Ready-Mix Concrete: Reinforcing Materials
A blog about cement and other materials used in building and renovation.
Reinforcing concrete can save you money. Using rebar, fiber mesh or post tension cable can greatly increase the strength of concrete to resist breaking and cracking. Often times, this means that you can use less concrete to do the same job, saving on material costs. It also means that your concrete will last longer, saving on replacement costs later on down the road.
This blog is dedicated to the topic of reinforcing concrete with rebar, fiber mesh and post tension cable. Learn more about why it’s worth the added expense to increase the strength of your concrete mix!
The Blue Circle brand is a name synonymous with cement and concretes in the UK, but it could have easily been different. In 1900 the British Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd was formed as a response to the 1899 Cement War. Alfred Francis told us that “Seven large companies decided to amalgamate in 1899, but they had to abandon the idea because of legal difficulties under the Cartel Law. They then formed a trade association called The British Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd to control prices and output.”
The Blue Circle name was adopted in 1929 after an advert featuring a blue circle around the words “Blue Circle Cement” appeared in a national newspaper on 10 September 1928 (see ‘History of Blue Circle’). It also had a ring of truth about it with many of Britain’s quarries producing blue lias limestone from which cement would be made.
The company became well known for its high quality products, its processes and its people. It was part of the drive towards mechanisation during the war years, especially in London where new roads were constructed to allow vehicles access to bomb sites. In 1946 Blue Circle launched Ready Mix Concrete in 1948 and Aggregate Industries was bought out by Tarmac Limited in 1978, who then owned Blue Circle Industries until 2001 when it was
The Ready-mix concrete and cement industry is a very lucrative one. This is because it involves the production of an extremely versatile product of high demand. In addition to this, the startup costs are low and it doesn’t take much time for operations to begin. The only thing that is required is that the entrepreneur has a good business plan and then they can start.
A ready mix concrete company can basically operate in two ways. One is that they can get their raw materials, prepare them and then sell them in bags or by weight after packaging them. Another way is that instead of selling the prepared cement directly to the end users, they sell it to construction companies who will then resell after mixing with other materials.
If you want to start a ready mix concrete company there are a few things you should know before you even start writing your business plan. These are some of the most important things you need to know: 1. What is a ready mix concrete company? 2. What do you need to start one? 3. How much does it cost?
The Blue Circle Southern cement plant at Berrima, on the New South Wales Southern Highlands, has been in operation for over 100 years. It is located about 150 kilometres south-west of Sydney and about 60 kilometres from Canberra. The plant produces around one million tonnes of cement per year, from a local limestone deposit.
The Berrima plant also includes a cement mill (pictured) with a production capacity of 1.0 Mt/yr. This is supplied by a 170 tonne/hour roller mill from Loesche in Germany. The mill has four grinding rollers and a table diameter of 2.5 metres, giving it a 25thr slag grinding capacity.(For more details on the mill, see Global Cement Directory 2012, p72.)
Blue Circle makes a range of ready mixed concrete, cement products and mortars, as well as supplying aggregates, blocks and bricks.
Founded in 1900, Blue Circle Southern Cement Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Blue Circle Industries PLC. Currently there are three cement plants located in Victoria: Fyansford works in Geelong, Waurn Ponds works in Colac and the Marulan works in New South Wales.
Blue Circle makes a wide range of ready mixed concrete from standard to high performance mixes, designed for specific applications such as exposed aggregate finishes and paving. They also produce a wide range of cements and mortars for general purpose use.
The Concrete Network provides information about concrete, including a directory of contractors and suppliers.
Cement &
The material used in concrete is called aggregate, sand, rock and stone. Crushed rock is the most common form of aggregate. Concrete has been used for centuries and it is a material that continues to develop. It is estimated that there are over 10 billion tonnes of concrete made each year. As with anything that is produced on such a large scale, concrete has an impact on the environment.