and 10 parts stone. There are also higher strength grades such as grade 40 and grade 50. If you choose a mix that does not have the required strength for your project it may crack or be weak in areas where there is pressure or load bearing stress. Although stronger mixes can cost more money this is better than having to pay for repairs if the surface cracks or breaks.

Consider the location

Where you plan to pour your concrete will also determine what grade you need to use. Areas that do not get much foot traffic can use lower grade concret

Tip 1: Know what kind of concrete you need

Are you doing a sidewalk, a patio, or a driveway? Do you need to protect the concrete from freezing temperatures? What kind of weight will be put on the concrete? These are the questions that you need to ask yourself before buying concrete. There are many different types of concrete for different applications. Concrete can be designed to resists cracking and curing in cold weather, or it can be designed for high loads and heavy traffic areas.

Tip 2: Find out how much concrete you need

A common mistake is to order too little or too much concrete. Knowing how much concrete you need is key to making sure that your project is done right. You don’t want your project ruined because there isn’t enough material or you have extra leftover concrete that ends up going to waste! A good rule of thumb is 3 feet wide by 5 inches thick by 3 feet long equals 1 cubic yard. If you know the length and width, then multiply them together and multiply that number by the depth in inches, divide that result by 12, and then divide by 27 to convert it into cubic yards. See our calculator here: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/serv

Buying concrete is not as simple as you think. You need to be extra cautious when buying concrete for your home, office or factory. The first thing that you need to check before buying a concrete is the ratio of water, cement and sand. Too much of water can make it weak while too less water can make it difficult to lay and restrict the working time. Moreover, there are other important things which you need to keep in mind while buying concrete.

Here are few tips which you need to follow before ordering the ready mix concrete:

1. The site conditions:

First and foremost thing that you need to consider is the condition of the site where you will be laying the concrete. If there are areas where water will remain pooled, then you should go for lower w/c ratio as it will prevent cracking due to freezing and thawing cycles.

2. The ratio of materials:

The next thing that you need to do is determine how much strength your concrete needs at 28 days so that you can get an idea about the amount of water required for curing it properly. All these things will play a key role in deciding the ratio of materials like sand, cement etc.

1. Pick the right supplier

One of the most important parts of any project is choosing the right supplier. You will want to find a company with a reputation for high quality products and excellent customer service. Ask friends, family or colleagues for recommendations and search online for any reviews you can find. Once you have a shortlist, ask for samples of their work and read up on the product specifications to decide which is best for your needs.

2. Choose the right concrete mix

If you’re not sure exactly what type of concrete you need, your supplier should be happy to help advise you on what’s best for your project. Concrete mixes are specified by their proportions of cement, water and aggregates such as sand, gravel or crushed stone. A standard mix might be 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 4 parts gravel : 0.5 parts water, but this can vary depending on what you need it for. For example, a higher ratio of cement makes a stronger mix which is less likely to crack, so it’s ideal for foundations.

3. Order enough concrete

It’s essential to order enough concrete – if you run out halfway through a job it could lead to delays and cost more in the long run. Concrete suppliers will often offer free advice

1) How much concrete do you need?

Concrete is available in many different sizes and shapes. The most typical shape is the classic rectangular shape. You can also buy squares or triangles if you are looking to build a certain shape of patio. There are also round circles that are great for building a fire pit. Before you go out and buy any concrete, you will want to first determine how much concrete you need for your project. As a general rule, most people will start off by going with the standard rectangle size for their project. This way you can easily calculate how much concrete you will need based on the length and width of your project. For example, if you’re building a patio that is 12 feet long and 8 feet wide, then you will need 96 square feet worth of concrete (12 x 8=96). If you’re building a circle shaped fire pit, then things get a little more difficult because the formula for measuring the area of a circle is pi (3.14) times the radius squared (r2). Although this can be difficult, if you have an idea of what diameter or radius your circle needs to be then it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how much concrete to buy. Once you’ve figured out how much concrete your

Concrete is a mixture of coarse aggregates, fine aggregates and cement. These are the three main components of concrete and will affect its strength, durability, and quality.

There is also water added to the mixture to create a chemical reaction with the cement. The water and cement combined will create a paste that will bind the aggregates together to form concrete after it is cured.

The aggregates (coarse & fine) are inert granular materials like sand or gravel that make up between 60% and 80% of your concrete mix.

“The strength of concrete is commonly measured by the compressive strength of standard specimens cured under controlled conditions. Compressive strength is a measure of the concrete’s ability to resist loads that tend to crush it.” (ACI Committee 116, 2014) Compressive strength is one of several factors that determine the performance and service life of concrete structures. In addition to compressive strength, other factors include permeability, toughness, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, fatigue resistance, abrasion resistance and freeze-thaw durability. The ACI Standard Building Code defines compressive strength as follows:

“The specified compressive strength shall be based on the 28-day test results unless otherwise specified in the construction documents.” (ACI 318-14 section 19.2.1)

Compressive strength is an important factor in design decisions when selecting the type and thickness of material that will be used for a project.

Compressive Strength: Measuring the Strength of Concrete

Concrete strengths are measured by the weight in can bear per square inch (PSI). In metric measurements, it’s expressed as megapascals (MPa). For example, 2500 PSI can be written as 17 MPa. Standard cylinders are used to measure a sample’s compression