Specialty concrete mixes: find the right formula for your project
Would you put peanut butter in a burrito? Unless you’re a flavor daredevil, probably not. The construction of a delicious burrito rests on a firm foundation of rice, beans, salsa, and a few protein variations. And although it’s a handheld snack like a PB&J, the two are very different.
Concrete has a similar story. While some folks may think you can throw the same ingredients in the mix for any old concrete project, that isn’t the case. And while a peanut butter burrito may be a short-lived mealtime mistake, the wrong concrete mix can affect a project for years or even decades.
Different mixes are needed for different projects
Why do concrete projects require certain kinds of mixes? It all comes down to how concrete is supposed to function in the project. For example, you wouldn’t use the same concrete mix for both a sidewalk and a dam. Although sidewalk concrete must be firm underfoot, a dam requires a much stronger mixture to hold back tons of water. It’s important to determine this before you start to pour!
Find the right formula
Just like our burrito has base ingredients to set it up for success, so does concrete. While most concrete mixes incorporate water, aggregate (like stone and sand), and cement, the ratios of each of these components can vary. Plus, some concrete projects need a little something extra. Like putting melted cheese in a burrito to bind all the ingredients together, adding fibers can reinforce the strength of concrete, along with steel rebar. Accelerating chemicals can make concrete set faster while retarding agents can make it set more slowly. Understanding what formula to use for a concrete project is key.
Get expert advice
While anyone can experiment with burrito recipes, creating a specialty concrete mix requires an expert. It’s critical to have someone who knows how certain admixes interact or how certain mixes will perform in specific conditions, like weather or weight. And there’s another step: concrete mixtures go through a series of tests to identify which type of mixture is best for a project. For example, CALTRANS has specific guidelines and specifications that must be met for their concrete projects.
Special projects need a specialist
Other projects, such as the Oroville Dam and the Butte City Bridge the Mathews Readymix team has worked on, require incredible expertise, ability, and facility to take on large, complicated projects like these. Our team is highly trained in specialty concrete mixes, and while we can’t share our proprietary mixes, rest assured they are the result of years of testing to get the exact formula combining durability and strength.
Do you have questions about finding the right concrete mix for your project? Mathews Readymix can help. We are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality concrete and best service in the area. Contact us today, and we’ll help create the perfect mix of concrete for your needs.