HOW TO MAKE CONCRETE USING MACHINE

General Clasification

In its simplest form, concrete is a mixture of paste and aggregates, or rocks. The
paste, composed of portland cement and water, coats the surface of the fine (small) and
coarse (larger) aggregates. Through a chemical reaction called hydration, the paste
hardens and gains strength to form the rock-like mass known as concrete. Within this
process lies the key to a remarkable trait of concrete: it's plastic and malleable when
newly mixed, strong and durable when hardened. These qualities explain why one
material, concrete, can build skyscrapers, bridges, sidewalks and superhighways,
houses and dams.

Description

The key to achieving a strong, durable concrete rests in the careful proportioning
and mixing of the ingredients. A mixture that does not have enough paste to fill all the
voids between the aggregates will be difficult to place and will produce rough surfaces
and porous concrete. A mixture with an excess of cement paste will be easy to place
and will produce a smooth surface; however, the resulting concrete is not cost-effective
and can more easily crack.

Portland cement's chemistry comes to life in the presence of water. Cement and
water form a paste that coats each particle of stone and sand—the aggregates.
Through a chemical reaction called hydration, the cement paste hardens and gains
strength.The quality of the paste determines the character of the concrete. The strength
of the paste, in turn, depends on the ratio of water to cement. The water-cement ratio is
the weight of the mixing water divided by the weight of the cement. High-quality
concrete is produced by lowering the water-cement ratio as much as possible without
sacrificing the workability of fresh concrete, allowing it to be properly placed,
consolidated, and cured.

A properly designed mixture possesses the desired workability for the fresh
concrete and the required durability and strength for the hardened concrete. Typically, a
mix is about 10 to 15 percent cement, 60 to 75 percent aggregate and 15 to 20 percent
water. Entrained air in many concrete mixes may also take up another 5 to 8 percent.

Almost any natural water that is drinkable and has no pronounced taste or odor
may be used as mixing water for concrete. Excessive impurities in mixing water not only
may affect setting time and concrete strength, but can also cause efflorescence,
staining, corrosion of reinforcement, volume instability, and reduced durability. Concrete
mixture specifications usually set limits on chlorides, sulfates, alkalis, and solids in
mixing water unless tests can be performed to determine the effect the impurity has on
the final concrete.

Although most drinking water is suitable for mixing concrete, aggregates are
chosen carefully. Aggregates comprise 60 to 75 percent of the total volume of concrete.
The type and size of aggregate used depends on the thickness and purpose of the final
concrete product

Relatively thin building sections call for small coarse aggregate, though
aggregates up to six inches in diameter have been used in large dams. A continuous
gradation of particle sizes is desirable for efficient use of the paste. In addition,
aggregates should be clean and free from any matter that might affect the quality of the
concrete.

Cement mixer vary in shape and size and can be either electric or petrol. Both
electric and petrol types are readily available for purchase or can usually be hired;
electric cement mixers are usually easier to use providing that you can get mains
electric (with a RCD) to it, you will also need to have space near to the cement mixer for
the heaps of ballast (or sand and gravel) and space to work, you don't want to be
moving barrow loads of ballast around more than you have to.

The cement mixer should be set up on a slab of existing concrete (which can be
cleaned down afterwards), on a large mixing board or other area which can be cleaned
down; no matter how much care you take, odd pieces of ballast, sand, gravel and mixed
concrete will end up below the mixer mixer.

To achieve the correct ratio of each ingredient for the concrete, they have to be
measured by volume; some people do this by shovel load but, unless you have
experience, it is better to measure the cement and ballast (or sharp sand/gravel) by
bucket loads, with a shovel you tend to get more ballast on it than cement so just
counting the shovel loads can be misleading. Do not use too large a bucket as you
could end up with more ingredients than the mixer can take.

Be careful that the amount of concrete you plan to mix in one go is appropriate for
the size of mixer; if the volume is too small, it won't mix correctly and too large a volume
could overload the machine.

Here are the steps:

1. Start the mixer running with the drum pointing towards the sky at about 45°
above horizontal. Once you start loading the ingredients, the mixer should be
kept running until it has been emptied - if you stop a mixer with a load in the
drum, it could prove hard to restart.
2. Measure about half the required ballast (or half the sand and half the gravel)
required and pour this into the drum.
3. Add a small amount of water and allow this to mix into the ballast for a minute or
two.
4. Measure and add all the required cement.
5. Measure and add the remaining amount of ballast/sand/gravel and allow it all to
mix together for a minute or two.
6. Gradually add some more water and give it a chance to mix in before adding
more - watch the consistency of the mix. A good mix is smooth and flowing, not
7. Wet and runny or dry and crumbly. If some of the mix sticks to the sides of the
drum and 'goes over the top', the mix is too dry; if the mix is pulled up about ¾ of
the way up to the top of the drum and then drops back to the bottom, it is about
right; if the drum does not lift the mix up the side, the mixture is too wet.

Note: A common problem when mixing concrete is to add too much water. Add
the water in small quantities and the mixture will suddenly be the right
consistency - if you think it is nearly right, just wait a minute to see what happens.
Should the mixture become too wet, adding some more ballast and cement in the
required proportions may soak up the excess water.

8. When the mixture is OK, move a wheelbarrow into position under the drum and
tip the drum to empty the concrete into it. When doing this, it makes it easier if
there are two people, one to tip the drum, and one to steady the wheelbarrow.
One can then wheel the load on concrete to the job, while the other person can
begin mixing the next load of concrete.

9. When the job has been completed, or you want to take a break from mixing for
half an hour or more, the cement mixer should be cleaned down; never leave the
cleaning the mixer 'till later - the same applies to the wheelbarrow, buckets and
other tools which have been used to handle the the ingredients and the mixed
concrete.
Always clean the inside of the drum; put a shovel load of ballast and some water
 into the drum and run the mixer for 5 minutes, after this, tip the whole load out
and then use a hope to wash down the inside of the drum with it pointed towards
the ground. Switch off the mixer and clean any awkward areas inside the drum
(i.e. behind the mixing blades etc) , using an old stiff brush.

Ensure that you understand the operating instructions for the mixer; especially that
you know where the 'OFF' switch is. When using an electric cement mixer, ensure that
an RCD is protecting the supply. Ensure that the cement mixer is stable and positioned
on firm and level ground. Keep your hands and tools out of the rotating drum - pour the
ingredients in from above. Always wear goggles to protect your eyes as concrete can
splash out as the drum rotates.