CONCRETE MIXING

INTRODUCTION

Concrete is the composite material made by several constituents including cement, sand,
aggregate and water plus admixtures if necessary. Concrete has been more supportive in Civil
engineering works at is most useful in construction of several structures such as slabs, cantilever
beam and columns,lintels,stairs in high rise building.

OBJECTIVES

To attain the required strength for all concreting works i.e.

 Blinding grade C10

 Strip footings grade C20
 Columns footings grade C25
 Columns grade C25
 Ground floor slab, roof slab/gutter grade C25

SKILLS AND MANPOWER

In this category I practice and learn how to do the following activities;

Preparing the ratios

Mixing the contents

Operating the machine and loading the buckets with concrete.

All these were under the supervision of the engineers, and technicians

MATERIALS AND SOURCE

 Cement 42.5N
 Sieved sand
 Aggregates
 Water

TOOLS AND MACHINE USED

Mixer plants
For mixing of concrete constituents material.
Spade
For transferring
Buckets
For transporting concrete.
PROCEDURES INVOLVED

 Batching
The volume batching was used with the respect ratios according to the grade required.
 Mixing
The concrete constituents were mixed by the mixer plants; the locations were supportive
to loading and were roughly casted by concrete to avoid direct contact of concrete with
soil.
 Transporting
The transportation means were by the laborers carrying by using buckets.
 Placing
The placing were smoothly and the spreading were soon after placing
 Spreading and Compacting
This depend on the activities i.e. for strip footing poker were used, blinding the
mechanical means were used (wooden T shaped timber)
 Finishing
These involve the leveling of the concrete surface including screeding by using the long
wooden straight edge that touch opposite sides of the formwork.
 Curing
This involve the daily morning and evening curing timetable accompanied by the
dismantling of the formwork after the curing days last (7days)

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION

The environmental conditions were friendly to the concrete production at the site. Because the
project was in dry season.

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS

The first aid kit full of first aid medicines were available at the site at any time for example
painkillers, antisepses, burn care creams, cotton gausses, bandages spirits iodine etc, plus every
person working at the site (technicians, craftsman, trainees) wore safety equipments for example
safety boots, reflectors and hard helmet

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusively; the ratio were maintained and the quality control were fully supervised to ensure
no failure occur to the concrete from the time of preparation to the time of curing. The curing
type was wet covering for most of concrete works i.e. pad footing, concrete blocks and blinding;
few include the ponding type (fully immersed) i.e. cubes for compressive strength test.
Recommendation;