What are the most popular uses for ready mix concrete?

The versatility of ready mix concrete makes it a popular choice for applications ranging from DIY jobs to civil engineering works and other construction projects.

1st Choice Concrete & Skip Hire is a Liverpool based ready mix concrete supplier. In this article we will take a look at the most popular uses for ready mix concrete and why it ticks all the right boxes for so many different types of construction applications.

What is ready mix concrete?

Firstly we will explain what ready mix concrete is, and how it differs to other concrete types.

Ready mix concrete is also referred to as ready mixed concrete. It’s the same thing! Ready mix concrete is manufactured to the required grade and batched to order in a controlled plant, ready for despatch. It is usually made of 60-75% aggregates such as sand, crushed stones or gravel, 15-20% water and 10-15% cement.

The alternatives to ready mix concrete are concrete that is mixed on site from raw materials, or trans-mixed concrete that is mixed in large rotating tanks during transportation.

To suit the required application of ready mixed concrete, it is manufactured to a specific grade by using different levels of the components. This is particularly useful on larger scale construction projects where a different mix of concrete is required for each element such as the floors, walls or foundations.

The most popular uses for ready mix concrete in domestic projects

When it comes to domestic projects, budget, convenience and quality are all essential delivery elements required of a ready mixed concrete supplier. Because ready mixed concrete is delivered ready to use, it is a cost effective option because there is no need to buy the necessary equipment to mix the concrete. It is also convenient because it is delivered to your door, ready to use, regardless of how small your site is or how tricky access may be.

Ready mix concrete for driveways

For driveways, ready mixed concrete offers essential durability and weather resistance. Ready mix concrete can also deal with the weight of vehicles, skips and so on. Once installed, a driveway constructed using ready mix concrete will require minimal maintenance.

The homeowner also has the flexibility of applying different colours to the ready mix concrete to create design-led driveways.

Ready mix concrete for slabs

Read mix concrete is a popular choice for making concrete slabs that are used for the likes of domestic garages, sheds, patios, summer houses and hot tub bases.

Using ready mix concrete for slabs will give you the confidence that you are using a high quality, durable product that has been manufactured for that particular purpose. The ready mix concrete provides the solid and sturdy foundation that is required for supporting these structures, and the resilience required to withstand severe weather conditions.

Ready mix concrete for kerbs

When installing a new driveway or extending the exterior of a property, you may need to fix or install a kerb.

Ready mixed concrete is ideal for this. Using a suitably graded ready mixed concrete for kerb bedding, haunching or backing ensures that the resulting kerb continues to serve the property well for many years.

The most popular uses for ready mix concrete in commercial projects

Commercial construction projects require the versatility of having different grades of concrete for different parts of the build or renovation.

While some of the popular uses for ready mix concrete in commercial projects are also popular in domestic projects, others are very much tailored to larger scale construction builds. There are ready mixed concrete solutions specifically designed to meet the needs of industrial, commercial and agricultural demands.

Ready mix concrete for walls

For both commercial and domestic applications, ready mix concrete is considered an ideal option for walls.

By manipulating the density of the concrete mix and taking into account the required consistency and slump value (the higher the value the more fluid and workable it is), ready mixed concrete can be engineered to meet the exact specification you need for the walls you want to build.

Ready mix concrete for floors

In commercial settings such as warehouses and factories, ready mix concrete is used to create low maintenance, highly durable floors that can withstand the high levels of daily footfall and movement of heavy equipment.

Ready mix concrete for footpaths

Ready mix concrete produces a hardwearing surface that is weather resistant and requires little maintenance. This makes it ideal for footpaths. In commercial spaces the cost of maintaining a less durable surface on footpaths would prove to be prohibitive.

Ready mix concrete for civil engineering works

Civil engineers use ready mix concrete for large scale works and structures such as bridges, tunnels and covered trenches. It is also used for retaining walls that hold back soil, rocks, hardscaping and landscaping features, preventing them from moving away from their intended place.

Ready mix concrete for roads

Ready mix concrete is increasingly used for road systems. Applications include extruded concrete (thin concrete panels reinforced with glass fibre), concrete trenches and exposed aggregate concrete (a washed concrete finish with visible aggregates such as pebbles, sand and rocks).

Get in touch with 1^st Choice Concrete & Skip Hire for your ready mix concrete

Contact the team at 1^st Choice Concrete & Skip Hire for more information or to place an order for ready mix concrete. Our experienced team will be happy to help.