Concrete question

[Mr__Bill]

If your helper is strong and dumb and you have a power mixer, either electric or gas, it's really not that big a job to mix and pour. I think the finishing part is more work and takes some skill for a flat and hard surface. Two of us did a 9' by 10' at 6" in about 5 hours with an electric mixer that took one 90# at a time. Worked our butts off and it was only about 65 deg at the time. But I was sore for days afterwords and never want to lug 90# bags of Sakrete again.

I too vote for a redi-mix solution but if you do have to do it by hand get a power mixer and use the dust masks whenever you are working with the bags of cement. Rubber boots and gloves will be needed too.

If you can't get a truck in to the site can you wheel it in? Often they will dump it into wheel barrows and then you hump it to the pour. May have to tip the driver for taking the time but worth it if you can roll it in.

Bill

BTW Sakrete has a calculator to figure out how many sacks you need of product.

[woodturner]

Another way would be to drill holes in the form at the mating edge and insert some short pieces of rebar -- #3s about one foot long would do it, spaced 1'-0" OC -- through the holes, so that half their length will be embedded in each of the two sections.

Been thinking about the rebar idea. The problem with rebar is that it will not have enough embedment in a slab, even if it is perfectly placed. Depending on climate, that may be OK. Around here, though, where we get winter weather and snow, the rusting of the rebar will cause the concrete to spall. Local code requires a minimum of 6" of concrete when rebar is used (min 2.5" embedment).

[iceman61]

Ed I look at it like this: $50 difference between a truck & mixing it myself. Would I hand mix that many bags for $50? Heck No! If you let your young helper do it, then he will be wore out & you won't get much out of him when you need him, finishing the surface. Plus, trying to mix that much concrete by hand could result in a "cold joint". That's something you don't want in a poured pad.

[LarryG]

Depending on climate, that may be OK. Around here, though, where we get winter weather and snow, the rusting of the rebar will cause the concrete to spall.

I thought this slab would be protected from the weather ...?

That said, we do typically thicken the slab edges to 8" where we use this detail, even for interior locations. The exception would be when we are drilling into the edge of an existing slab, and using the rebar to tie the new slab to the existing ... which, now that I think about it, is the scenario in which when we use this detail the most.

[mleichtle]

I did the same thing a few years ago, added to a sidewalk. Was about 1 yard of concrete. I had it delivered by a huge truck, because of the small load I was the first stop. The job was up a hill and a ways away from the driveway, so I was ready with a wheel barrow, and did my preworkout stretches. Well he got the truck up the hill like nothing, let out the boom and dropped it right where I needed it. It was my first experience doing concrete, so I guess I was real slow. The driver jumped out and floated 3/4 of the slap, and fixed my crap. When he left, there was no sign of the truck being on the grass. I'll never do concrete by hand no matter how small.

[jabe]

Call your local concrete co. and ask if there are any small redi mix trucks. We have a local company that has 2 small 1 1/2 yds. capacity trucks for small jobs. They cost a little more but worth the time saved. They quoted me $390.00 for 1 yd. delivered 3 yrs ago don't know what it is today. It was more to buy 30 + bags of sakrete and still had to mix it so it was a no brainer to go with the small mix truck.

[iceman61]

Call your local concrete co. and ask if there are any small redi mix trucks. We have a local company that has 2 small 1 1/2 yds. capacity trucks for small jobs. They cost a little more but worth the time saved. They quoted me $390.00 for 1 yd. delivered 3 yrs ago don't know what it is today. It was more to buy 30 + bags of sakrete and still had to mix it so it was a no brainer to go with the small mix truck.

Holy Crap! It's only about $90-$100/cu-yd delivered here.

[pelligrini]

No kidding, $390 is way high from what I've seen around here.

It might not be a bad price in Jabe's area though, being out in the middle of a great big pond.

[os1kne]

No kidding, $390 is way high from what I've seen around here.

It might not be a bad price in Jabe's area though, being out in the middle of a great big pond.

True. That price for 30-40 bags of Sakrete is very high as well. Likely the forces of supply & demand in action.

[jabe]

Yeah, it's the price we pay to live in paradise and to be able to wear shorts 365 days a year. I think 1 yd of 2500 psi goes for $125. per yd and 3000 psi goes for $140. delivered with a min. order of 5 yds. If U order less than 5 yds, there will be a $150. delivery charge on top of that. If U live outside of the city limits it'll cost you $$$$. So whenever U do any building or renovations, U really have to plan well or it'll cost you.

[woodturner]

Yeah, it's the price we pay to live in paradise and to be able to wear shorts 365 days a year.

Some people do that around here. In the winter we call them "polar bears" ;-)