Concrete prices per yard

[wroughtn_harv]

I talked to concrete contractor Tuesday and he said he's paying $79.00 out of Terrell, Texas, quotes a $110.00.

 

[EddieWalker]

If you are thinking about pouring, do it now. Price of fuel will dictate what the final cost of the concrete is, and as fuel prices increase, so do transportation costs to get the materials to the plant, run the plan and get the mix out to the job.

I've only heard it called "pouring" and most of the guys I've worked with call it "mud" not concrete.

I've never seen the fiberglass do anthing either. It sounds good in theory, but rebar is proven to work every time when done properly. Wire mesh is good if you can keep it in the middle of the mud. Unfortunately, most guys walk on it while working it and then try to pull it up into the middle while also standing on it. In every case that I've seen, they do that for show when somebody is looking, and leave it on the bottom otherwise.

The stuff Dargo uses is the best, but you also pay quite a bit more for that heavy duty, thick stuff. It's stiff and flat, so it rests on a chair nicely for a perfect end result.

Eddie

 

[tulenutn2o]

Only 2 guarantees with concrete; it WILL get hard and it WILL CRACK!

 

[Survey1]

Add another vote for "pour". At the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, we pour runways, taxiways and aprons from an onsite batch plant, and LaFarge supplies the mud when we pour elevated slabs, we pour columns, we pour slabs.....the superintendent always asks if we are "poured out" yet and in the meetings we schedule pour dates. Any accelerants or high/early mixes have proven to crack more here. Oh yes and we "formed" it all. Also the steel mesh has proven to be handled much easier for the sidewalk pours versus the welded wire roll stuff. Just my 2cents since i've been setting grade and edge form at this one site for almost 3 years now and I'm about to pour a floor in my pole barn. I will be doing it all except the finishing.

 

[MMH]

Good info here!

 

[terry.dinerman]

... anybody keeping count of the number of terms we have encountered thus far for delivering the composite construction material, composed of Portland cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag cement, a coarse aggregate made of gravels or crushed rocks such as limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand, water, and chemical admixtures to the point of use?

I got lost....

T :confused2:

 

[PILOON]

... anybody keeping count of the number of terms we have encountered thus far for delivering the composite construction material, composed of Portland cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag cement, a coarse aggregate made of gravels or crushed rocks such as limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand, water, and chemical admixtures to the point of use?

I got lost....

T :confused2:

LOL

Only other discussions that introduces as many terms for the same product is when they start discussing gravel drives and the varieties/grades of material.
Sure must play hard on migrant workers.
Interesting reads all the same.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

With all the chatter on "pouring" "placing" concrete. I have this to say about that! 1st you can't pour "concrete" -- "concrete" indicates the cement has set up. You can place concrete but a forklift is recommended. I don't think we have a communication problem, I believe we have a problem processing the communication. Oh, by the way the last concrete I purchase was $110 a yard.

So it was delivered to you already set up?
Last summer I paid $95 yr for 4000psi. I poured 27 yds in my barn. It is so nice having a concrete floor...

 

[jeff216410]

I've learned a lot by reading many of the posts on concrete. I have a project I am planning for later this year. It will be about a 36'x36' square garage pending zoning approvals. I am in CT so I am assuming I will need 42 inch footings. How wide would they need to be? My intention is to get the foundation in this late summer/fall. How long should I wait to have the floor done? Should I wait for the dirt to settle? Should I put in expansion joints or cut them later? Or do I need them? I likely will build the garage next year so I can wait to pour the floor. Should I do the floor last? Can someone suggest a good rebar layout for this size or a project? I will be parking 4-6 cars in the garage, have an car-lift, as well as occasionally driving a 10,000 pound forklift so I need a strong floor. The lift requires 4 inches of concrete but that sounds a little thin to me? How is a 10,000 lb forklift on 4 inches of concrete? I'm thinking 6 inch floor would be better (or maybe I would feel better). I'm having professionals dig the foundation and likely do the forms and pour the concrete. I will likely do the rebar myself as well as assist the pouring concrete letting the professionals do the finishing. I just would like some guidelines and things to look out for when trying to hire the right professional. Thanks for your advice!

 

[Dargo]

I've learned a lot by reading many of the posts on concrete. I have a project I am planning for later this year. It will be about a 36'x36' square garage pending zoning approvals. I am in CT so I am assuming I will need 42 inch footings. How wide would they need to be? My intention is to get the foundation in this late summer/fall. How long should I wait to have the floor done? Should I wait for the dirt to settle? Should I put in expansion joints or cut them later? Or do I need them? I likely will build the garage next year so I can wait to pour the floor. Should I do the floor last? Can someone suggest a good rebar layout for this size or a project? I will be parking 4-6 cars in the garage, have an car-lift, as well as occasionally driving a 10,000 pound forklift so I need a strong floor. The lift requires 4 inches of concrete but that sounds a little thin to me? How is a 10,000 lb forklift on 4 inches of concrete? I'm thinking 6 inch floor would be better (or maybe I would feel better). I'm having professionals dig the foundation and likely do the forms and pour the concrete. I will likely do the rebar myself as well as assist the pouring concrete letting the professionals do the finishing. I just would like some guidelines and things to look out for when trying to hire the right professional. Thanks for your advice!

I'd go as soon as you can. Prices are going up for both concrete and steel along with increased delivery surcharges for fuel. As I mentioned, with reasonably heavy equipment, I went with a 10" high strength concrete pour in my barn. A 10k forklift will bust up a 4" floor in no time. Although I've had to do it at times, I strongly prefer to only do a pour once. In your case I wouldn't consider anything less than 6" of 4000psi concrete using the 1/4" rebar matting on seats in the middle of your pour. You're wasting your time if you use that flimsy roll out wire. I've ripped out concrete that was only 10 years old and that roll out wire had already rusted away inside the concrete and was completely useless. Well, at least it made it easy to rip out.

 

[jeff216410]

Thanks Dargo. When you say no less than 6" thick concrete, should I consider another truckload of concrete in the floor to get around 7-8 inches thick? I only want to do it once and want it right.

 

[scgargoyle]

I looked at a two post Rotary lift, and their website calls for 5" thick in the area of the lift. That's the least I would go for a lift. The forklift should be fine. I had my own machine shop, and the slab was a thin 4"- actually 3-1/2, since they formed it with 2X4's. I had an 11,000 lb CNC machine brought in, plus the weight of the forklift. The machine sat on 4 small round pads, and never hurt the floor. I remember measuring my masonry bit when I was drilling the floor for anchors, and it was less than 4" everywhere I drilled. That being said- when I pour my barn floor, which will have a lift, it will be 6". There's a big difference when a car could fall on you!

 

[Dargo]

Thanks Dargo. When you say no less than 6" thick concrete, should I consider another truckload of concrete in the floor to get around 7-8 inches thick? I only want to do it once and want it right.

Well, it's all too easy to spend someone else's money, but if you read my post with the picture of the pumper truck in the barn you can read that I went 10" in that barn. I park my dumptruck in there quite frequently with about 23,000 to 24,000 pounds on a trailer attached to it. Also, you can't go back and add an inch when you're finished. Most concrete companies do exactly what the previous poster said; use 2X4 lumber for a "4 inch floor" actually leaving you only get 3 1/2". The same goes for most concrete companies who do "6 inch floors"; that are only really 5 1/2" thick.

I used a large commercial concrete contractor and my 2000 yard total job (barn and driveway) was just a small job for them. They have actual steel and aluminum forms that are a true 4", 6", 8" etc. They don't use lumber for forms. You don't want a company to tell you that you're getting a 6" floor, only use 3500psi concrete and then have high spots under the floor leaving you with only 3" or so in spots, especially if you're going to put in a 2 post lift. I have 4 lifts; two 2 post lifts and 2 four post lifts. I'd strongly prefer to not play "catch" with a nearly 9000 pound dually falling on me. Or, more likely, have the floor crack, weaken, and fall when you are later lifting something.

Again, I am not a professional concrete guy. I'm just a guy who has spent a load on concrete and strongly prefers it to last. You don't need your barn floor poured to AASHTO T 22 specs (only for my bridge), but when you spend a considerable amount of money for a concrete floor, you do want it to last. You may want to ask your contractor what their ASTM/ACI compliant numbers are. I didn't do my research and shopped by mainly price alone on my first barn and my FF number for the floor is only in the mid 30's. In the barn pictured being poured, that company provided me with certified proof that they average between 60 and 70 on almost all jobs and can do an even better job for more money. They provided me with a binder of ASTM E1155 certified 60+ floors. Basically that means that per each 10' I should have less than an 1/8" of deviation in the levelness of the floor.

You really want a floor to be at least well into the 30's if you are going to have any drains in it and will have any water on the floor or you'll have puddles to deal with. Most residential companies can't do FF numbers over 40 or 50, but that is plenty fine. I figured I was already spending a lot of money so I spent the bit extra for the better grade finish, higher psi concrete (my 2nd barn and driveway are 4500) and firmly believe in the heavier wire matting (basically 1/4" rebar formed into 10'X15' sections). Sorry if I got carried away with explaining, but to me I spent a lot of money and wanted to do my research and get a good company. Good luck with your floor!

 

[jeff216410]

Thanks for all the advice. It has all been helpful. Those pictures of your barn and driveway are amazing. That is one heck of a concrete job...I was planning to use something like that 1/4 inch rebar mat you were describing. Do I lay that out one layer thick and overlap them a little? Or should I do 2 layers thick? Also, do they have to be welded together or just overlapping or wire them together? I also have been reading you want the rebar centered in the floor from top to bottom. All the talk has me thinking about a 8 inch floor. I'm planning on living there for the next 30 years and don't want a problem. Also, I want that security of knowing a car will be stable overhead. I have broken up a 4 inch sidewalk once and it wasn't to hard to do. 8 inches seems like it would be far more sturdy. What are your thoughts on putting radiant floor heat in the slab? That would be a "nice to have".