We are NOW Mixing our own Concrete with Great Success!!


Our newest purchase is a brand new portable volumetric cement mixer. 
We also purchased a boom truck with a 17 ton crane to use as support for 
moving, filling and powering the mixer.


           Click here to see the advantages of having our own mixer.                    
           Click here to see pictures of the first reservoir done with our new mixer.


What is a Volumetric Mixer??


The volumetric mixer is a cement mixer which has four separate bins.  They hold 
cement dust, sand, stone and water.  The dust, sand and stone fall on a conveyor
 running under the bins.  Each bin is controlled by a separate gate, giving you the 
ability to provide any mix required.  The conveyor dumps the mixture onto an 
auger where water (and any additives)  is added at an adjustable rate which is 
controlled by the operator.  When the concrete dumps out of the 9' auger, it is of 
the same quality and consistency you would get from a regular mixer truck.  These
 mixers are quite popular on the east coast and the mid west.  There are several 
companies making these mixers throughout the United States.  

For more information, visit the web site of Cementech.
Thanks to Doug and Kevin for their outstanding service.  

 


WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES TO MIXING OUR OWN CONCRETE?

1. The concrete is fresher.  We are gaining an average of 500 to1,000 psi of strength  to the concrete because it doesn't spend 45 to 90 minutes in a mixer truck.  We also get a true slump. The concrete may be mixed at a 5" slump, but will show up on the jobsite at a 3" slump.
2.  We don't have to worry about hot concrete when jobsites are a long ways from the cement plant. (We have used retarder, but have had problems with cement companies adding improper amounts).  Often it does do not work properly, and a few times we have come back the next day to find that the concrete still hasn't set yet.
3. We have better control of the mix designs, eliminating problems with some of the concrete plants in certain parts of the state.
4.     It eliminates scheduling problem with concrete companies.  We don't have to wait hours for late trucks. On days when a concrete plant's schedule is full we can still pour.  Sometimes during the summer months concrete plants can be booked for 1 to 2 weeks or more in advance.
5.     By using our own mix, we can  help to control costs for the customer. Concrete prices can greatly vary depending on the area.  
6.     We will never be short on concrete or have to send extra back to the plant. The mixer mixes as needed, so you always have the right amount.





Our first reservoir BUILT with the new MIXER

In the second week of June, 2003, our mixer and boom truck were loaded onto a barge and were  hauled from Orcas Island to Obstruction Island for our first job using our new mixer


Here, the crew makes final preparations for the very first pour.


               

         
Here are pictures of the completed reservoir on Obstruction Island. 
 
This tank was poured in its entirety with concrete mixed in our new mixer.


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