Here are answers to some of the questions we’re often asked.
If you can’t find the answer to your question here, please get in touch.
We strive to be punctual and to offer a better service than any other concrete provider. As standard you will get one hour to offload the concrete, significantly more time than any of our competitors. This reduces the panic felt by many when their concrete arrives. The quality of our concrete is backed up by calibration, trials and testing. Two vital questions to ask not only other volumetric operators but your chosen concrete supplier;
Can they show you the calibration certificate from their lorries? If not why not?
Have they sent their materials for analysis and trials to an approved testing authority? If not why not?
If the answer to either of the above two questions is no then how do you or they know what strength concrete they are giving you? How can you know what ratio of materials is in a mix without calibration? How can you know whether your concrete will be strong enough for your application without a concrete trial? How will you know that the quantity of concrete the ticket says you’ve had is accurate? If the answer to either question is NO then seriously consider choosing another provider.
A volumetric mixer is a mobile concrete batching plant. The materials are stored and transported to you in separate compartments on the lorry. On arrival the required mix design and slump (consistence) are selected and the production process starts. The fresh concrete can be discharged as a continuous or intermittent flow, and can be stopped and started at any time. This gives you complete control over the quantity received. All we need to know is when you are approximately one wheelbarrow away from finishing so we can clear the mixing auger.
Volumetric concrete trucks supply all mixes and grades of concrete and screed, in large or small volumes. All the materials are carried separately on the vehicle and the mix is controlled using an on-board computer. The lorry is calibrated so you can be sure you’ll receive the exact mix and volume you need.
The materials are dispensed into a mixing auger and as the cement and other materials make contact with water a process called hydration begins. The whole process typically takes only 8 to 10 seconds.
As the volumetric mixer will mix the exact amount you need whilst on site, this gives the following advantages:
The mix is fresh and this increases the working time to place and lay.
We can produce different strength mixes and slump in the same visit reducing road miles and our carbon footprint.
You only pay for what you use so there is never any over or under estimating, paying part load charges or paying to return excess concrete for recycling.
Palmix can carry enough raw materials to mix up to 8.5m³ per delivery. However, if you require less than this, you won’t have to pay for unused capacity. If you require more, we can efficiently arrange multiple deliveries.
Normally we require 48 hours notice although depending on our workload we can sometimes deliver the same day.
We can deliver at the weekend, please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Assuming we can get the lorry to within 4mtr of the pour location we can probably discharge straight into the area requiring the concrete. If we cannot reach the pour location, it is the responsibility of the customer or contractor to move the concrete either by wheel barrow or dumpers etc. There are approximately 30 wheelbarrows to 1 cubic meter of concrete so please ensure you have enough labour available to handle the volume of concrete required.
We can arrange concrete pumping using either line or boom pumps to suit your requirements. We will only use one pumping company who have been tried and tested. Please contact us to discuss your specific project.
Please see our calculator page which will aid you in your estimation. As we only mix onsite and only produce the quantity you need if you have over or under estimated it is not a problem as you will only pay for what you use. We will always bring slightly more material than you have ordered so if you have under estimated, which is quite common, we should have you covered. But if your estimations are way out, if you have ordered 2m3 but need 5m3 then you'll need another visit.
It may still be possible to deliver to you so it’s always advisable to give us a call to check. Telephone either 01934 310501 or 07584 240454
Your architect or engineer would usually specify what mix of concrete is required. The pages on this website are designed to offer help and guidance although the final decision must be yours.
Our lorries can carry enough raw materials to mix up to 8.5m³ although this does depend on the mix type.
Our volumetric lorries are 12m long, 3m wide and 4.2m high and fully loaded can weigh up to 38.4 tonnes. Please make sure that you have sufficient space and clearance for our lorry to gain access and that the ground is firm and stable.
When you place an order, we will take a card payment for the quoted amount you require. When the pour is complete if you have used more concrete than you estimated our driver will take a card payment for the balance.
We allow 15 minutes per cubic metre of concrete which is capped at 1 hour.
If you exceed the allocated time, we will charge £25 at the start of every 15 minutes thereafter.
Please make sure you have enough labour on hand to transfer the concrete to your footings/base.
We can provide a solution to any out of hours work you may require. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirement.
If, for whatever reason, access is not available at the time of delivery then we reserve the right to charge a fee equal to 50% of the order value. No charge will be made for cancellation by You 3 hours or more before the agreed time for delivery. If You cancel less than 3 hours before the agreed time for delivery, We will be entitled to charge You 50% of the order total. Where We have ordered materials specially to meet Your requirements and You cancel Your order at any time, we are entitled to charge You for our reasonable costs.
With prior notice we can take on-site samples and these are then tested independently by Volumech Technical Services for strength and density. Our machines are calibrated regularly to ensure we deliver a consistent quality and the correct amount of concrete. Our materials have been Laboratory trialled which involves batching samples at different strengths, curing them for 28 days and then crushing them to ensure the concrete we produce meets the required standards.
Cement and cement-based products can and do damage the skin in several ways. Wet concrete can cause severe burns if it is trapped against the skin and can also cause dermatitis due to its high alkalinity. Avoid contact with the skin and eyes and always wear appropriate protective clothing, gloves, goggles and footwear. Concrete saturated clothes should be removed and the skin washed, flushed immediately to reduce the likelihood of receiving a concrete burn.
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