# Small Job



## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

I have a customer who wants to replace a tiny little section of driveway. It is about 24 square feet. My masonry guy insists on getting a delivery. Maybe combine it with another job. He says he used to hand mix concrete, but he could never get it to come out quite as well. 

Does hand mixing really produce an inferior product? What about a little trailer mixer or something? What's the best way to do a small job like that?


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

IMO, what your Mason said. Usually pretty easy to do.

If you do use a portable mixer I always add some more Portland until I like the color.

Most concrete pours, no matter the size, get screwed up because too much water is added.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Do what super seal does and fill the bed of your pickup with concrete.


----------



## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

Concrete in the bed? Interesting. Never heard of that. Might actually work. How long can it sit there before pouring?


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

We have a yard that allows you to get a trailer with concrete that they mix, up to a yard at a time.


----------



## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

My buddy delivers for JDM Materials. He consistently says, the truck leaves the yard with only one delivery. It doesn't matter if it's a yard of concrete, the truck only makes one delivery and then returns to the yard. So, you can't combine with other jobs.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

instock said:


> Concrete in the bed? Interesting. Never heard of that. Might actually work. How long can it sit there before pouring?


Biggest problem with dumping it in a bed is ALL the aggregate settles to the bottom.

Rough road or too many railroad tracks and you will be removing the aggregate with a pick.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> My buddy delivers for JDM Materials. He consistently says, the truck leaves the yard with only one delivery. It doesn't matter if it's a yard of concrete, the truck only makes one delivery and then returns to the yard. So, you can't combine with other jobs.


Many times I have had multiple drops from one load.

About three weeks ago three of us split a load at 4 different drops.


----------



## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

griz said:


> Many times I have had multiple drops from one load.
> 
> About three weeks ago three of us split a load at 4 different drops.


I guess that's just how JDM runs their operation.

He said he thought the reason was because of the time the concrete has to sit on the truck. He's worked for them for over 20 yrs. I know very little about concrete. He only delivers. I know if you order from JDM (James Morrissey), the truck is only leaving the yard with the amount you ordered: no more, no less.


----------



## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Buy the concrete sand and graded aggregate from the ready-Mix plant sans water, mix with your Portland Cement & water at the driveway.......

No savings, but no extra waiting charges or rutted yard/cracked driveway/sidewalk. 

Bagged 5000 psi gravel mix is a possibility too from the big box stores.
24 square feet x 4" thick =8 cubic feet, almost a third of a yard of Concrete about 1333 lbs more or less 

16x 5 gallon buckets fill to the 4 gallon/0.5 cubic foot level....


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> I guess that's just how JDM runs their operation.
> 
> He said he thought the reason was because of the time the concrete has to sit on the truck. He's worked for them for over 20 yrs. I know very little about concrete. He only delivers. I know if you order from JDM (James Morrissey), the truck is only leaving the yard with the amount you ordered: no more, no less.


It can depend on how long it sits in the truck and how many revolutions the barrel spins.

For school jobs there is a special inspector at the plant watching the load being batched then another inspector watching the pour and the guy from the testing lab for slump and break cylinders.

My split loads have been pretty quick run for the truck and horsepower at the job to get it off the truck quick.


----------



## jazzwillie (May 15, 2015)

I'm envisioning the sight of an S10 pickup truck overloaded to the hilt with a truck bed full of concrete, and front wheels hardly touching.


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> ... I know very little about concrete...


Your lucky....

Here's all you need to know....

It's heavy

It gets hard 

It is going to crack....


----------



## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

aptpupil said:


> We have a yard that allows you to get a trailer with concrete that they mix, up to a yard at a time.






We used to have that also,was very practical. Unfortunately,have not seen that around me since the late '70,s.


----------



## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

instock said:


> Concrete in the bed? Interesting. Never heard of that. Might actually work. How long can it sit there before pouring?





In warm summer days,not very long,better hope you do not get stopped by a slow moving freight train.:laughing:


----------



## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I knew that already. lol

But I've come across some really good masons and that are more artists than contractors in my opinion. The main I use now is amazing.

If I thought I knew anything about masonry, concrete, etc., they left me knowing I know absolutely nothing.

I know what I'm good at and while I wear a lot of hats, I don't play around with masonry. I've seen the results of a pour "getting away" from those who "thought" they knew how to finish. Not this guy.

I leave that strictly to the professional...the artists.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for some of the masons on here. The work they do is amazing. Plus, aside from it being artistry, it's freaking hard. There's nothing easy about. Nothing.

That was longer than expected.


----------



## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

jb4211 said:


> I know if you order from JDM (James Morrissey), the truck is only leaving the yard with the amount you ordered: no more, no less.





Over here (N.W In.) after a real heavy rainy period,it will be less....guaranteed.The plants do not do a good job of calibrating for the moisture the stone and sand pick up.


----------



## Gordon Forsyth (May 18, 2015)

make sure in your contract you specify which concrete will be used


----------



## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

I cant believe this guy is worried about the equivalency of 20 bags of concrete :laughing:

Just chuck it in the damn truck and be on your way. Make it a little wet in the summer or through in the retarder and you'd be surprised how much time you get. 

Of course, don't drive to around making unnecessary stops. Just get to the job and get it off. As far as segregation, it's not really much and if you turn it over on the shovel and jab it a few times, you're good to go.
Turning it in the wheel barrow with a hoe also works well.

It also helps to have a steel plate and sealed walls in the bed as it aids in easy cleanout with no destruction of your vehicle.

My limit is usually a yard or so but we have regulars who routinely pick up 2 yards in standard Chevy 2500's or Fords equivalent. Do the math and your talking 8 grand in the back :whistling

On a whole different level we have guys who pick up much more in dumps, 4 to 5 yards is not uncommon.


----------



## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> My buddy delivers for JDM Materials. He consistently says, the truck leaves the yard with only one delivery. It doesn't matter if it's a yard of concrete, the truck only makes one delivery and then returns to the yard. So, you can't combine with other jobs.


He's being politically correct with his statement, but unfortunately, not realistic.


----------



## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Your the only guy I know that does this Super. You made me consider it a few times but....I didnt


----------



## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Many areas have a dial-a-mix operation. They have a hopper with dry goods and a tank of water and mix on site as much or as little as needed. Usually a little more expensive per yd than a standard concrete truck but still better than mixing by hand


----------



## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Tom M said:


> Your the only guy I know that does this Super. You made me consider it a few times but....I didnt




:thumbsup:



I picked up a dump truck full almost 40 yrs ago......did not enjoy it.:no:


Anything more than a wheelbarrow,I call the truck and "pass the savings" on to the customer.I don't care if the plant is across the street.:laughing:


----------



## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

I tried Supers way last weekend. We have poured a large stamped and colored pad a few days before, we needed to add the steps (wasn't possible to do in same pour). It was .35 yards, called concrete company, they told me they would call when they had some left in the truck and would drop it by. Well, plant went down in am, all loads backed up for an hour. Manager calls and says he can't spare the time but we could come get some from the clean out location.

3 wheel barrows, 1 - half full 55 gallon drum and a 5 gallon bucket (for good measure) and we headed to clean out site. Used my F250, to tall to load into barrels in truck, filled each on ground and put back into bed. Filled barrel 1/3 full, used 5 gallon bucket to fill to 2/3 in back of truck. Then filled the 5 gallon bucket just in case, strapped everything quick, didn't want and accident on way to job. Got there, all good, controlled fall (ish) of the 55 gallon barrel, yeah, not thinking clearly there. Especially loading last, the wheel barrels were blocked in. Lifted out those ridiculously heavy wheel barrels, think a testicle exploded!

Mixed in color, rolled around to forms, dumped in perfect and had 1 wheel barrel nearly full extra. A lot of work really, but saved the min charges and went actually pretty good. I would probably use the dump trailer with a tarp in it next time but that was on another site and full of debris. I was pretty proud of my red neck abilities and knew I owed it all to Super for the idea! 

Reference bag crete, HATE IT!!! Never finishes well because of small agregate, also no air in the mix makes finishing a bit more difficult IMO. Plant mixed is the only way to go, unless it's deck peirs or fencing, forget the bag mix.


----------



## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

brhokel606: Re: bag mix, for air entrainment add the soap to the water, stir than add the water to the dry mix....

Add a bag of P cement(2-2.5 lbs a bag) to every pallet of bag mix to ensure plenty of cement paste, it is only 40 to 60 cents more a bag/ 10-15 dollars a yard... chump change for easier finishing.


----------

