Today I met a fellow in the community who has a mobile concrete truck, one where all of the primary ingrediants are hauled dry in the truck, and are mixed as they are delivered out the back on the job. He can produce up to 8 yds. per load, and you only pay for what you actually use, unlike a ready mix, where you estimate what you will need, and pay for what is ordered. It is somewhat more expensive than ready mix, but for small jobs, may be a good choice. I am wondering what experience others of you have had with this type of concrete service on other parts of the country, and if the product was comparible to ready mix. Thanks.
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A guy showed up here with one of those a couple of years ago. I never used him but apparently he had problems getting good quality material out of the truck--I don't know the details but he's gone. Personally I don't see how you can get the ingredients properly mixed and the cement hydrated in a 10-foot chute.
It's great for small jobs. The first bit of material out of the shute may not be mixed well, if at all so you might want to have a wheel barrow handy if your going straight in the forms.
When the forms are full they're done. No clean up area needed, they just put a diaper under the back end and away they go. with you money of course.
The machines are heavy, of course. Here they make you sign a waiver if you want them to back up your drive way. I keep'em in the street or in the paved alley.
Its great in that you only pay for what you use, they can adjust the mix (wet, dry, rich, lean) and they can add fibers, air etc. This can be a real plus when the footers are over uneven ground and calculations could be very hard to figure. (I wasted 3 yards on thursday b/c of this)
Its not so great in that you have very fresh concrete that can take forever to cure (could be a plus) and the biggest pain for finished flatwork is that different areas will cure at different rates since the entire mix didn't mix together like in a standard truck. They claim to use warm water to help speed up the cure rate...
Our local company is a 1 trick pony - 3/4 stone, 5-7 bag mix, fibers, air are the only options. They have no small aggregate pump mix or anything exotic. But I'll use them for small jobs, sidewalks etc, and the'll do Saturday pours (at a premium).
Quality depends a lot on the experience and integrity of the operator, though I hear some mobile batch plants are better than others. The local guy here can carry enough for about six yards of six sack. I have used him for pours of 12-18 yards where he goes back to his yard for a refill, about 12 minutes away. Round trips take about 40 minutes. Not a big issue since the mud is so fresh. The biggest disadvantage is if you are also paying for pump time.
It is nice to be able to switch cement, aggregate, and water ratios. You can do a few yards of mortar mix and switch a mix with ¾ crush. It is also nice to be able to buy just the amount you need, within a quarter yard.
I have poured 485 yards in a hillside ICF project and considered stockpiling on site for him to refill. I am not satisfied with the local batch plant's quality. Fortunately, I was able to get excellent mud from another supplier who was set up for a big bridge job so I didn't need the mobile system for the large pours.
I have learned a lot about concrete. The operator is one factor, the quality and cleanliness of the aggregate is another. Cement itself is not too variable, and water is usually OK. You usually have to dump a quarter to half a wheel barrow to make sure the mix is dialed in, I have never seen any problems with adequate mixing and have pours right out of the chute.
I've never seen one, what is the size of the "chute" on these trucks? Can they pump directly into sonotubes?
Depends on the truck and Sonotube. Here are some links to different manufacturers.
http://www.cementech.com/
http://www.elkinhitech.com/
http://www.portamix.com/
http://www.reimermix.com/
http://www.sitemix.com/
http://www.zimmermanindustries.com/
I believe my local guy has a Zimmer, don't know the model.
Thanks for those links. It looks like the the systems run the gamut from back-yard friendly to some real monsters. I have a job that needs 1.7 yds for some footers -- big enough to make hand mixing a PITA, but on the small side for a redimix truck.
I placed 1.3 yds week before last, and will do about 1.6 in a few weeks - a patio slab for tile.
I just have my lumber supplier deliver 50-80 80# bags on a pallet right beside the pour, and then get their tow-behind rental mixer. It will do 12 bags no problem, and I can horse it and dump it where I want, by myself. I can place 50 bags myself, and have the mixer back, all within 4 hours.
Ready-mix around here is getting stupid - even with my long-time account - approaching $100/yd, and now full truck only.
Forrest
I use a similar setup for deck building. With the tubes in the ground, they can either pour directly in the tube, if they can back up close enough, or just transfer from wheelbarrow to tube. The guy I use (Concrete Express) is so busy, I have to reserve a time days in advance. I've had them pour piers as well as small slabs. First one I used was a couple of years ago on a deck. I went back there this year and gave the deck a quick inspection from piers to cap rail; nothing wrong that I could see. They are quick, a little expensive, but convenient.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Used the guys we have here a few times. $110 per yard with a two yard minimum charge. Works out well especially when all the big concrete guys around here are so busy some will not even sell to us smaller guys or if they do you have to take the time slot THEY want you to have. Just last year we had to pour a slab at 4:30am just to get a spot. Had to rent lights and everything or wait three weeks for an open "normal" time.
WE pour sonotubes for decks and small patios with these guys frequently. I really enjoy only paying for what I need, and normally they are more conveinient.
Last time we poured with a miniature cement mixer mounted on a f 450. It was easy to maneuver him into the tight spaces, a normal truck would never had gotten into.
just my two cents
greg in connecticut
I bought a small mixer a while back for 300$ and I will mix my own up to about 2 yrds.
The nice thing about this setup is I get mY bags of concrete loaded on my dump trailer and load off right into the mixer 2 bags at a time mix to the consistancy I need than roll mixer to forms and pour straight out of mixer.Rinse real quick leave water in for next 2 bags and trowel as I go.
I order extra bags and when I am done go back to store and have them off load with forklift.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST