Construction companies will collectively use billions of tonnes of concrete every year in their line of work. Concrete is a material that has more or less taken over in the construction world as being one of the most versatile materials and can be molded to fit or form anything. The mixing of concrete begins with a group of aggregate materials, usually crushed sand, gravel and other natural components. Mixers are added to form the ‘glue’ that holds it all together and the concrete can be used in various different forms.
Many years ago concrete had to be mixed from scratch, but now you can get concrete ready mixed in Watford and many other counties in the United Kingdom. It is not unheard of that a company will produce their concrete on the way to its destination so that when the truck arrives the concrete is mixed, ready and fresh for using.
Workable Concrete
Fresh concrete should be workable for a good few hours before it starts to set. When laying pavements, molded walkways, driveways and other areas where people will stand the concrete should be smooth and clear of blemishes. It’s the same principle as when one is laying tiles and using adhesive or mortar. The mortar must be soft, wet and pliable so that it can be spread evenly and the tiles will sit level on the floor or wall. Concrete is the same and it needs that wetness to be worked into the shape or form it will stay in. If you are flooring a garage floor, for example, you will also need a level screed to flatten out any imperfections in the top layer of the concrete. A screed is also a thin layer of small grain sand or concrete that can be spilled into any gaps to level the ground. Then, the screed stick is run over to flatten out the layer. It’s almost the equivalent of using a brush over fresh wallpaper to iron out any air bubbles. The difference with a screed layer, however, is that it will fill in any aired areas and run into any gaps, creating a neat and clean surface when dry.
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