Five Key Advantages of Buying Ready-Mix Accredited Concrete
If you are involved in a construction project which requires the use of concrete, the temptation might be to buy some bags and mix it up yourself, particularly if it’s just a small job. In reality, however, you will probably be better off ordering ready-mix concrete which has been officially recognised for its quality.
Madmix is an accredited concrete manufacturer and supplier based on the outskirts of Cambridge. We will explain five of the key advantages of this approach in this article.
There’s No Problems with Consistency
When you order your concrete ready-mixed, then you don’t have to worry so much about achieving a uniform consistency. If you opt to do it yourself, you have to mix each batch of concrete and lay it down before it dries too much, before mixing up the next batch, and applying that, and so on.
Unless you are extremely precise, each mixture will have a slightly different texture, which could affect the concrete’s overall strength and structural integrity. And there is also the issue of introducing the right number of air bubbles into the mix. These are necessary to give the concrete room to expand in freezing weather, and only a ready-mix supplier can achieve this.
With a ready-mix order, you also avoid a lot of the associated costs, such as buying a mixer and other tools. And mixing it yourself can also be extremely time-consuming and physically hard work.
It’s High Quality
Accredited concrete has met the British Standards Institution quality threshold, which means it is guaranteed to meet certain minimum requirements for durability and safety.
In the case of Madmix, our concrete has met the BS EN 206 and BS 8500-2 standards. The former is a European threshold relating to the properties, specifications and delivery of our products, while the latter is a complementary standard used in the UK. All our concrete is tested by an independent body every three months.
How we make our concrete is subject to similar scrutiny. Our factory production methods, relating to our plant, equipment and personnel, have been awarded ISO 9001 accreditation. Like the BS standards, these are subject to ongoing checks and the accreditation can be removed if we fail to meet them. If you make your own concrete, while the ingredients themselves may be of high quality, there is no guarantee that the final mixture will be as strong and consistent.
There’s A Type for Every Occasion
All of Madmix’s ready-mix concrete is accredited, so whatever type of project you are involved in, we will have a suitable admixture. For instance, for multi-storey projects where access to the upper floors might be difficult, we offer a pumpable mix.
If the concrete is likely to exposed to moisture on a regular basis – for instance as part of a storage unit or drainage channel – then we supply a waterproof admixture. And we also offer lean/kerb and oversite mixes for smaller-scale domestic projects such as patios, paths and driveways.
It Meets the Regulations
In some cases, using an accredited mix is essential rather than optional. The National House Building Council requires all concrete used in new homes meets the BSI standard in order to satisfy the Building Regulations. All Government buildings need to use accredited concrete as well.
There’s No Need for Any Waste
With ready-mixed concrete there’s no need to have half a bag of concrete mix left over. Our website has an inbuilt concrete calculator which will automatically work out how much you will need. And if you do get it wrong, then Madmix will take away any excess at no extra cost. Our minimum order is just one cubic metre.
Accredited Concrete from Madmix
If you would like to place an order, just follow the link and fill in the online form, call us on 01954 212212 or email us on info@madmix.co.uk. We deliver to customers in Cambridge, St Ives, St Neots, Huntingdon, Newmarket and the surrounding areas.
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