How to Prepare Concrete: 13 Steps

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2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Concrete is a building material composed of fine and coarse ingredients that are joined by the concrete. If you need to renovate your home, you may need to prepare some; To do this, you need to buy or make concrete and mix it with other materials to create soft concrete to work with. Alternatively, you can buy ready-made mixes to which you just need to add the correct amount of water. Regardless of your choice, know that preparing concrete is a simple process, as long as you have the right tools and materials.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Limestone Concrete

Step 1. Grind the limestone into 7-8 cm pieces

Purchase the material or find it on your property and cut it into 7-8 cm pieces using a sledgehammer; you can recognize limescale because it fizzes or cracks when you wet it with vinegar.

The companies that work it on an industrial level use hydraulic presses or millstones to chop it up.
Alternatively, you can purchase Portland Limestone Cement online, at building materials retailers, in some gardening or home improvement centers.

Step 2. Put the material in a furnace and raise the temperature up to 1500 ° C

Preheat the furnace before adding the limestone and continue "cooking" for 3-4 hours. Use a specific thermometer to determine the level of heat inside the machine; wear a respirator and safety glasses, as the process releases dangerous vapors.

Step 3. Crush the limestone pieces once they have cooled

Let the temperature cool down for an hour or two before processing them; direct a fan towards the limestone to speed up the process. Wear thick gloves when handling it; transport it with a wheelbarrow and break it with a shovel until it becomes a fine powder.

Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Concrete with the Limestone Cement

Step 1. Mix two parts of sand with one part of concrete

You can use the fine or coarse-grained one and pour it into a wheelbarrow along with the cement; sand is available at online retailers, building suppliers and some home improvement centers. If you don't have a concrete mixer, you can use a shovel and wheelbarrow; add two parts of sand to one of cement and make sure that the powders are well mixed together.

If you need to prepare more than 35 kg of concrete, you should rent a small electric concrete mixer instead of doing it by hand

Step 2. Incorporate four parts of gravel or crumbled brick

Calculate four parts of gravel (or brick) for each part of concrete. This coarser material allows the concrete to adhere better as it dries; if you want a smoother finish, you should use fine gravel or shredded brick. Keep stirring until you have a dry and uniform mixture.

Step 3. Slowly pour the water

Fill a 20-liter bucket to 3/4 of its capacity and pour the water into the dry mixture; proceed slowly to avoid splashing and mix the ingredients between each addition of liquid.

Step 4. Mix everything

Use a shovel or hoe to mix the concrete until you get a thick mixture; if it's still a bit dry and grainy, add more water.

Step 5. Wash the tools

Spray them thoroughly with a garden hose when finished to prevent the concrete from hardening on them.

Part 3 of 3: Mix the Premixed Concrete

Step 1. Purchase lots of pre-mixed concrete

You can find it in construction centers, home improvement stores and hardware stores. Once brought home, read the instructions on the package to know the amount of water needed to add to the powder.

A 35 kg bag is typically able to fill a space of 0.02m³.
We recommend hiring a small electric concrete mixer.

Step 2. Empty the bag into the wheelbarrow

Put it inside and break it in half with the hoe or shovel; lift both sides of the bag to transfer its contents into the wheelbarrow.

Instead of the wheelbarrow you can use a concrete tray

Step 3. Slowly add the water to the powder

Fill a bucket with the amount of water indicated by the instructions on the back of the package; pour it slowly into the pre-mixed concrete.

Step 4. Mix the "ingredients"

You can use a shovel, hoe, or electric mixer until you get a peanut butter-like consistency. dissolve any lumps until the concrete becomes as smooth as possible.

Step 5. Clean the tools

Once you have finished mixing the concrete, it is essential to wash the tools with a garden hose to eliminate all traces of material; if you do not proceed in this way, the concrete solidifies and you will not be able to remove it once it is dry.

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