Concrete Construction Question

[Allen2]

Earlier this summer, I decided to start construction of a 18'x36' workshop in a wooded area of my back yard. I planned on putting in a footer, a few courses of block to get up to ground level, then a concrete floor. The rest would be typical wood-frame construction. This is how most of the detached garages and outbuildings in this area get done. It took a while to get the trees cut and cleared away from the site. I used my Kubota BX23 to dig out the stumps and carve out a level area for construction. I originally was going to do most of the construction myself, but given my slow progress I decided to call around to the concrete contractors to see if I could find someone to at least get the footer and floor in for me. At this point, I am thoroughly disgusted with these guys. Yes, I figured they would be busy this time of year especially with all the good weather we have been having in the northeast, but a week later and no one has even returned my phone call. So I am back to considering doing it myself.

My biggest obstacle is that there is no way to get a concrete truck back to where I would be building. It's probably about 150 feet from where the truck could get to, slightly down hill at least. I could probably find one other guy to help me wheelbarrow it in, but even then I am not sure it is feasible. One of my neighbors offered me the use of his cement mixer. I don't mind mixing my own concrete, but I am going to be limited in how much I can pour at one time. Has anyone heard of pouring a footer in sections? Would using rebar sticking out from the ends of each section be enough to keep it tied together? I welcome any of your comments or ideas. I am in the NE suburbs of Pittsburgh PA if it makes any difference.

Allen

 

[FL_Cracker]

I'm not sure of your layout but couldn't you use a concrete pump to bring your concrete back. tI have pumped as much as 100' but not sure about 150'+

Just a thought.....

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you calculated how many yards you'll need? On www.concrete.com there's a link to calculators which will have another link called concrete materials.

The problem with mixing youself is time and energy. It takes allot of both!!! Mixing and pouring one day and the doing it again the next day makes for a week pour. You really want it all done at once.

A cement truck caries around ten yards, give or take. Some older trucks are 8 to 9 yards and some newer ones can handle 12 to 15 yards. Figure ten for simple math.

You can rent a buggy that will carry it back and fourth for you from the cement truck. If the cement truck has to wait, he'll charge you for it, but that's just part of building things in the country.

Your other option if you don't need allot of concrete is to try the rental yards for a one yard trailer. I get mine from United Rentals. The trailer is $30 a day for the rental and the concrete was $80 a yard last year. It's more expensive then buying dozens of yards at a time from the main suppliers, but you can back that trailer right up to anything you can drive to.

I can mix and spread about three yards in a day. That's hustling and working my but off in perfect weather. Hot days with lots of humidity knocks that number way down. I mixed 3/4 of a yard a few weeks ago and was totally wore out afterwards.

If you mix yourself, don't use sack concrete from the home stores for home building. You want the larger rocks and stronger mix. You can buy the sand and gravel from most quaries fairly cheap and then add the Portland Cement to it when mixing. Depending on how much Portland Cement is how strong the mix will be.

Hope this helps,
Eddie

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Use one or two concrete buggys. They are fast a efficient little vehicles specially designed for this exact purpose. Rental for a day should be that much.

Cliff

 

[daveman]

I'd try doing the rental trailer idea mentioned. I rented one of the one yard trailers from a local readymix dealer a few years back and it worked great. I'm planing on doing that again when the workshop goes in next year. They even gave a break on the trailer rental if you can do 5 yards in a day. Don't know if that was just the local dealer or standard practice for all of them. That just my two cents worth anywho! Good luck on your project /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Keep us posted on the progress. (Pictures are nice too if you can!)

 

[bebster]

Allen,
If you do have to pour it in sections, all you need to do is put some rebar dowels horizontally sticking out to join the next section. I'd leave about 2' sticking out for the next section to link to. I've always put in 2 lengths of horizontal 1/2" rebar in my footings, and used plastic cable ties to join them. Home Depot has a good price on these. So when it comes time to add the next section, put down the new rebar within 2" of the seam, and then tie the new longer stick to the 2' dowel sticking out in in 2 places. That should join the 2 sections pretty well and keep them from settling differentially.

Just don't put a seam of a wall over the footing seam.

 

[bczoom]

Allen,

When you say there's no way to get a truck there, are you saying no trucks at all, or just a big truck. I'm up in Beaver county but around here, there's concrete companies that have 3 yd maximum trucks. They're a lot lighter and easier to get to places if you only need smaller loads. I've used Steckman's (724) 758-4278 for smaller projects.

I've also used a skidsteer for hauling concrete from truck to site.

Personally, I'd probably avoid doing it by myself. Like someone mentioned, avoid bags but to give you an idea, it takes approx. 50 80# bags to make 1 yard. That's a lot of work...

 

[jim_wilson]

I have had a similar experience to yours trying to find a contractor to pour the foundation for a garage/barn I am trying to get built before the snow flies. I used my BX23 to dig out the foundation area and then started calling around to foundation contractors. I'd say 8 out of 10 never even returned my calls - 2 of them did respond and actually came out and looked at the job and gave me quotes. While I was trying to get somebody to respond however I looked at all my options and since I have had some experience pouring concrete in the past I was trying to avoid having to do it myself if possible. Sounds like your biggest problem is actually getting the concrete out to where you will need it. The major problem with mixing and pouring yourself is that for something as large as a footer or the walls on what you are working on is that you just can't far enough ahead on the mixing to stay ahead of the concrete starting to cure. In my area at least it also becomes more expensive to do it yourself instead of calling in the trucks.

For the footer at least it sounds like your best option is to either rent one or two of those concrete buggies if they would handle your terrain - or get a pumper truck to come in. Once you start laying the blocks the problem is a little different. If you are going to fill the voids in the blocks (which from everything I have read is highly recommended) then that could be a do it yourself job with a mixer. Because each void is separate from the next one you dont have to worry as much with keeping up with the pour. If you decide to do this yourself I highly recommend buying or renting a mixer. I have rented mixers before and earlier this summer I bought a small cement mixer - which I just had the chance to use the other day - and it is way better than mixing by hand. For me the mixer makes the difference between being able to work all day and lasting maybe a couple of hours if I had to mix by hand. Oh yeah - and the tractor helps to carry the cement bags /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[caylor]

Attached is typical detail I use for construction joints in grade beams. The rebar extension is good, but I also like the shear blockouts shown on the detail.

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

Another option to get it back there, use a gunite (might be called shotcrete) company. I built a pool a couple years ago. The gunite was 6000 psi, blown in place and about $100 a yard and best of all, I didn't have to lift a finger.

Gunite, if you have never seen it installed, is a sand portland mixture blown down a 4in hose. At the end of the hose water is mixed with it. It is dry enough to walk on when it hits the ground.

PS 6000 psi is far stronger than 'standard' concrete.