Ready Mixed Concrete Resource Efficiency and Costing of Production

by Pooja Late so cut

Ready mixed concrete is a material that is readymade and is a mixture of cement, aggregate, sand and water. It is a type of concrete that is mixed in a batching plant and according to the specification of the customer. At the end, it is taken to the site where it is need via a transit mixer. Ready mixed concrete resource efficiency has an action plan and was developed by those in the ready-mixed concrete industry to support its supply chain. This supply chain ranges from the extraction of raw material to the deconstruction and demolition of building and in the identification and creating of an actionable tactic for the improvement of resource efficiency. This action plan pinpoints the main actions and challenges that the ready mixed concrete industry and its connected supply chain need to straighten out in order to make developments in resource efficiency.

Materials used in the manufacturing of ready mixed concrete are

Cement, this include a combination of ordinary Portland cement and the additions of ggbs ( from steel and iron manufacture) or fly ash from coal fired power stations
Aggregates (gravel aggregate, coarse crushed and sand)
Steel fibers or polymer to give specific properties.
Chemical admixtures like air entrainment agents, water reducing, plasticizing and viscosity modifying products

The type of materials and proportions used in an individual concrete mixture is dependent on the performance and end use of the concrete required. Non-optimal specification e.g. more cement in the mixture of concrete than its hardened performance needed can superfluously escalate the environmental impact of the concrete. The 43 grade Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the one of the most popular general purpose cement in the world today. The production of 43 grade OPC is closely about fifty percent of the total product of cement in the world.

A huge quantity of ready mixed concrete is kept within formwork. This is to achieve the required form or shape. Two things are required for the formwork:

The consideration of the material used
The way the formwork is specified or designed.

This is done to reduce the wastage of landfill. Formwork may be temporary or permanent (left in place within the building). Ready mixed concrete is perfectly fitted for construction purpose because of its availability in large quantity and most times limited. Ready-mixed concrete is used most suitably for on-site casting of large volumes of concrete, especially where location is promising directly from the truck or through a concrete pump. It is less efficiently used for small volumes of concrete, mainly where it is transported on site by wheelbarrows or small skips and dumpers. Ready-mixed concrete is largely supplied with third party product conformity certification, which is essential to the use of the materials-efficient range of designated concretes.

Ready mixed concrete has a lower Maintenance Costs. Concrete buildings can tolerate the test of time because of their enormous sturdiness and coupled with the minimal maintenance that is required with a possession of a huge sustainable benefit when compared to other buildings. Moisture and humidity has the ability to damage other construction materials with the exception of concrete as a result of rust or rot.

Author’s Bio

Harry Umar in this post relates to the reader all they need to know about the resource efficiency of ready mixed concrete and how 43-grade cement is widely used in building industry today.