Concrete Truck Pouring Etiquette

[i_am_fubar]

Moving towards my first actual paid part of my workshop project (which will also kick off my 'my projects' thread) - The concrete pour.

It'll be just over 3cu.m but the first time I've ever done something like this and I don't want to end up with egg (or concrete) on my face.

I plan to have all framework and DPM out and ready to go the night before and remove the side-road fence panel the morning of the delivery.

So...
1) Is it better to order a bit to much or a bit too little?
2) What happens if I have ordered too much? - Do they charge to take it away again?
3) What if I order too little? - I assume they don't keep extra in the truck?
4) Should I expect to be rushed or are the drivers usually chill until their delivery window expires?

Any other tips/tricks or gotchas I should be aware of?

Cheers,
Fubar

 

[23vc]

Are you ordering the type where they mix it there and then? If so, you just pay for what you use

If you’ve got formwork ready and can shoot it straight out the truck with no barrowing, I’m sure there won’t be any issues with it taking too long for driver

 

[i_am_fubar]

I'm guessing the mic as you wait is considerably more expensive? Plan was for pre mixed.

 

[23vc]

I’ve only ever used the volumetric mix as it’s convenient, but yeah guess it’s more expensive
Think I paid about £200 then £80 a cube when I last did it but that was a few years back

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If in doubt, get a someone with a Volumetric, there's no waste, and you'll be charged for what you have. Wont be much waiting, soon as the Driver sets the recipe, and starts it going, it'll be pouring a constant stream of concrete out!

If you order a load on a drum mixer, if you're short, there'll be a part load charge to bring some more, too much and they'll probably take it away again, but could be a headache for the Mixer Company as to what to do with it, if they haven't got a ready outlet for excess concrete.

You get reasonable time to accept the delivery, but for example, if you're trying to barrow 6m round the back by yourself, it'll take all day, so waiting time will be charged as per the Concrete suppliers terms.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Another vote for volumetric, mixed in the truck on demand. Move with the times, don't muck about calculating and being short or paying to return some.

I had mine pumped too. It was an absolute doddle (for me at least!). The bloke doing the mixing had a look when it was almost full, walked back to the truck counting the sections of pipe then squirted through just the right amount. When the foam football was blown through it was pretty much spot on. Brilliant.

I did a rough calculation based on volume before, told them what I needed but needed extra. They should always bring more, but ask anyway. They rang on the day to say they'd already done one job and had whatever m3 left, I said it wasn't enough so they went back to base instead and turned up fully loaded to the brim. I did almost empty it, so my sums were correct!

 

[i_am_fubar]

Nice, mix on site it is I guess. No need to pump though, it's literally right next to a side road.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I couldn't find a company that will barrow it for you. The one I got said they used to but the staff didn't last long, as it was a bloody awful job that buggers people's backs up. Some places do still do this though.

Unless the truck can back right up to where it's going you'll need to work out a plan.

For me it was a straight choice of barrowing myself, after recruiting a private army or paying for the pump truck. Even for your 3 m3 you will be glad you've paid the £200-ish extra afterwards, or rather you'd probably regret not paying it!

 

[23vc]

You can also rig up some kind of chute or one of those big 12” irrigation pipes and have the truck shoot it in via that. Did that for foundations, worked a treat, concrete guy supplied the pipe too