Any one ever pour from left over concrete drops

[Lloydthumper]

Ok a guy whom I rent to has a brother that works for a local concrete company driving a truck. he told me that he could bring me all of the drops that he gets left in his truck but I have to be ready for it it might be a 1 yard it might be 5 or 6 yards he has to drive by my house to go back to the concrete company. My question is has anyone did this before. The concrete will not all be the same strength but I am not pouring my floor now it would just be driveway roughly 7000 sq ft of it. If I could do this it would help me alot financially. They just wash the trucks out on the concrete and push it up in a pile and give it away other wise. I am sort of worried about so many small pours. Just wanted some advise or should I just keep my dirt drive way that really makes me mad everytime I drive my black mustang. Lloyd

 

[dxdexter]

I would not do this. There are many reasons,,but here are the ones I can think of:

1. You will end up with numerous cold joints
2. The concrete quality will suffer because of the age of the concrete. Hydration will be well under way after two hours
3. You have no idea what strength will be delivered. 4000 is a minimum but recommended is 4500 for exterior flatwork
4. Exterior concrete shoud be air entrained. You will not be assured that.
5. Retempering (adding water) to increase the workablity of old concrete will greatly reduce its strength and permeability
6. The surface texture and color will not be the same

Just to mention a few.

 

[Ironcrow]

I would do this for fence posts, maybe a pad under my garden shed, or a flat spot down by the lake to park my boat trailer. In short, something that I didn't care what it looked like, how strong it was, or if it cracked. Which is essentially what dxdexter said...

 

[Mr. Welsh]

I wouldn't do it.

 

[tatra]

chances are if the company finds out, charges could be laid

 

[jimvannoy]

Free concrete???? I'd be all over it. I have a huge barn with a dirt floor I'd love to spread some concrete in it, outside my shop on top of lots of gravel,
I have a loooong driveway with 2 entrances that wraps around my house that has spots that need repair, extra parking space, sheds with dirt floors, sidewalks, I could go on and on.

 

[boiler7904]

Dex hit the nail on the head. That many small pours for a driveway would be a terrible idea.

 

[Coach James]

A friend of mine started to do this with his driveway. He figured since he lived in the woods, what difference did it make how it looked. He ended up with a mess. It looked like ****. He didn't know how to finish concrete and each time, the truck driver just dumped it and left. After several drops, he told his buddy he didn't want anymore. Eventually the concrete broke apart and it looked like 100 feet of his driveway was covered in rip rap. It was hell to drive on and didn't do wonders for his tires either.

Coach

 

[dps]

Would it be helpful, and would it work if you basically poured large pavers, say 2x2 (or larger) feet? So you'd already be set up with dividers in place, ready to pour 3 of 'em or 12 or whatever he had left over. That would eliminate the cold joint problem.

 

[jimvannoy]

If you want to do it for a driveway the thing to do is form up small sections and have them ready for when he shows up. Having a float to smooth it would also be advisable.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

The above problems are all true, But the biggest problem is that the concrete is going to be hot and ready to set off the truck. Your not going to have much time to work it to get it smooth. I wouldn't recommend trying to do area over a 10' x 10' without some friends.

I have a neighbor that has offered me the same deal. tatra's worries are unfounded the concrete companies have to deal with the left over concrete. First they have to have a place to dump it. Then they have to pay someone to break it up and load it, then pay to have it hauled to the crusher. They also have to pay the crusher to to accept it.


Besides it has already been paid for by the first customer who was too stupid to order the right amount of concrete in the first place. Yes if you order to much concrete and it gets loaded on the truck you are paying for it.

So if you can be ready for it, forms laid, tools ready and don't mind 10' x 10' squares with felt between them. Go for it.

P.S. Buy a bull float it'll help out a lot.

Glen
________
los angeles dispensary

 

[tatra]

actually just going by what i was told by a local o/o concrete driver that told me that aborted loads [waitng too long for the paver because of mechanical probs]for example, were to come back immediatly to the yard. stopping off to pour for a buddy wasn't allowed..........and possible legal action could ensue..........what you say is reasonble but corporations are rarely reasonable.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Just wanted some advise or should I just keep my dirt drive way that really makes me mad everytime I drive my black mustang. Lloyd

How about just pouring two, two to three foot wide runners down the drive way. Easy to work (doesn't have to be pretty) and easy to bust up when your ready to do a real pour or need to bust up a bad spot.

That way your Stang stay's clean.
________
gm foods

 

[dreamingmuscle]

actually just going by what i was told by a local o/o concrete driver that told me that aborted loads [waitng too long for the paver because of mechanical probs]for example, were to come back immediatly to the yard. stopping off to pour for a buddy wasn't allowed..........and possible legal action could ensue..........what you say is reasonble but corporations are rarely reasonable.

That is a reasonable fear for a corporation. Might be a good idea to call the dispatcher on the sly and check to see if it's allowed.

Glen
________
Mercury Cyclone specifications

 

[tatra]

would have been nice to be able to get those loads as they were full loads, 8 -12 yds dumped into a reclaim pit.................seemed criminal to waste good product but for city spec it had a max "shelf life" , as it were, of less than 2 hrs. [i think] in the mixer.............that again was a number of years ago................

 

[rsanter]

I have known several people that have done this for walkways along the side of the house. we moved into a new neighborhood and you could get the concrete guys to come and frame the walkway and then they will come pour a section at a time. the section may be 2 ft long or 5 ft long.
as far as I saw it worked great and didnt look half bad

driveway, no
structural, no
under a shed, no
fence posts, ok

bob

 

[scofo]

Since you will have no idea of volume from load to load it would be dicey. Maybe you could figure a way to have the three sides of the form set with an adjustable fourth wall, to be determined, depending on amount of left over. Seems a waste to let it be thrown out without trying.

 

[rsanter]

Since you will have no idea of volume from load to load it would be dicey. Maybe you could figure a way to have the three sides of the form set with an adjustable fourth wall, to be determined, depending on amount of left over. Seems a waste to let it be thrown out without trying.

that is the way the guys did it
they did the sides of the path you wanted and then put that last end in when they saw the amount of concrete they were dealing with

bob

 

[rburke65]

Just my 2 cents, again, but I'd be taking it. I agree with 'dreamingmuscle'

 

[Offy]

A good way to use the concrete if you are unsure of the quality or amout left over in the drum is to set your forms and use the leftovers as a base leaving at least an inch to cap later. Level it with a bow rake so it has a rough texture to work well with the final cap. If you happen to get a good load of fresh concrete then that can be used as a cap. The idea is to flexible and prepared and you can save a buch of money and have a very acceptable driveway etc.

 

[wagonmaster]

You could form up the drive way in smaller sections, ensuring completed portions. Doesn't have to be one big piece!! More concrete on the next load?? Great! Pour more than one or two sections!

 

[Ironcrow]

under a shed, no

Well, I think we're reading off the same page. It depends how worried you are about a tin shed behind a hedge and containing a broken lawn mower and a half bag of potting soil...