Making concreting easier

[Cookie]

We do a fair bit of concreting every year. It's hard work, which I don't mind, but it does restrict the amount we can do in a day. Generally we will have my Brother, Me, my Diggerman and anyone else thats about on the day. We use wooden shutters, use the JCB to put the concrete in, level by hand and then screed and tamp with a homemade tamper (a piece of 6x2 with handles!)

Does anyone have any tips or a particular bit of kit that can speed the job up without breaking the bank? TIA

 

[foxbox]

We used to do that, biggest difference was bringing in a vibrating beam to tamp with. It's a heavy son of a.. when you are lugging it about but standing up to pull it as opposed to tamping with a 6x2 is so much easier. One pass and you're done. If you hire one it'll inevitably need a bit of cleaning when it arrives but it's still worth the hassle.

 

[S J H]

@Pan mixer

 

[Cookie]

We used to do that, biggest difference was bringing in a vibrating beam to tamp with. It's a heavy son of a.. when you are lugging it about but standing up to pull it as opposed to tamping with a 6x2 is so much easier. One pass and you're done. If you hire one it'll inevitably need a bit of cleaning when it arrives but it's still worth the hassle.

Can you use these with wooden shuttering? We're a bit concerned it will move them about as they're so heavy

 

[simmy_bull]

We do a fair bit of concreting every year. It's hard work, which I don't mind, but it does restrict the amount we can do in a day. Generally we will have my Brother, Me, my Diggerman and anyone else thats about on the day. We use wooden shutters, use the JCB to put the concrete in, level by hand and then screed and tamp with a homemade tamper (a piece of 6x2 with handles!)

Does anyone have any tips or a particular bit of kit that can speed the job up without breaking the bank? TIA

Try one of those magic screed machines. We did a shed a couple of years ago and poured the whole 45 x 24 and then a lad magic screeded it by walking backwards in the concrete and it takes your foot prints out as you go.

 

[upnortheast]

These are the dog`s rubbish. Laser controlled so level to a 2mm tolerence. Trouble is cost about the same as a telehandler
Magic screeders do a good job. Still need to level by hand though

 

[Pan mixer]

I made my own vibrating beam.

There is a photo about somewhere, I will try to find it.

Two electric motors - one a dud connected by belt.

The dud one has the windings removed - bit of a fiddle but they knock out if you find the locating tags and bend them. Then I welded a piece of metal to the armature about 50 x 20 x20 mm, reassembled the motor and connected the two motors together by belt.

Used two old but straight f steel formers and welded them together like a ladder, mounted the motor assembly on top, put a taller box frame on top of that so that you have handles at the proper height and run the electric along to one end for an isolator switch.

You can lift it about with a forklift and, attaching a rope to the front, pull it down the slab whilst the two operatives ride on the beam.

Works a treat.

 

[Lazy Eric]

Magic screeds aren't miracle machines. You need to have it nearly there with the level and consistency. Those machines are best left to guys who use them regularly.
I would suggest a beam screed with steel road forms. Both can easily be hired.

 

[Steevo]

I use an @RWG Contracts for mine. Makes the job look easy and top notch quality.

Not quite of kit....and I'd hope none would suggest a tool either!

 

[TomB]

For us doing levelish open yards. Steel shuttering, 9 or 12m lengths of steel channel is easy to set up and not that expensive. Steel road forms are hard work. We hire a twin beam screed, and order the concrete wet, 130slump+ so that it nearly levels itself. Minimal shovelling, pull the screed over it. Easy.

 

[Pan mixer]

I do use my digger to cut down on the shoveling when I have a readymixed load.

 

[multi power]

The no.1 best thing I have ever seen to make laying concrete easy is have a good person pouring it, nice and level and even as you go

 

[Pan mixer]

The no.1 best thing I have ever seen to make laying concrete easy is have a good person pouring it, nice and level and even as you go

Trouble with ours was that the truck had to keep backing in each bay and not very far at that, with the pan mixer i could have got right in but I didn't have the time to do the big lumps.

 

[foxbox]

Can you use these with wooden shuttering? We're a bit concerned it will move them about as they're so heavy

You can but it's hard work and steel shuttering makes it so much easier. You'll find a lot of friction with a timber shutter, especially if it is rough sawn. The liquid element of the concrete sticks to the wood and makes the whole job harder than it needs to be. We still use wood for short bits, awkward shapes etc but generally steel is the way forwards.

 

[Cookie]

Thanks for the advice everyone, going to give the steel road forms and a beam screed a try and see how we get on

 

[David.]

Just buy some lengths of 6x3 channel in 10m lengths, and tack weld them to a driven in spike about every 10 feet.
Beam screed and a patient and cooperative premix driver are what you need, get it nearly level as it pours. Have used a Bunyan roller, and it does pull surface off level, but I feel they do not vibrate sufficiently to tamp properly.

 

[Lincsman]

My shed was done by a contractor who just ordered 100 slump concrete so does not need tamping (dont wet up what turns up, its not the same) just poured it evenly checking with a laser, then used those magic tamps to smooth off then power floated. No shutters in an enclosed shed except the doorway, its well within 5mm. Because there are no shutter lines, "crack" lines are then cut in the following day.

 

[deere 6600]

My shed was done by a contractor who just ordered 100 slump concrete so does not need tamping (dont wet up what turns up, its not the same) just poured it evenly checking with a laser, then used those magic tamps to smooth off then power floated. No shutters in an enclosed shed except the doorway, its well within 5mm. Because there are no shutter lines, "crack" lines are then cut in the following day.

We have just done a very similar job 4 of us levelled out with rakes and one used laser level to check then magic tamp thingy.imust say I have laid a fair bit of concrete in my time and this was the easiest and most satisfying job ever to be fair was in a shed with walls 25 feet wide done in one go.brilliant

 

[David.]

How does magic tamp work then, does it float on the surface or do you have to fight with it to stop the thing going in out of sight.

 

[Willie adie]

I'm reading this and shaking my head in disbelief at what I am seeing spouted!
We laid 4 cube the other week so I now class us as experienced skilled operatives,

There was none of this shuttering. Pour in level nonsense that I see you all seem to advocate! No I carted home two cube at a time in a 5 tonne cart. Obviously time from when it was loaded at yard to the time I got it home was an hour. So this had no effect on the ability to get it down level.

We just shovelled it out of tipped cart.and filled the holes in the shed we had cleaned out perfectly and diligently earlier. Then we used back of shovel and sleeper to pull across. Though the sleeper was my suggestion after the boss was originally mined to use a fence post.
Obviously i suggested investing in a trowel or float to blend in edges. But was informed that was a total waste of money as he went off and re appeared with a pointing trowel the area of the said implement was similar to a bikini bottom.
And I watched in awe as he proceeded to attempt to blend in the edges.
Its what I call the Jock Mcdubby concreting method.