Is ready mix concrete too expensive??

AJ123 · Mar 12, 2022

Isn’t it too expensive? yes

Is it going to get more expensive? Yes

So I’ve taken the view of keep laying it while I can. (Almost) afford it.

David. · Mar 12, 2022

I remember my Gramp saying it was too expensive at £100 a load.

Exfarmer · Mar 12, 2022

David. said:
I remember my Gramp saying it was too expensive at £100 a load.

£100, I can remember under £30

nxy · Mar 12, 2022

Exfarmer said:
£100, I can remember under £30

And probably with a 50% grant on it as well.

som farmer · Mar 12, 2022

we very often pick up 1 or 2m drymix, plant 4 miles away. Handy for small odd jobs.
other job that saves concrete, use a whacker plate pre concreting, saves a lot of concrete !

David. · Mar 13, 2022

Exfarmer said:
£100, I can remember under £30

And yet there are plenty of third generation farms where they poddle round the buildings up to their ankles in mud.

som farmer · Mar 13, 2022

we still have concrete, laid in the 50's, about 3ins thick, silage trailers, lorries drive over it, some has cracked, and been replaced, with 6ins, but a lot still fine !
Read an article on Roman concrete, they couldn't understand why it was so 'strong' and still fine, the simple addition of volcanic lava !

Exfarmer · Mar 13, 2022

som farmer said:
we still have concrete, laid in the 50's, about 3ins thick, silage trailers, lorries drive over it, some has cracked, and been replaced, with 6ins, but a lot still fine !
Read an article on Roman concrete, they couldn't understand why it was so 'strong' and still fine, the simple addition of volcanic lava !

In Rome their is a structure called the pantheon it has been a Christian church for 1600 years and was built between 4-600 years earlier . so todays structure is just 2,100 years old
It has a central unsupported dome 142 feet, 43m across with a central oculus ( opening ) 27 feet, 8m wide
All made from unreinforced concrete
and our motorway bridges struggle to survive 50 years

aleary5a · Mar 13, 2022

Material is more consistent from a ready-mix truck. And should be guaranteed the right strength. Additives are used for frost protection and to improve workability etc. If hand batched consistent batches will be a problem. Time may also be an issue. Takes longer to batch onsite are you paying someone to do this? If doing a floor slab may have patches with not enough cement. But if materials can be bought cheap and you have time then probably better batching on site

som farmer · Mar 13, 2022

Exfarmer said:
In Rome their is a structure called the pantheon it has been a Christian church for 1600 years and was built between 4-600 years earlier . so todays structure is just 2,100 years old
It has a central unsupported dome 142 feet, 43m across with a central oculus ( opening ) 27 feet, 8m wide
All made from unreinforced concrete
and our motorway bridges struggle to survive 50 years

motorway bridges, classic example, the first bridge over the severn, is coming to the end of its life, the stainless steel wires, holding the 'suspension' are weakening, and there for will reduce the life span, rapidly.
The Clifton suspension bridge, has cast iron wires, and they are as good today, as they were when built. One would have thought modern architects would have known better.
We went around York cathedral, on a tour, they were replacing some old oak timbers, a chap asked, why they were not replacing with steel girders. Never forget the reply

'' Sir, we know the oak timbers, will last a minimum of 700 years, we have no idea how long a steel girder will last''.

Rather think one hell of a lot of knowledge has been lost, to time, the pyramids are a classic example.

Doing it for the kids · Mar 13, 2022

som farmer said:
motorway bridges, classic example, the first bridge over the severn, is coming to the end of its life, the stainless steel wires, holding the 'suspension' are weakening, and there for will reduce the life span, rapidly.
The Clifton suspension bridge, has cast iron wires, and they are as good today, as they were when built. One would have thought modern architects would have known better.
We went around York cathedral, on a tour, they were replacing some old oak timbers, a chap asked, why they were not replacing with steel girders. Never forget the reply

'' Sir, we know the oak timbers, will last a minimum of 700 years, we have no idea how long a steel girder will last''.

Rather think one hell of a lot of knowledge has been lost, to time, the pyramids are a classic example.

Pet peeve is architects / designers that only focus on making it look pretty on the grand opening day, not how it will look in 5,10,25 yrs etc. And how easy it is to maintain.

So many New houses suffer from this and it’s not always budget constraints related. Drive me up the wall, these folk have no practical experience.

Chasingmytail · Mar 13, 2022

couple of weeks ago we paid £110pm.

som farmer · Mar 13, 2022

Doing it for the kids said:
Pet peeve is architects / designers that only focus on making it look pretty on the grand opening day, not how it will look in 5,10,25 yrs etc. And how easy it is to maintain.

So many New houses suffer from this and it’s not always budget constraints related. Drive me up the wall, these folk have no practical experience.

had a friend that was in the removal business, moving someone into a new flat, slipped while carrying a sofa, went straight through to next door flat, 3x2 timber, plasterboard, no insulation, or x pieces of timber, and we saw the photo's.
Most modern building is on a controlled budget, meaning some things are 'overlooked', all short term, you only need to look at 'old' houses, to realise the difference between long term and short term.

Doing it for the kids · Mar 13, 2022

som farmer said:
had a friend that was in the removal business, moving someone into a new flat, slipped while carrying a sofa, went straight through to next door flat, 3x2 timber, plasterboard, no insulation, or x pieces of timber, and we saw the photo's.
Most modern building is on a controlled budget, meaning some things are 'overlooked', all short term, you only need to look at 'old' houses, to realise the difference between long term and short term.

Agreed but tbf modern materials are equally pants.

Some of the old timbers holding up my farm house roof wouldn’t be up to the job of propping open the site porta loo door if new like for like

David. · Mar 14, 2022

All the sawn timber now, my Dad would have sent back 40yrs ago when he was building.

Funny Farmer · Mar 16, 2022

Small loads of concrete are often delivered in skips round here and naturally it has to be a stiff mix to stay in the skip while being transported. What the OP probably saw was the mix being "knocked up" having had water added after arrival on site to make laying easier.

Col555 · Mar 21, 2022

Paying 112 this week, been told to expect up to 40% price increase from start of April

Is this the same story everywhere?

vantage · Mar 21, 2022

Col555 said:
Paying 112 this week, been told to expect up to 40% price increase from start of April
Is this the same story everywhere?

£12 per cube increase from 1st April. Don’t know what the current price is.

Suffolksucklers · Mar 22, 2022

£120 pav2 here going up £13 1st April

goldeneagle · Mar 22, 2022

C35 @ £106 a cube, cement powder going up 16% again in April, coupled with white diesel expect it to be around £120 a cube thereafter.
North East Scotland and within 5 miles of batching plant.

Is ready mix concrete too expensive??

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0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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