Footings are an essential part of foundation construction and are usually made of concrete with reinforcement of reinforcing bars. The purpose of the footings is to support the base and prevent them from settling, especially in areas with problem soils. It is important to know the required compressive strength before ordering ready-mixed concrete. Reinforced concrete ranging from 3,500 to 4,000 psi is typically used in sloping footings and slabs; 3,500 to 5,000 psi in slabs, beams, and suspended beams; and walls and columns typically require between 3,000 and 5,000 psi.
When using non-reinforced concrete, different strengths will be required. If you use it on footings and walls, a concrete strength of 2,500 psi might be sufficient, while between 4,000 and 5,000 psi is needed for pavements. Outdoor concrete used in home improvement must be ordered with a strength ranging from 3,500 to 4,500 psi. In most cases, you can use a regular concrete mix of garden variety for footings.
It is less expensive and, as a rule, there are no special finishing requirements. When shopping for concrete, you will discover that there are three common types of cement available: Portland cement, masonry cement, and mortar mix. If you want to mix your own concrete at home, add Cement Australia Builders Cement to your sand and aggregate for a creamier, easier to work with concrete that will give you a truly smooth surface finish. Knowing and understanding what the compressive strength of the concrete mix is will save time and money in the long and short term of any given concrete project.
Professionals and contractors will perform what is called a “concrete slump test” to verify how viable fresh concrete is. For concrete made for roads & driveways, mix 1 part Cement Australia Builders Cement with 2 parts sand and 3 parts aggregate. Construction cement bags of approximately 16 x 20 kg are required per cubic meter of finished concrete. For concrete made for foundations or footings, mix 1 part Cement Australia Builders Cement with 3 parts sand and 3 parts aggregate.
Approximately 13 x 20 kg bags of builder cement are required per cubic meter of finished concrete. The decision on which concrete is best to use for your footing should be made at the design phases of the project, and not during construction. If you're looking to mix your own concrete at home, add Cement Australia Builders Cement to your sand and aggregate for a creamier, easier to work with concrete that will give you a truly smooth surface finish. Choosing the right grade of aggregates for concrete mix is another important aspect to consider before choosing the concrete mix. Answering what is the best concrete mix for footings has a lot to do with how much weight the footing will support. Whether you mix your own concrete or buy it in bags, water is the most important element because it's up to you. The base is made of solid concrete and supports the weight of the entire structure built on it.
Be prepared to leave when the truck appears because it costs more if you have to wait and there is only so much time left before they have to get the mixed concrete out of the truck once it is wet - the chemistry that makes it difficult will not stop.
