Your query for what is ready-mixed concrete ends here. Ready-mixed concrete is one type that is ready-made and ready to be used on any site. If you have been searching for what ready-mixed concrete is, its types, advantages, and disadvantages, then you are just in the right place. This article will elaborate on ready-mixed concrete, its advantages, disadvantages, and types. Additionally, we will highlight the top construction estimating services in NYC that will help you choose the best company when choosing ready-mix concrete measures. Let’s begin our discussion by understating the term ready mixed concrete.
What Is Ready-Mixed Concrete?
It is a concrete type usually manufactured in a factory or a batching plant following a specific formula. Then, it is delivered to the work site by truck, which is mounted to transit mixers. However, it offers a precise mixture that enables quality control and consistent performance.
Ready-mixed concrete (RMC) has advantages and disadvantages. When transported by truck, it could be expensive to deliver to remote areas. Additionally, the RMS can sometimes be lower quality than the concrete mixed onsite. But before we discuss its advantages and disadvantages, we will describe its types.
Types of Ready Mixed Concrete:
Ready-mix concrete enables construction builders to speed up their work by building it in the factory or a batching plant and making it available wherever and whenever required. The ready-mixed concrete comes into three major types, such as:
- Central Mixed Concrete
- Shrink Mixed Concrete
- Transit Mixed Concrete
Let’s elaborate on each type separately.
- Central Mixed Concrete:
Central Mixed Concrete, also known as wet-batch concrete, is a type of ready-mixed concrete where all the ingredients (cement, water, aggregates, and admixtures) are thoroughly mixed at a central plant before being transported to the construction site.
Key Characteristics:
- Pre-Mixed at Plant: The mixing process is completed at the central batching plant, ensuring uniformity and consistency in the concrete mix.
- Transported in Agitator Trucks: The mixed concrete is then transported to the site in trucks with rotating drums to prevent the concrete from setting during transit.
- Faster Delivery: Since the concrete is mixed, it can be delivered quickly and used immediately upon arrival.
- High-Quality Control: The central mixing process allows for better control of the concrete’s properties, ensuring a consistent mix, which is essential for projects requiring high-quality standards.
Central mixed concrete is ideal for large construction projects where quality and uniformity are critical, such as bridges, highways, and large-scale commercial buildings.
- Shrink Mixed Concrete:
Shrink-mixed concrete is a type of ready-mix concrete partially mixed at a central batching plant and completed in a truck mixer during transit to the construction site.
Key Characteristics:
- Partial Mixing at Plant: A portion of the mixing process is done at the central plant, typically to reduce the volume of the mixture and avoid excessive mixing in the truck.
- Final Mixing in Transit: The concrete is transported to the site in a truck with a rotating drum, where the final mixing occurs during transit, ensuring a fresh and homogeneous mix upon arrival.
- Quality Control: This method allows better control of the concrete’s consistency compared to transit-mixed concrete but with more flexibility than fully central-mixed concrete.
- Volume Reduction: By partially mixing the concrete at the plant, the time needed for mixing in the truck is reduced, making it ideal for longer transport distances.
Shrink-mixed concrete is used when quality control and flexibility in transportation time are essential.
- Transit Mixed Concrete:
Transit-mixed concrete, or dry-batched concrete, is a type of ready-mixed concrete where the dry ingredients (cement, sand, aggregates) are mixed inside a truck mixer, and water is added only during transit or at the construction site.
Key Features:
- Mixing Process: The dry materials are loaded into the truck at the batch plant, and water is added later during transport or just before use, allowing for greater control over the mix consistency.
- Flexibility: Since water is added at the construction site, the mixing time and consistency can be adjusted to meet specific project requirements such as strength, workability, and setting time.
- Extended Travel Time: This method is helpful for jobs far from the batching plant, as the concrete starts setting when water is introduced, making your construction process more efficient.
- Reduced Waste: Transit-mixed concrete minimizes the risk of hardening prematurely, promoting responsible use and reducing waste, a key concern in any construction project.
It is commonly used for projects requiring flexibility in mixing or for sites far from the batching plant.
Advantages of Ready-Mix Concrete:
- Ready-made, available concrete upon demand.
- It comes in better quality because it is produced before being transported to the construction site.
- There is no need to keep materials on site.
- Labor costs eliminated
- It avoids basic material waste.
Disadvantages of Ready-Mix Concrete
- It requires enormous initial investments.
- It is not suitable for small projects.
- Proper transportation requirements from the factory or batching plant to the construction site.
- Ready-mix concrete can cost more than traditional site-mixed concrete.
- Because it is not made on-site, there may be no control over the concrete’s quality.
Bottom Line:
As the name implies, ready-mixed concrete offers a more effective and affordable choice for construction projects of any size. There are different types, and there are advantages and disadvantages as well. However, there are many things to consider when buying it, such as how strong it should be, how much you need, the type of mix you want, and the supplier’s reputation. Additionally, it would be best to estimate the need for your ready-mix concrete. This is where My Virtual Estimator comes into business. With over 10 years of experience in construction estimation services, they are the best in the industry in the landscape of NYC.
