Ready Mix Concrete is categorised in many different ways.  So, let’s start with some basic principles.

Concrete that is pre-prepared at designated plants is commonly known as Ready-Mix Concrete.  We’ve all seen the large cement trucks with their rotating drums on the back.  Essentially, this is concrete that is being mixed when it’s being transported to site, which is ready for immediate use.  As you can imagine, the location of the concrete plant to the construction site needs special consideration, hence the need to have the mix prepared precisely and correctly.

The general mix (Gen 1. & Gen 3), represent different strengths of Ready-Mix Concrete that all have different properties.  From the ‘Ground Up’ (e.g. basements), special water-proof concrete will require certification.  It may be that you require ‘air-entrained’ concrete, which is formed by adding small air bubbles within the concrete itself, this greatly enables the concrete to withstand heat and expansion and to aid freeze and thaw challenges.  

In the main, Ready-mix concrete can be used for buildings, roadways, walls and much, much more.  For example, high-strength concrete for roadways and truck areas need to withhold heavy vehicles and tyre scrub, thus withstanding wear and tear.  There are various additives in concrete, such as ‘accelerators or decelerators’ to speed up or slow down the setting process.  You can also have fiber strands added to the concrete to help strengthen, and therefore, it is less likely to crack.  Steel mesh framework cages are still commonplace, and here at Wainwright Direct, we’re able to do all of the ‘bending schedules’ for our clients on projects for reinforced concrete.  

These days, Drum Concrete usually holds 8 cubic meters, but for those projects where you only require a small amount of concrete, volumetric lorries are the solution.  At Wainwright Direct, we’re able mix this up to your desired spec and volume and only deliver what you need, mitigates wastage and keeping your costs lower.  This price is usually calculated as what’s known as ‘underload’, so depending on your need, we’ll be able to price this for you.