Concrete tips requested... what do I need for small job?

[Dadnatron]

I知 putting in a Mirafount waterer for horses. Everything is installed up tp forms which I値l be doing today.

I致e never worked with concrete. I致e read about it relatively well and understand the basics I壇 guess.

6 slab around a 12 vertical pipe for water access. Slab is 51 x 40 x 6 with the tube coming up flush to slab surface grade. Calculates to just over 7sqft of concrete I believe.

I知 not close to electricity, although I have an inverter for my truck which 杜ight run a small electric rental mixer. (Never used a mixer of any sort, but they are available locally. Or I have a barn about 1/8M away and could mix there, then transport somehow.

I would like to make this reasonably easy. It痴 a simple job, but I壇 like it to go well.

What are your recommendations for tools etc, for this job? To purchase.

What tips will make this better and go more smoothly?

What concrete would you use? Again, easy and good quality is far more important than saving a few $.

Any and all tips, thoughts, etc are requested. I壇 rather pay a little more for an easier and better outcome than 僧ake do but struggle.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Something that small could be done by mixing in a wheelbarrow using quikrete in 60 or 80lb bags. Just haul everything to the site, mix, pour, finish. You'll need a board long enough to extend a foot or more over the forms to screed the concrete.

Screed - Wikipedia

 

[Egon]

Trowels and an edge trimmer. Rental mixers may come with gas motors. Wheel barrow mix with shovel is probably less hassle than a mixer.

If using premixed bags of concrete add a little extra Portland cement.

Water on site to clean tools. Plastic to cover when troweling done.

 

[jmc]

I find that in the mixer, it goes from too stiff to too runny with just a little difference in water. I learned to reserve a little mix in the bag to correct for too runny.

 

[WranglerX]

That size is so small you can mix it up in wheel borrow easier than buy/renting/borrowing a mixer.... Just use sackrete and be sure to get enough bags to do the job.... Biggest thing for beginner is to get good finish on work (depending on what finish is desired)...

To figure how much concrete needed....

How to Calculate How Much Quikrete to Use | Home Guides | SF Gate.

Dale

 

[Cat_Driver]

Never pour a yard of concrete without putting some fibers either stainless steel, of fiberglass.
Steel Fibers – Nycon

I poured a pad on soft beach sand uncompacted 10 years ago 4" and I've run 12,000lb PLUS equipment over it and zero cracks to date.

 

[downsizingnow48]

These days there are several different sacked concrete mixes at the big box stores. Quick setting, postholes, several others. General purpose is what I would get for this.

 

[newbury]

I've done small projects like that and mixed it in the FEL. Being VERY CAREFUL to wash it all out.

Mix enough to fill a small pail extra, and if you don't need it you've a small doorstop.
Like one of the links stated

All construction projects have a margin of error, so it is always best to purchase more concrete than you actually need. Always purchase at least two extra bags of concrete or up to 10 percent more than your calculations indicate. You can always return any unopened bags or save the concrete mix for future projects.

Don't do it if you expect a lot of rain.
If you think you are going to need a little extra time a little sugar slows the set. For a job that size I'd say less than a tablespoon but maybe some concrete expert can jump in.

Sugar delays the setting time of cement by up to 1.33 hours at dosage level of 0.06% by weight of cement. No effect on workability, compaction by the use of sugar as admixture in concrete. Higher long-term compressive strength can be achieved in concrete by the use of sugar as admixture.

/edit - emphasis on little!

 

[Hiptfarms]

Be sure to wear a mask when mixing. I got a chemical pneumonia from concrete dust once. Most folks may think I'm overreacting but I was a really sick puppy from that project.

 

[ovrszd]

In your initial post you quoted 7sqft. It's actually 7 cubic feet. 7 cubic feet is 25.9% of a cubic yard. A cubic yard of concrete weighs 4,050 pounds. 25.9% of 4050 pounds weighs 1049 pounds.

I don't think you'll want to do that in a wheel barrow. But I guess if you got plenty of patience and energy.

If you use 80lb bags of quickrete and assume you'll use 12 gallons of water which would weigh 100 pounds, you will need 12 bags of quickrete.

This is all doable. But you'll need your man pants on for sure.

 

[Dadnatron]

I ended up using 6 bags of “Crack resistant” fiber reinforced Quikrete. I actually made the slab size a little smaller but still large enough to have a 4” ledge around the waterer.

All 6 bags were mixed in one of those ‘concrete tubs’ 3 qts of water to a bag. I purchased some Super-plasticizer off Amazon, which was really amazing. The guy that was helping me said “We need more water.” I told him to watch this, and sprinkled a little dust (SP) over the moist concrete. Kept mixing and watched it get more and more wet... all without any more water.

Cut the edges a little early I think, but I was tired of dealing with this by then. Put wet straw over the slab, covered it all with a tarp, and I’ll let it set until Friday.

All in all, I’d rather have a mixer, but this was certainly doable. I’m going to look for a FEL style for my tractor, although a PTO version might also work.

 

[JDAOWNER]

I'VE DONE BIGGER JOBS WITH A HOME MIXER---3 CUBIC FEET-- AND THEY CAME OUT GOOD. I HAD ACCESS TO SAND AND STONE AND BOUGHT BAGS OF PORTLAND. I WOULD USE A FORMULA OF 1-2-3. ONE SHOVEL OF PORTLAND, 2 SHOVELS OF SAND AND 3 SHOVELS OF STONE. I WOULD LET IT MIX DRY UNTIL IT WAS MIXED PRETTY GOOD THEN ADD WATER--SLOWLY--IF IT GETS TOO WET, JUST ADD A LITTLE MORE PORTLAND. MIX UNTIL YOU FINISH YOUR BEER AND POUR--DO AGAIN.

 

[ddbackhoe]

In your initial post you quoted 7sqft. It's actually 7 cubic feet. 7 cubic feet is 25.9% of a cubic yard. A cubic yard of concrete weighs 4,050 pounds. 25.9% of 4050 pounds weighs 1049 pounds.

I don't think you'll want to do that in a wheel barrow. But I guess if you got plenty of patience and energy.

If you use 80lb bags of quickrete and assume you'll use 12 gallons of water which would weigh 100 pounds, you will need 12 bags of quickrete.

This is all doable. But you'll need your man pants on for sure.

:thumbsup:

 

[/pine]

For anyone figuring on mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow or tub or even on a sheet of plywood...do yourself a favor and buy a hoe....a typical garden hoe will work but they do make masonry hoes...much easier than doing it with a shovel...

 

[downsizingnow48]

Years ago I did a foundation up a narrow driveway that was not safe for concrete trucks. So I got this 6 cu ft Imer mixer. It was small for that job but a good size for many other jobs. I still use it once or twice a year. Just stick it out of the way in the bushes. Makes concrete work almost easy.

 

[MossRoad]

Glad you got it done before you got too much advice... :laughing:

My only advice would have been to get 60# bags VS 80# bags because, well, DUH! It's easier to lift! :laughing:

 

[Hay Dude]

I知 putting in a Mirafount waterer for horses. Everything is installed up tp forms which I値l be doing today.

I致e never worked with concrete. I致e read about it relatively well and understand the basics I壇 guess.

6 slab around a 12 vertical pipe for water access. Slab is 51 x 40 x 6 with the tube coming up flush to slab surface grade. Calculates to just over 7sqft of concrete I believe.

I知 not close to electricity, although I have an inverter for my truck which �ight run a small electric rental mixer. (Never used a mixer of any sort, but they are available locally. Or I have a barn about 1/8M away and could mix there, then transport somehow.

I would like to make this reasonably easy. It痴 a simple job, but I壇 like it to go well.

What are your recommendations for tools etc, for this job? To purchase.

What tips will make this better and go more smoothly?

What concrete would you use? Again, easy and good quality is far more important than saving a few $.

Any and all tips, thoughts, etc are requested. I壇 rather pay a little more for an easier and better outcome than 僧ake do but struggle.

I typed out instructions and realized you already finished. :laughing:

 

[lennyzx11]

Glad you got it done before you got too much advice... :laughing:

My only advice would have been to get 60# bags VS 80# bags because, well, DUH! It's easier to lift! :laughing:

I just did 6 10” piers 60” deep for a porch addition. 28 ea 80lb bags.
Home Depot didn’t have 50 or 60 lb bags.

Harbor freight mixer 1 bag at a time.

After a long day of carrying all 28 from the dump trailer to the mixer, hossing the bag up about my shoulder height(I’m short at 5’8”.),
I read a tip of cutting the bags in half at the trailer and could have carried 40 pounders instead.
Live and learn.

 

[lennyzx11]

I just did 6 10” piers 60” deep for a porch addition. 28 ea 80lb bags.
Home Depot didn’t have 50 or 60 lb bags.

Harbor freight mixer 1 bag at a time.

After a long day of carrying all 28 from the dump trailer to the mixer, hossing the bag up about my shoulder height(I’m short at 5’8”.),
I read a tip of cutting the bags in half at the trailer and could have carried 40 pounders instead.
Live and learn.

How to split a bag of cement in half quick & easy - YouTube

 

[Hay Dude]

I never thought it a really big deal to carry 80lb bags, even now in my 50’s.
I kind of enjoy the work out. I used to be big into weight lifting and kind of like the hard workouts now that my gym days are over.
Not ready to surrender yet!