Mixing Concrete for your home or business? Here are a few mixing tips:
1. Mixing Concrete – Hand Mixing
QUIKRETE concrete mixes can be successfully mixed by hand or machine mixed. For smaller projects, hand mixing is often the best method.
Hand Mixing
Step 1: Place the appropriate water amount in the container. If using liquid cement color, add to the mixing water. Step 2: Pour the concrete mix into the water, and mix thoroughly (a hoe, rake or shovel works well for this). Step 3: Continue to add mix until the desired consistency is achieved (mix should stick together when squeezed in hand).
Important Note: Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing reduces strength, and may cause crazing or discoloration. When mixing by hand, a “ball” of concrete should form around the shovel as you lift it from the mixture – if it doesn’t stick together on its own, add more water and mix some more.
2. Mixing Concrete – Machine Mixing
QUIKRETE concrete mixes can be successfully mixed by hand or machine mixed. For larger projects, machine mixing is often the best method.**
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How to mix concrete. There are three types of mixes for concrete: fast-setting, high-strength and crack resistant. Each has specific ingredients for particular uses. If you’re pouring a foundation or a large slab, you’ll need to use the high-strength or crack resistant mix. Fast-setting is used for small jobs.
To mix your own concrete for footings, slabs, walls and driveways using bags of dry cement mix is often more economical and convenient than buying it premixed from a ready-mix company.
Choose Type of Concrete Mix
You can use it to repair concrete surfaces or make your own concrete for craft or building projects. Using bagged mix typically results in a stronger product than you can make from a sack of cement, sand and gravel bought separately.
How to Mix Concrete
1 Measure the recommended water amount for the number of bags to be added to the mixer and pour half of the water into the mixer (an 80-pound bag of concrete mix will require about 3 quarts of water).
2 Turn the mixer on and add the dry concrete mix into the water slowly. Allow the concrete to mix for about a minute and then add the remaining water as necessary. Ensure that there is enough room in the
When mixing concrete it is important to use the correct concrete mixing ratios to produce a strong, durable concrete mix. To make concrete there are four basic materials you need: cement, sand, aggregate (stone), and water. The ratio of aggregate to sand to cement is an important factor in determining the compressive strength of the concrete mixture.**
A ratio by weight of 0.5 water, 1 cement, 3 sand, and 3 gravel should make a fine concrete, although a little less water (0.4 by weight) would make stronger concrete. The same by volume ( ie. buckets) is a good ratio as well, 1/2 to 1 to 3 to 3 (or a little less water- too much water weakens the concrete, and there will always be some water content in the sand).*
One thing you may notice with these ratios: they add up to more than one. This is because the dry ingredients will not take up all of the room in their containers.*
Addition of water will shrink this volume down again.*
These ratios are just starting points; you need to experiment with different mixes until you find what works best for your needs.*
To properly mix concrete, get a large tub–like an old washing machine tub–mix
The concrete should now be dumped into the middle of the pile and mixed with a shovel. Do not use a hoe because this will not mix it properly. A rotating drum mixer is faster but it is worth the extra time to mix it by hand. It is also important to mix the concrete thoroughly so that there is no dry pockets in the pile; dry pockets will weaken the concrete. As you mix, add more water if necessary.
When you can no longer get your shovel in the pile, you are ready for the next step. Cover your pile of concrete with a damp tarp or plastic sheet and let it sit for at least 24 hours. Before using, break up any clumps with your hands and thoroughly re-mix the concrete by hand before pouring it where you need it.
Concrete is a very versatile material and can be used for a wide range of applications, from walls and floors to bridges and dams. It is made by mixing cement, water and aggregate (sand, gravel or broken stone) in the correct proportions.
Hydration – the chemical reaction between cement and water that gives concrete its strength – takes place once the ingredients are mixed together. This process cannot be stopped or started at will so you must work quickly once the concrete has been mixed.
The key to good concrete
The key to producing good concrete lies in the correct ratio of ingredients, thorough mixing, accurate timing and appropriate curing.
How much concrete do I need?
Estimating how much concrete you require is not difficult, but it does take some time and effort. The best way to estimate your requirements is to measure the area where you want to lay concrete; length x width x depth (all measurements in metres).
How much sand and gravel do I need?
To calculate the amount of aggregate you will need, multiply your volume by the density of your aggregate. For example, if you multiply 1m3 by 1700kg/m3, you will get 1700kg of sand or gravel. This is equivalent to 1.7 tonnes of sand or gravel.
Concrete is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates. The cement and water form a paste that hardens and binds the aggregates together. The cement paste is like glue that holds the concrete together.
The quantity of water determines the workability of the concrete mix. The more water added to the mix, the easier it is to work with, but weaker is the concrete. When we give one-quarter of an inch slump, it means that when we fill a cone mould with concrete and turn it upside down, it should settle exactly half an inch from its original position.
The strength of concrete depends on other factors also like type of cement used, sand quality, aggregate quality etc. But for a given strength and for a given consistency of concrete (i.e., slump value), if we reduce water quantity by 10%, then it will increase the strength of concrete by 10%.