How to Make High Strength Concrete

Don't use mystery concrete that may crack; make quality high-strength concrete yourself.

Most consumers have no idea what's in the commercial concrete mix they can purchase at their home improvement store. Several aggregates are used, and many are cheaper and weaker than desired. The best way to be sure that your concrete is strong enough for your building project is to mix it yourself using good-quality ingredients. You can rent a mixing truck to hold a great deal of cement, or mix small batches with a shovel in a wheelbarrow.

Things You'll Need

• Cement mix
• Fine aggregate
• Coarse aggregate
• Wheelbarrow or concrete mixer
• Shovel
• Water

Instructions

1. Choose high-quality dry cement mix, a good fine aggregate such as clean sand and a strong coarse aggregate like gravel.

2. Combine 1 part of dry cement mix, 2 parts of fine aggregate and 3 parts of coarse aggregate in the wheelbarrow or the barrel of the mixer.

3. Turn the mixing barrel on a low setting if using a mixer. Mix the dry concrete thoroughly with a shovel if using a wheelbarrow.

4. To prepare the concrete for use, add water a bit at a time. Fold the water in using the shovel or allow the mixer to continue at low speed. This will add necessary air to the concrete mix. The amount of water that you add depends on how much concrete you are making, but the consistency should be similar to slightly loose peanut butter.

References

• BuildEazy: How to Mix Concrete