The construction of almost any modern building is not complete without the use, to one degree or another, of concrete. This is a versatile and very affordable material that allows you to make reliable and durable structures of any configuration and complexity. It is used in the manufacture of foundations, supporting structures, ceilings, building blocks (wall and foundation), paving slabs, curbs and small architectural forms (vases, flowerpots, stucco moldings and sculptures). Concrete is also used in structures such as swimming pools, cellars, stairs, and so on.
How to choose cement
Cement is the basis of any concrete. It is a substance that binds the mixture and gives strength to the future structure or product. How much cement per 1 m3 of concrete is needed depends on the quality and brand of this substance. In addition, it is necessary to know that different applications of concrete require different strengths. For example, for the manufacture of supporting structures or foundations, increased strength of this substance is required. But for the manufacture of various small forms, such as paving slabs, flower girls, curbs, such strength is not required.
How to choose the right cement and what should I pay attention to? On sale there is a cement of various grades. The quality and final strength of products and structures depends on the brand. The higher the brand of cement, the higher the quality, and, accordingly, the strength. The most common brands sold in any city are M300, M400 and M500. For the manufacture of structures that require a large bearing capacity, grades M400 and M500 are used. For other cases, you can use any.
Another important factor affecting quality is the expiration date. An expired product loses its binding ability and the brand is reduced. It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the cement itself. It should be crumbly. The presence of lumps may indicate a violation of storage conditions. Mainly high humidity. Such cement is not recommended.
Features of the choice of components
Any concrete consists of several components:
- Cement.
- Sand.
- Rubble.
- Water.
- Supplements.
Sand and crushed stone are added to the mix to make it cheaper and more durable. The reliability of future products depends on the quality of these components. They do not allow the presence of impurities of clay, silt or soil. Depending on the type of work, crushed stone with a fraction of 1 to 7-8 cm can be used. For the manufacture of small architectural forms, building blocks and paving slabs, fine gravel, the so-called screening (0.1–1 cm), is more often used.
The water used in the mixture must be clean and free of clay impurities. High mineral content in the water can cause white marks to appear on the surface of the concrete after curing.
The use of special additives is optional. However, they should not be neglected in the manufacture of concrete mix. They allow you to improve some of the characteristics of concrete:
- Increased frost resistance and enable work at sub-zero temperatures (water does not crystallize).
- Increased strength before and after curing.
- Improving the plasticity of the mixture and preventing the occurrence of microcracks;
- And much more.
Using cement
Depending on the brand of cement, the quantity and quality of fillers and additives, you can get different grades of concrete. The designation of concrete grades is similar to the designation used for cement. But when adding components, the brand of cement, as a rule, decreases. So, for example, from cement M400 you can get concrete grades M350, M300, M250, M200 M150, and so on.
Thus, the manufacture of concrete is the uniform mixing of all ingredients in the correct proportions. Depending on this, high-strength mixtures are obtained for foundations, load-bearing structures, floors, and less durable mixtures for structures that do not require increased strength. Therefore, in order to determine what brand of concrete is needed, you need to know its purpose.
Foundationwork
About how much cement per 1 m3 of concrete for the foundation needs to be added, we will discuss further. Here we consider the features of foundation work. For the manufacture of foundations and supporting structures, concrete is used not lower than the M200 grade, depending on the future structure, its weight and features. For heavier structures, it is advisable to use concrete not lower than M300.
Depending on the characteristics of the soil and the design of the future structure, there are three main types of foundations:
- Monolithic slab.
- Tape.
- Columnar.
Concrete making is the same for all types. And the amount of cement per 1 m3 of concrete for the foundation does not depend on its type.
Purchasing ready mix concrete
If a decision is made to purchase a ready-mix concrete, then there is no need to know how much cement to take per 1 m3 of concrete. It remains only to calculate the required number of cubes and order. In almost every city there are many companies involved in the sale and production of this material. But how much does a cube of concrete cost? On average, the price of the finished mixture varies from 3000 to 5000 rubles. The cost mainly depends on the brand of concrete. And in order to more accurately answer the question of how much a cube of concrete costs, you need to find out the prices in your region.
When buying, you should pay attention to the quality of the mixture. The seller must have certificates confirming that you are purchasing high-quality concrete. GOST should also bespecified.
Make your own mix
Self-preparation of concrete is not a difficult process. A person who does not have a construction education will cope with this. The main thing is to clearly observe the proportions and follow the recommendations. Since crushed stone is present in the mixture, mixing it manually is quite problematic. To do this, it is better to use a concrete mixer. It is relatively inexpensive, but will save considerable time and effort.
So, the production of concrete takes place in several stages:
- Water is poured first.
- Then rubble is poured in.
- After that cement and sand are added.
You can do dry kneading. The sequence is the same, only water is added last. Do not mix cement with water before adding aggregates as the cement may stick together.
In order to clean the mixer from the remnants of the mixture after finishing work, pour water and pour a small amount of gravel and mix for a while. After that, it all merges.
Calculation of concrete components
How to choose high-quality concrete? GOST allows you to determine the compliance of the brand with the specified parameters for strength, frost resistance, vapor permeability and others. But how to achieve quality and get the right brand when making your own concrete mix? First of all, it depends on the quality of the ingredients used and how much cement is used per 1 m3 of concrete.
Bdepending on what brand of concrete is needed, the consumption of materials varies. Thus, we get the following approximate amount of cement per 1 m3 of concrete:
- Concrete M200 - 250 kg cement M400.
- M200 concrete - 220 kg of M500 cement.
- Concrete M250 - 300 kg cement M400.
- Concrete M250 - 250 kg cement M400.
- M300 concrete - 350 kg of M400 cement.
- M300 concrete - 300 kg of M500 cement.
- Concrete M400 - 400 kg cement M400.
- M400 concrete - 330 kg of M400 cement.
Conclusions
An easier and less time-consuming option is to buy ready-mixed concrete. But at the same time, you need to contact trusted companies. To do this, you need to look at customer reviews and how many years the company has been operating in this market. Any self-respecting company values its reputation and provides quality products.
Independent production of concrete takes considerable time, while a lot of effort is spent on the production of the mixture. In addition, it is necessary to order the necessary fillers and buy additives. But this option is more cost-effective. In addition, using high-quality components, you can be sure of the result.
