Cement and concrete are not the same thing, but concrete does have cement as a primary ingredient. In its most basic form concrete is made of cement, water, sand, and stone. Cement is a very fine powder made from limestone, sand, clay, and iron ore. In the right proportions these ingredients are crushed and super-heated in a kiln to form "clinker". The clinker is crushed again with the correct amount of gypsum and other ingredients and the result is a fine powder that we call cement.The strength of concrete comes from the reaction between water and the chemical compounds in cement referred to as hydration. The aggregates in concrete (sand and stone both coarse and fine) serve to add volume only and are not active ingredients in the hydration process.
SCC Concrete ships what we call Ready-Mixed Concrete. When you place an order for concrete we match your requirements with a specific mix design from our database. The mix constituents are sent to batch panels that load all the raw materials into a drum which mixes the concrete. By the time the truck arrives at your job the product is sufficiently mixed and ready to pour. Each load is custom made for your application according to a specific mix design only moments before the truck leaves for your home or job. The batching of the raw materials intheir specific quantities is done by computer, guaranteeing accurate products and reproducible mixes.
Please contact our sales team regarding Bulk Purchases: srichowdeshwariconcreteindia@gmail.com/+91 80 2861 6337
Concrete is one of the most versatile building materials used in construction today. In the 1960’s concrete construction challenged steel structure construction in the United States. Rather than large steel girders and steel decking, reinforced concrete was used to make building columns and decks in high rises. This economical building method is used more than ever today.
The reaction between water and cement gives concrete its strength. The important water-to-cement ratio is responsible for the strength of the finished product. Concrete strength is usually measured by its compressive and flexural strength in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI). When you order a "Bag" mix you’re really ordering a specific quantity of cement per cubic yard of concrete. Using some conversion factors you can translate between the two.
It takes time for concrete to achieve its full strength. They say that the innermost concrete poured in the Hoover Dam is still hardening to this day! Often concrete is measured for strength at intervals of 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, and sometimes 56 days. We assume that the 28 day strength test will be an accurate measurement of the final strength of the product.
Your account representative can help you determine what strength of concrete you need. As you can imagine, cement is a costly material in the production of concrete. We tailor specific mixes to specific applications so that you can successfully accomplish the goals of your project in an economical way.
Weather conditions are often the enemy of concrete. Extremely hot dry weather causes concrete to set up very quickly, making it difficult to place and finish. Extremely cold weather can cause the top layer of concrete to freeze and flake off, often ruining hours of hard work and thousands of dollars worth of material. Rain can make concrete difficult to finish as the rain washes away the smooth creamy layer that finishing trowels bring to the surface, exposing the aggregate. That’s a lot to worry about. Thankfully, extra products can help.
During the summer months you can also substitute ice for a percentage of water in the mix in order to lower the core temperature of the concrete and slow the hydration rate. This helps counteract the effects of the air temperature and the heat contained in the raw materials. Ask your account representative about adding ice to your mix.
During the winter months we substitute regular water with heated water to increase the core temperature of the concrete to prevent freezing and allow more time for the hydration process to take place.
Concrete inherently contains entrapped air of less than 3% by volume as a result of the mixing process. Air Entraining Admixtures are used to entrain air contents of 4-8% by volume of concrete. Entrained air is necessary to protect concrete that is exposed to freeze/thaw cycles in a saturated state. These microscopic entrained air bubbles capture water and allow it to freeze and thaw without deteriorating the concrete.
Retarder is used to decrease the hydration rate of cement, thus giving you or your contractor more time to place and finish our products before the concrete begins to set. Retarder can be well worth your additional investment. It provides an added measure of workability and reduces the rate of heat increase produced by the hydration process. Consider adding retarder on hot, dry days to slow the set rate, allowing for a better finish. Also consider adding retarder if you need more than 30 minutes to unload the truck (i.e. if you’re going to be using buckets or wheelbarrows to transport the concrete from the truck to your work area). By adding retarder to your mix you can expect to retard the set time by 1.5 hours to 8 hours depending on the dosage that you order. You can use retarder for just about any concrete application.
Water reducers are often used to increase the workability and the strength of concrete. It makes concrete "wetter" without adding water. If you’re pouring plain concrete and find that it’s difficult to place or pump, you may be tempted to ask the driver to add additional water to the mix. Beware that by adding water you could be reducing the compressive strength of the finished product. If, however, you choose to add a water reducer, you can expect a more workable product with the benefit of needing less water to make it "wet". The result is a high-strength mix that can be pumped at a 4"-6" slump. You can also achieve a strength gain over traditional concrete when poured at the same slump.
Your account rep can suggest an appropriate dosage if you’re interested in adding water reducer to your mix.
Accelerators are often used in cold weather to speed up the setting time of concrete. In cold weather it’s often helpful to add accelerators to speed up the cement hydration therefore increasing the initial set of the concrete. Always take great care when pouring concrete in cold temperatures. You’re account rep or salesperson can help you determine the appropriate amount of accelerator for your application.
Accelerators can also be used in high-early mixes, or mixes that require high strength in a short amount of time. Concrete contractors on high rise projects often use high-early mixes when pouring columns and decks to produce enough strength in 7 days to pour the next elevated deck and columns rather than waiting for 14 or 28 day compressive strength. This facilitates the rapid building schedules that general contractors often require.
Concrete itself is a relatively safe material with which to work, however, the delivery and placement of concrete can have some inherent dangers. You can mitigate most risk by taking a few simple precautions:
1.Wear personal protective equipment including safety glasses, PVC gloves, rubber boots, a high visibility vest, a hard hat, and fall protection if necessary.
2.Fresh concrete may irritate your skin – be sure to wear gloves and rubber boots. If you’re going to be finishing the concrete on your knees with a float, be sure to wear knee pads that are soft and waterproof. Consult a medical professional if you experience irritation in the eyes or prolonged skin irritation.
3.Be sure that you have a location large enough for a mixer truck to navigate and park safely, out of the flow of traffic. Our mixer trucks are rear-discharge meaning that the driver will have to back his or her truck into position. A mixer is nearly 12’ high, 9’ wide, and 25’ long. Be sure that your driveway or job site can accommodate a truck of this size.
4.Mixer trucks can weigh between 36,000lbs and 75,000lbs depending on the load. Be sure that your driveway or job site entrance can support the weight.
5.Beware when placing concrete below grade, or ground level. Be sure that you provide appropriate escape inclines and adequate support to any loose dirt to prevent a cave-in.
6.Be sure that you have a plan to effectively unload the concrete safely. If the truck cannot directly access the site of your pour you will likely have to use buckets, a wheelbarrow, buggies, or even a concrete pump. Be careful not to injure yourself by carrying loads that are too heavy.
7.Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when working with large equipment including mixer trucks, pump trucks, etc. Stand clear when equipment is in motion and work safely near all equipment.
8.Concrete is often poured in places that are by nature "unfinished". Watch for dirt access roads, ruts, muddy conditions, hazardous inclines, or slippery surfaces.
9.Plan for incidents and injuries. Make sure you know who to call if someone were injured on your job or at your home. Ask your contractor about your liability for an injury while at your home or jobsite. Also ask your contractor about their liability concerning any property damage that may take place during construction. The more you know, the more prepared you’ll be.
SCC Concrete delivers concrete to jobsites in the following geographical areas:
We know that business is all about value and we strive to make sure that our products and services add value to your project. From the first phone call to the final invoice we want your experience with us to be outstanding. That means accuracy in placing your order, honest and up front pricing, quality raw materials, on time delivery, and accurate billing.
We never cut costs or boost profits by cutting corners in any aspect of production, from raw materials to the finished product. We insist on quality materials to produce quality products that are industry-proven. Our focus is on outstanding customer service paired with a quality product at a competitive price point. We think you’ll be impressed!
We offer various billing and payment options including Cash, Check, Visa® or Master Card®, or you
can contact our Sales department to setup
credit terms. For larger projects your salesperson can provide a customized quote with project pricing.
f you choose to pay by Check please be aware that we will ask you for a telephone number that is
linked to the account so that we can verify that the required funds are available. We will NOT ask you
for the bank account number or routing number on the phone.
If you order by business line of credit you will usually receive an invoice within one week of your concrete delivery
as all completed orders are billed within two days of the delivery date.
We locate the shipping address that you provide and pair that with the delivery time you have requested.
Our systems then pin point the exact time that we need to load your order to ensure timely delivery. The order
details are sent to a batch panel which interacts with the physical plant to weigh all the materials in correct
proportion and empty them into the truck. The driver cleans the truck one final time, inspects the load, and is
on his way to your job.
As the truck leaves any of our plant locations our satellite tracking system continually monitors its
position en route to your job. Your dispatcher can find the exact location of the truck at your request.
He or she can also preemptively deal with issues en route to you job before they impact the delivery of your
material based on the real-time data provide by our tracking system.
Allow 24 hours for the concrete to cure before walking on it..
Properly maintained and cared for concrete should last 20 plus years.
Apparent ready mixed concrete shortages are caused by:
1. Miscalculation of form volume or slab thickness when actual dimensions exceed the assumed dimensions by even a fraction.
2. Deflection or distortion of the formwork.
3. Irregular subgrade and its settlement.
4. Smaller quantities wasted or used in incidental works for large pours.
To ensure sufficient supply of ready mixed concrete:
1. Measure formwork accurately and order sufficient quantity to finish the job.
2. For large pours, include an allowance of about 2% over planned dimensions to account for wastage, potential increased thickness, etc.
3. Towards the end of large pours, carefully measure the remaining volume and confirm the closing quantity to the ready mixed concrete supplier.
NO! Restrain masons at the site. Do not force Transit Mixer Operators to add water to ready mixed concrete. Consequences of such actions can be severe. Properly designed ready mixed concrete contains optimum water. Inform the ready mixed concrete supplier if workability (slump) of ready mixed concrete is not as expected. If required, dosing of admixtures along with a small quantity of water would be done by the ready mixed concrete supplier´s technical personnel.
Depending on the workability, the ready mixed concrete might be usable for up to 3 hours.
International Standards specify that ready mixed concrete must be discharged from the transit mixer truck within 2 hours of the time of loading. It is also mandatory to make arrangements at site to ensure that full load of ready mixed concrete is discharged within 30 minutes of arrival on site.
Ready mixed concrete mixes are supplied only after exhaustive laboratory and plant trials. To ensure consistent quality, incoming raw materials are regularly tested. Sampling and testing of ready mixed concrete is done everyday as per Codal stipulations. At our Bamburi Ready Mix Concrete, we invite you to visit our laboratories to witness the process.
The transit mixers are about 9 m long, 2.5 m wide and 3.8 m high
A truck weighs 10 tons when it is empty and 25 tons when it is fully loaded with ready mixed concrete.
When the ready mixed concrete is transported to the construction site, the ready mixed concrete is pushed deeper into the drum attached to the back of the truck with the help of a spiral blade fitted within the drum. This is achieved by rotating the drum in one direction. This process is known as charging the transit mixer. At the construction site, the drum is rotated in the other direction, which forces the ready mixed concrete out of the drum. This process is known as discharging. The ready mixed concrete may be discharged directly into chutes, pumps or on to conveyor belts.