Concrete mixing is a standout among the tasks there is within the construction world. When the job begins, speed and timeliness are vital and each contractor should be prepared for all outcomes. In reality, having the accessibility of the vital tools for mixing concrete in its entirety stages will determine if the work done will be correct with the right consistency for the job needed or an incorrect mix-producing wastage.
Before starting the process of mixing concrete, a contractor ought to have the accompanying fundamental tools and equipment for mixing and laying:
Tools For Pouring Concrete
Plate Compactor
These are utilised to level the ground of where the concrete is to be laid before it is poured.
Laser Level
This is typically used to check whether the surface where the concrete is to be poured is levelled well. They are also used after completion of the laying of concrete to ensure that it has been laid level as well as at the right height, so the work done is perfect.
Concrete Mixers & Lorries
Concrete has to be blended with water and mixed to reach the right consistency for the greatest durability and strength for the job. The kind of mixer that would be needed depends on the scale of the task. A truck mixer is generally utilised when the area needed is of a larger scale. Portable mixers are also available and prove to be useful when mixing smaller measures of concrete on site of the job. They are also more productive and quicker when mixing opposed to using wheelbarrows or tubs to mix concrete in by hand.
Wheelbarrows
These are regularly used to transport cement from the mixer if it has to be travelled to reach the pour site. On occasion, they can also be used to prepare small amounts of concrete for cost saving on smaller jobs. What’s more, they are significant in the aid of transporting and carrying extra equipment, tools and materials across work sites.
Shovels
They are used in moving small amounts of concrete to regions where there are depressions and expelling excess concrete from zones that are overfilled. They are also utilized to mix small batch of concrete in wheelbarrows or tubs.
Rubber Boots and Gloves
These are for the most part for shielding your skin from irritation brought about by concrete. Furthermore, elastic or rubber gloves shield you from certain harmful components that are in concrete, that may cause burns on your skin.
Knee Pads
These give a means for supporting your weight and protecting your knees while kneeling on the ground doing various tasks. They are generally utilised when using a hand trowel on the floor.
Concrete Vibrator
They are for the most part used to compact and settle concrete while also removing any air pockets within the laid mix. They come in various designs: form, internal, table and surface vibrators all appropriate for specific needs.
Concrete rakes
These are rakes explicitly intended for the pre-levelling as well as pushing and pulling laid concrete around.
Concrete Finishing Tools
Screed Levelers
This helps with the action of levelling concrete by tamping across the top layer of the mix to spread out as well as slightly compact, giving a more level and compact surface.
Concrete Float
Bull floats are normally used to level and smooth the surface after screed levelling has been finished. Before floating the concrete you must wait for all of the surface water, or bleed water has evaporated, otherwise floating with the water will weaken the surface when it dries.
Screed Mixture
This type of Screed is a finishing layer on top of floors on which to lay flooring upon and is used inside to give a smoother and more level finish. A screed mixture is made up of 4 parts sharp sand to 1 part cement.
Concrete Groove Cutters
Grooving is a significant process as it prevents the cracking of the concrete and the flooring surface as the concrete dries up or throughout usage.
Trowels
These can be utilised for smoothing any extra parts of the surface before leaving it to dry. Hand trowels are best utilised for smaller sections of concrete while as previously mentioned concrete floats are used for larger areas.
Concrete Edgers
To complete the concrete task effectively you should run a solid edger over the perimetre once it begins to solidify up. They produce rounded edges along the edge of the concrete which aids in the resistance from chipping or spalling, also known as flaking.
Concrete Testing tools
Concrete often has to be tested to ensure its structural integrity and that the concrete that has been laid has sufficient strength and durability for the intended purpose.
Concrete Moisture Meters
They are used by concrete layers to do spot checks of sections where concrete has be laid and is now drying. They are designed to detect moisture to a total depth of 1”. Tests are done to see if there is excess moisture within the concrete that can cause buckling or warping of any flooring which is to be laid upon the concrete.
Concrete Thermo-hygrometers
They are utilised to screen both relative humidity and temperature of the concrete surface while the concrete is yet to fully set. Again this testing aids with the placing on moisture sensitive materials on the floor on in the room where the concrete has been laid, so no damage to these materials occurs and they are not placed in the room till the levels are right.
Rotary Drills
These are utilised for penetrating concrete that is now dry to facilitate the relative testing of the mix, to ensure the concrete laid is correct for the intended purpose
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