Concrete is one of the most versatile and durable construction materials that has been in use for centuries, in one form or the other. Present day concrete provides innumerable applications with very few limitations – be it in buildings, roads, bridges, railways, or dams. The world’s concrete consumption is estimated to be more than 1 ton per capita (present population being above 7.5 billion!).
Concrete is one of the major components of a structure, particularly a multistoried structure, where in it accounts for 30% – 50% of the total cost. The quality of concrete has also a very direct bearing a on the strength & durability of the structure as a whole. It is in this context that RMC assumes relevance.
Few things are more aggravating to produce on a worksite than concrete. Bags of cement, sand, aggregate (gravel) & possibly other additives must be delivered to the construction area. A supply of clean water is also necessary, along with a rented concrete mixing hopper. Even after all the dusty & heavy ingredients have been loaded into the Hooper, one small error in the wet/dry ratio can render an entire batch of concrete unusable. One common solution to this messy & time-consuming problem is “Ready Mix Concrete”.
RMC is a specialized material in which the cement aggregates and other ingredients are weigh-batched at a plant in a central mixer or truck mixer, before delivery to the construction site in a condition ready for placing by the builder. Thus, `fresh’ concrete is manufactured in a plant away from the construction site and transported within the requisite journey time. The RMC supplier provides two services, firstly one of processing the materials for making fresh concrete and secondly, of transporting a product within a short time.