Cement mixers play a crucial role in the building process, as they are used to mix and produce ready-to-use cement, which is a key material in practically every building project. Cement mixers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to assess and determine which is the right kind and size for your project. Cement mixers are almost essential for building, as they save time and labour by mixing the necessary volumes of cement needed at any given time.
Having a cement mixer on your project site, no matter the size, guarantees that you will save the effort of having to mix the cement by hand, which frees up manpower for other jobs that can be done while the cement is being mixed. Cement mixers also ensure a consistent mixture is produced, with no materials wasted or discarded along the way, and cement mixers are portable, allowing you to decide on the best location to set it up and get to work.
No matter what your next project may be, a cement mixer is a valuable piece of equipment that will benefit you in many ways. In this article, we’re going to cover how cement mixers make the building process easier, along with some tips and tricks to make your next construction project as easy and efficient as it can be.
Cement Mixers: Basic Advice For Building
Practise Good Planning: The success of the project starts with proper planning. Poor planning can easily result in a poorly finished project, which is why it is a good idea to start off strong, with a comprehensive construction plan that considers all the factors and processes that go into the project. The ‘what’ and ‘how’ need to be determined in the beginning, before the first brick is laid, and followed throughout.
When it comes to cement mixers in construction, the planning process involves determining what kind of cement mixer will be used on the project site, whether it be a cement mixing truck that delivers ready-made cement in large batches, or if the project requires a drum mixer, that is lighter and portable and able to mix smaller batches at any given time.
Budget Management: Setting a budget is one thing, but sticking to it is a whole different challenge. It’s easy to start off a project with the right materials and have your costs come in below budget, but more often than not, complications and unexpected plans or additions along the way end up costing more money. It can be as simple as underestimating the amount of cement you needed, and having to go and buy more, which was not accounted for in the budget.
It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement and rush of finishing a project, but what is not exciting is spending more money than you planned. Mistakes happen, and budgets are hard to stick to, which is why we recommend checking in on your budget at different points along the way, to see if you are on track, or planning for upcoming expenses.
Quality Control: Whether you’re building a house, a hospital or an outdoor pond, the quality of the finished project is always important. Cutting corners, making mistakes or failing to plan properly can lead to a finished product that is not up to your standards and expectations, and will not last, which causes problems in the future.
Quality control is therefore an important thing to practise during the process. If you are hiring people to assist in the job, then make sure that they are experienced and capable of producing the quality of work that the job requires. If you are doing something yourself and unsure of exactly how then consult a professional or do your research and complete all the proper steps to avoid a botched DIY project.
Simple things can make a huge difference, for example, making sure your cement mix is completely dry before continuing to the next step or using a cement mixer and following the correct ratios to create a smooth and consistent cement mix.
Waste Management: Not only is wasting careless and bad for the environment, it costs money. You can easily avoid wastage by planning how and where resources are allocated, and calculating just how much of everything you will need for the job. If you’re afraid to buy everything at once, then simply stock up on materials as you go, and when you need them. Every cent counts, and you don’t want to finish a project and have leftover materials go to waste.
A cement mixer is an effective way to reduce waste when it comes to cement quantities, as it allows you to mix your desired quantity at any given time. You can mix as much or as little cement as you need, whereas cement mixing trucks come to the site and deliver a large batch of cement, with whatever is leftover going to waste.
Using Cement Mixers The Right Way
There is no denying that cement mixers make any job with cement a whole lot easier, but that is only if you know how to use one correctly. From pouring in the correct ingredients in the correct ratios to following the safety and operating guides, these are just a few steps to follow when operating a cement mixer:
- Prepare the site: Choose where you will be using the cement mixer, making sure that it is in close proximity to the location, easily accessible for wheelbarrows etc. with no obstacles in the way and on a flat and stable surface to avoid it swaying or tipping over.
- Add the materials: The order in which you add materials to the mixer is also very important. The water always needs to be added first, followed by the dry cement mix. The water and cement ratio will be specified, so it is important to get this right, adding the cement to the water slowly also ensures that you can calculate if you are adding too much or too little and correct these errors. After the cement is added some mixtures require aggregates like gravel, which is added last.
- Begin mixing: Turning on the mixer is a simple process, usually including flipping a switch on or pressing a button. Electric mixers need to be plugged into a steady power source before being turned on, whilst petrol or diesel-powered machines require their tanks to be filled. This will be covered in the manual that comes with the machine, which is essential to read in order to familiarise yourself with the specific model you are using.
- Pouring: Continue monitoring the cement whilst it is mixing, and when it reaches the correct or workable consistency, it is time to turn the mixer off and prepare to pour your cement. The cement mixer can conveniently tilt or tip and allow you to transfer the cement mixture directly onto the site, or into a bucket or wheelbarrow for transportation. Once you have poured, you may need to smooth it out and ensure it is even and without bubbles. All that is left is to wait for it to dry.
- Cleaning: It is ideal to clean the cement mixer when the cement is still wet, making it easier to wash or scrape it out of the mixer. Failing to clean the mixture results in leftover cement
Cement Mixers: Specialised Techniques
When people think of cement, they often think of gloomy concrete jungles, boring roads and words like ‘infrastructure’ but cement is far more versatile than most people think, and has a wide range of uses as well as mixing and application techniques. These are just a few of the techniques, how they are done and what they are used for:
Reinforced cement mixing: Cement is designed to withstand enormous amounts of force and pressure, along with the natural elements, but does not do as well when it comes under tension. Tension refers to, in its most simple essence, a pulling force. Tension can cause a structure to become unstable and potentially dangerous, which is why it is important to account for any potential pressure or tension.
Luckily, this can easily be combated with a simple technique that has proven the most effective way to reinforce cement, time and time again.
Reinforced cement mixing is done by casting cement around steel bars or cages, which allow the resistance of tension, stretching, and bending, and give the cement strength. The cement is mixed in cement mixers, and then the wet cement is poured directly onto or into these steel frames or supports, and allowed to harden. It is a simple yet highly effective method that you will see at almost every big building site, and now you know why.
High-Strength Concrete: High-strength concrete is classified as a concrete mix with a compressive strength that is greater than 40 MPa/ 6000 psi, but this measurement may differ depending on the region. High-strength concrete is stronger than usual concrete and is needed for certain projects and structures to improve their strength and durability.
High-strength concrete is mixed by reducing the amount of water used in the mixture, which leads to the concrete mix having a more sticky composition, which can lead to difficulty pouring and placing it. However, this texture and consistency are completely correct and necessary to achieve in order to create high-strength concrete.
Decorative Concrete: Concrete can be creative too, there are unlimited possibilities and designs waiting to be explored, that can add value and aesthetic appeal to projects of all sizes, but it all comes down to getting the technique right. There are many techniques that can be used to achieve a variety of looks and results, and one of the most popular is stamping concrete.
First, cement mixers are used to create a consistent mix, which is then poured and smoothed evenly. This is where the design part comes in, as whilst the concrete is in its plastic stage, moulds and stamps are pressed into it to create different shapes and textures. The stamped concrete technique is used to recreate cobblestones, stones, bricks, slates, and more, and is often used on driveways, patios, parking lots, inside flooring, and more.
Another popular use of concrete for decoration is creating concrete statues. This is done commercially but also makes for an exciting and relatively easy at-home project. Concrete or cement is mixed in cement mixers, and poured into ready-made moulds, to create magical garden statues, water fountain features and more. Some at-home projects include creating concrete pot plants, candle holders, benches and more.
With a wide range of equipment, tools and machinery, BS Power is ready to help you get the job done, whether it is a small DIY job or an entire construction project.