[TowerTalk] Price of concrete

[Patrick Greenlee]

Do be careful if DIY cement work. I just did 26 bags of 60 lb each to stand 
up a pipe.  It is pretty hard work.  My small electric mixer can just do 3 
bags at a time (barely)  Pipe has been vertical for over 3 weeks now. 
Saturday I used the FEL on my tractor to hoist the crank-up tower into place 
and mate the piano hinge I welded on to the tower 7 ft above the base and on 
top of the pipe 15 ft above ground level.

Ready to put the guys on the top of the bottom section of tower (only two 
sections of 20 ft)

A small job like this is a candidate for DIY if you have the tools, 
experience, and mixer.  Paying for 4 yards and not using it would be very 
inefficient and a waste of $ that could be put to better use.  When a job is 
big enough for me to prefer delivery I try to have more than one project to 
pour.  I have forms for casting blocks of concrete.  If nothing else the 
extra could be made into stepping stones by digging molds in the ground.

Patrick AF5CK


-----Original Message----- 
From: r miles
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2013 7:54 AM
To: towertalk
Subject: [TowerTalk] Price of concrete


One reason is the demand. A retailer told me several yr.s ago he was
having problems getting cement.  Concrete is rock, sand & cement. The
Chinese were buying literally billions of yards of cement. The Dams in
their 7 Gorges project was gg to require  billions & billions of yards
of concrete. Recently a TV program abt. the 7 Gorges project said China
has moved over 1 million people from where the dams are going.  Imagine
moving a large city to build something.

Here concrete redi-mix vendors are using a 4 yard minimum delivery
charge. You use one or two yards for a base you still pay for 4 yards
even if they take the leftover. Most vendors  charge a fee for 'waiting
time' if you can't get the concrete off the truck in their allotted
time. Most charge so much a minute after your time expires!

I just poured 1 yard for a base using the 60 lb. bags you get at the big
box store. Way cheaper if you can do the work yourself. My Dad delivered
redi-mix for over 25 yr.s so I know a few things to make pouring easier.

If you're not  knowledgeable abt. concrete ask someone who knows. You do
a bad pour & you can't just shovel it out & start again. Once it 'sets'
it's there. Period.

K9IL
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