concrete path on personal plot or near a private house - a practical and convenient solution. And if you make it with creativity and taste, it will also become wonderful. decorative element. Moreover, to cope with such work, it is not at all necessary to be an experienced builder.
To each home handyman It’s quite possible to make a path, . And today we will tell you about the various intricacies of making paths, we will talk about what kind of solution to put the plaster on, how to fill the product with a mixture with a mesh, what proportions are used for concreting paths and much more.
Product Features
In order for the finished concrete path to serve for a long time and not be pressed underfoot, you should take care proper preparation grounds.
- Having previously drawn it on paper, mark the outline of the future path on the site using pegs and a stretched rope.
- Remove a layer of earth (twenty centimeters) and cover it with a layer of ten to fifteen centimeters.
- Then they lay a special polymer material– geotextiles. It will give strength and prevent weeds from growing.
- The last layer is placed, which must be moistened (so that moisture from the concrete does not go into the ground) and compacted. The sand layer is four to five centimeters.
- Then formwork made of boards is placed along the edges of the path.
The solution, as a rule, is poured into molds, which can be of different designs: rectangular, polygonal, round, imitating natural stone. Polypropylene molds are often found on sale, with which you can quickly make entire pieces of a path with a beautiful pattern.
The outer walls of this stencil, which can withstand at least a thousand pours, have a thickness of 6 millimeters, and the inner walls are 3 millimeters. Height – from 5 to 6 centimeters. It is equal to the thickness of the tile.
The resulting seams between individual tiles can be sealed with cement mortar of a contrasting color, filled with sand, or sown with decorative lawn grass in these places.
How to make it strong cement mortar(cement solution) for garden path and how to prepare a concrete solution for pouring, read below.
Composition and structure
Ingredients
So let's try to cook high-quality composition Do-it-yourself mortar for the garden path at the dacha. For solution use classic materials– , sand, crushed stone and water. They must be of appropriate quality:
- Sand– washed, dry, not too small (so as not to absorb too much water) and not too large (so as not to reduce the plasticity concrete mortar).
- Crushed stone– also take pure, with a fraction from five to ten.
- Cement– preferably high grade (M400, M500). It must be crumbly and dry. By the way, the brand of cement can be visually determined by the color of the powder. The darker it is, the higher the brand.
- TO water There are no special requirements. Do not use only sea or very dirty water.
- Sometimes, to increase plasticity, a certain amount is added to the solution. clay.
Recipe
Now let's talk about the recipe. It may be different. You can, for example, make a solution only from sand and cement (without using crushed stone). Or vary the ratio of ingredients. By the way, it is not advisable to purchase a ready-made solution. It may be of poor quality.
And here are the recipes:
- One part cement plus three parts sand plus water (you can add a little clay).
- One part cement plus three parts sand plus three parts crushed stone plus water.
- One part cement plus two parts sand plus two parts crushed stone plus water.
To give the desired shade, coloring pigments-additives can be added to the solution for garden paths. For example, the HLV brand. This pigment, produced in four main natural colors (red, green, yellow, brown), will require about 250 grams per 25 kilograms of dry cement.
The following video will talk about popular mistakes when making garden paths:
Manufacturing
After measuring out the dry ingredients, mix them. You can do this in some clean container using a shovel or hoe. If you have a concrete mixer, then it is better, of course, to use its help. Water must be added little by little so that the finished mixture does not flow, but drips slowly (like thick sour cream from a spoon).
Having prepared the base as described above (removing the turf from above, pouring crushed stone, sand, laying geotextiles and making formwork), you can begin to create a path. The easiest way to do this is using a ready-made plastic mold. It is placed on damp compacted sand and the solution is poured into it. After twenty minutes, the mold can be carefully removed and the process repeated.
While the mixture has not hardened, you can decorate the path. By pressing, for example, pieces into its surface tiles or cute pebbles, laying them out in a beautiful pattern. To strengthen it, within two hours after pouring the solution, you can cover it with cement laitance using a brush.
Do it yourself
Coloring composition
It looks elegant and beautiful on the path.
- For this purpose, you can buy ready-made pigment and introduce it at the time of preparing the solution.
- You can also add a little acrylic paint.
- Another option: rub wet concrete surface a mixture of cement (two parts) and dye (one part). This is called ironing:
- To make a path yellow, for example, ocher is added to cement.
- The red color comes from one portion of white cement, two portions of sand and half a portion of umber.
- A green tint is achieved by adding glauconitic green to sand and white cement.
- Black - taking one part gray cement, one and a half parts of sand and 0.15 parts of ordinary soot.
If, when pouring a garden path, you need to trim it, the following video will help you with this:
Supplements
We have already told you how to make a standard solution.
- Now we should mention the additives that are introduced, in particular, to increase strength (for example, propylene-based fiber).
- Special components designed specifically for concrete garden paths (HLV-15) are also sold.
- If there is a desire to imitate, then stone chips and the appropriate dye are added to the solution for plausibility.
In addition, the surface of the finished path can also be treated with a hardening compound.
- Impregnation made on the basis of wax and synthetic resins gives a good result. It is applied with a brush or spray.
- The coating, in addition to significantly increasing strength, gives a very beautiful smooth surface.
Forms for paths
Ready plastic molds convenient, but they require certain costs. If you want to save money on this, then it is quite possible to make these elements yourself. For example, like this:
- Let's place thin boards on edge directly in the formwork, using them to create partitions in in the right places and getting your favorite pattern. We use a “half-tree” connection.
- Let's put together a rectangular frame from wooden blocks. The bottom (which does not need to be secured) is a sheet of metal or plywood. placed on the table, with a frame placed on top. At the bottom (if there is such an idea) a mosaic of pebbles or tiles is laid. Then the solution is poured in two portions, between which a metal reinforcing mesh is placed.
- To obtain round tiles, take a plastic basin. To make it easier to remove the mold, we put plastic film on the bottom.
- To make a template for imitation natural stone, you will need the stone itself (cobblestone, granite,) and sculptural plasticine. The plasticine mass is softened (dipped in a bag in hot water) and a stone is pressed into it. Then they tinker around wooden formwork. Pour in the solution.
- You can make templates from hoops from old barrels. They are bent as needed. And some other craftsmen cans They are used by removing the bottom and connecting them like a honeycomb.
The following video talks about the advantages of a polypropylene mold for a garden path, and how to work with it:
According to SP 63.13330, the grade (new class) of the strength of concrete used for a monolithic foundation must correspond to the temperature and humidity conditions operation. To make a cement mortar that provides the maximum service life of an underground structure, it is necessary to select the mixture composition recommended by this set of rules.
Each brand of concrete mortar approximately corresponds to the following strength class (M – brand, B – class):
- M400 – B30
- M300 – B22.5
- M200 – B15
- M100 – B7.5
- M350 – B25
- M250 – B20
- M150 – B10
Taking into account the economical consumption of cement at self-production concrete for a monolithic foundation, the dependence of the grade strength on the type of soil and the technology of building the house box is as follows:
To do monolithic structure durable, it is necessary to use cement grade from M400. Typically, all proportions of components are indicated specifically for a binder with these characteristics. To properly prepare the solution, ensuring the specified grade strength in a concrete mixer, you should focus on the following ratio of components:
| Concrete | Volume ratio P/C/SH (l) | Weight ratio P/C/SH (kg) | Output of the mixture from a bucket of cement (l) |
| M400 | 11/10/24 | 1,2/1/2,7 | 30 |
| M300 | 17/10/32 | 1,9/1/3,7 | 40 |
| M200 | 25/10/42 | 2,8/1/4,8 | 55 |
| M100 | 41/10/61 | 4,6/1/7 | 77 |
| M350 | 15/10/28 | 1,6/1/2,7 | 35 |
| M250 | 19/10/34 | 2/1/4 | 44 |
| M150 | 32/10/50 | 3,5/1/5,7 | 65 |
P/C/Shch – sand/cement/crushed stone
For chemical reaction formation of cement stone (hydration) the volume of water required for concrete is sufficient. However, ¼ of the mass of cement is not enough to properly mix the product even under the conditions of a mortar unit. Excess moisture evaporates on its own from concrete when the material gains strength in the first 28 days.
Maximum frost resistance of the foundation is achieved by rational selection of the water-cement ratio W/C. It is recommended to use 0.5 – 0.6 parts of water by weight, relative to total weight cement used in the batch. For example, for 100 kg of cement (two bags) this will be 50 - 60 liters.
Important! If plasticity and workability are insufficient, it is strictly forbidden to add water to the finished mixture. It is better to use a Superplasticizer or any gel-like detergent(for example, Faeries).
Requirements for mixture components
Portland cements are manufactured industrially, which sharply reduces the likelihood of “substandard”. Nonmetallic materials, which are the main fillers of concrete, are purchased by the developer in bulk. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right crushed stone and sand from the manufacturer. It is not recommended to dilute the mixture with water from a natural reservoir with an unknown composition. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the following requirements for the components of the solution.
Cement
To make the foundation with the necessary performance characteristics, you need to choose Portland cement grade M400 and higher. Hydration processes (formation of cement stone) proceed better at air temperatures from + 5 to + 20 degrees C. Therefore, when concreting in the heat or off-season, you should choose quick-hardening modifications with the letter B in the marking.
Before opening the bag and diluting the cement with water according to the technology, you need to check the expiration date:
- within 60 days from the date of packaging, the product is guaranteed to have the declared strength;
- in the first 3 months he loses up to 20% of his characteristics;
- after six months, the strength cannot be higher than 70% of the declared value;
- after a year, cement loses 40% of its strength, after which it should not be used in critical structures.
Advice! You can mix concrete for the leveling screed-concrete using budget cement M200. In this case, a cube of the product should contain 220 - 240 kg of binder.
The composition of the mixtures for the structures of the foundation itself should include cement from M400, providing grade strength B15 - B25. If B30 concrete is used in the project, it is necessary to use cement from M500.
Sand
The main part is harmful to concrete structures Clay is found in sand. The structural material collapses when moisture-saturated clay expands in volume. Therefore, it is best to add river or washed water to the solution. quarry sand with the following characteristics:
- fraction 0.15 – 5 mm;
- clay content within 3%;
- percentage of small particles up to 0.65 mm within 3%;
- bulk density from 1400 kg/m³.
Attention! Regular quarry sand (not washed) contains the maximum percentage of clay. When using natural sand from a building site, it may contain organic matter and silt, which will have to be washed out with lime milk, since this cannot be done with water. However, in some quarries the purity of the sand is quite acceptable.
You can select the correct amount of sand depending on the crushed stone fraction using the table from the Mastek construction manual:
| Concrete | Crushed stone fraction (mm) | ||
| 40 | 20 | 10 | |
| M400 | 35% | 36% | 38% |
| M300 | 37% | 38% | 40% |
| M200, M250 | 40% | 41% | 43% |
| M100, M150 | 42% | 43% | 45% |
- fill a third of a 2 liter bottle with this material, add water, shake;
- try to squeeze the non-metallic material in your fist.
In the first case, an excessive amount of clay will be indicated by an intense turbidity of a red color, which will not settle for a long time. In the second option, the material easily forms a lump that does not crumble after unclenching your fingers.
To make a foundation with high operational properties, appropriate crushed stone must be used. This non-metallic material has the following characteristics:
- strength – 300 – 800 units;
- frost resistance – F50 – F150;
- flakiness – I – V group;
- radioactivity - increased radiophonic background occurs only in crushed granite, therefore, only class I product is used in residential construction.
Crushed stone is obtained by crushing rocks (dolomite, gravel, granite) with initially unequal properties:
- limestone (dolomite) – budget price, low strength;
- granite - costs more than other materials, has maximum characteristics;
- gravel – average price, properties.
To obtain cement mortar of the design strength grade, it is recommended to use crushed stone with the following strength:
| Concrete | Strength of crushed stone |
| B30 | 800 |
| B25 | 800 |
| B22.5 | 600 |
| B20 | 400 |
| B15 | 300 |
Therefore, the composition of concrete B15 may include budget dolomite crushed stone. To obtain grade strength B20 - B25, crushed gravel can be used. For high-strength concrete B25 - B30, only granite material of fraction 5/10 or 5/20 mm is used.
Attention! You should not buy granite crushed stone from unverified suppliers offering low prices in the absence of accompanying documentation. In 90% of cases, the developer runs the risk of receiving class II non-metallic material with increased radio frequency, suitable only for the construction of roads.
Water
Ideally, the solution can be properly diluted with purified natural or tap water. In practice, ponds are often used in the immediate vicinity of the construction site. It is necessary to take into account that it is harmful for the foundation:
- films of oil products on the surface of the water;
- pH below 4, above 12.5 units;
- dissolved salts at a concentration of 5000 mg/l;
- suspensions from 200 g/l;
- organics from 10 mg/l.
In this case, the cement reacts worse, and the hydration period increases.
Important! The water resistance of concrete can be adjusted even without special additives by the W/C ratio. For example, a mortar with a water-cement ratio of 0.6 will have a default permeability of W6. If you dilute concrete with a W/C of 0.45, you can obtain permeability W8, suitable for use in soils with high groundwater level.
How to prepare the solution correctly
The chemical reaction of water with cement begins immediately after mixing these components. However, the process of forming the structure of cement stone begins only after laying and vibration compaction of concrete. With the most thorough manual mixing, the strength of the structural material is guaranteed to be 40% lower than inside the concrete mixer.
To prevent the cement mortar for the foundation from sticking to the inner walls of the bunker, the following technology is used:
- supplying 20% of the water contained in the concrete to the rotating drum;
- backfilling 1/3 sand, half cement;
- adding the remaining parts of the binder, fillers, water.
If a small concrete mixer is used to pour the foundation, the order of work changes. First, half of the cement, sand, and crushed stone is mixed in the drum, then the entire amount of water is supplied, and the remaining filler and binder are poured in.
The cement mortar is usually ready within 1.5 - 2 minutes, depending on the W/C ratio and the plasticity of the concrete. Due to the large volumes for the foundation, the mixture is produced immediately. If concrete has been mixed for finishing operations in difficult areas, the maximum mixing time cannot exceed 2.5 hours. Water reacts with cement, excess moisture begins to evaporate. However, it is prohibited to add it to increase plasticity.
Thus, the choice of concrete components and grade strength depends on prefabricated loads, soil characteristics and wall construction technology. When preparing the mixture on a construction site, concrete mixers should be used.
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Independent preparation of concrete mortar for pouring the foundation is a very responsible and labor-intensive process. In many ways, the quality of construction depends on the foundation.
In order to obtain a high-quality solution mixture, it is necessary to use the right materials and make an exact proportion. If the most common strip foundation is used during construction, increased requirements must be placed on the quality of concrete.
When preparing concrete, the following factors affecting its strength must be taken into account:
- the amount of cement contained in the mixture;
- level of reaction with other substances (the higher the level of cement reaction (activity), the larger the structure can be installed on it);
- the ratio of water and cement in the composition of the substance (the lower, the better);
— quality of fillers (the use of fine-grained fillers reduces the strength of the composition);
— degree of compaction.
Necessary materials
The main component for preparing the solution is cement. When choosing it, you need to pay attention to the main indicators. Currently, there is a large assortment of cement types on the construction market, so it is important to choose quality material. The quality guarantee is the material class with an error level of 13.5% (variation coefficient).
for the foundation it is better to use cement grades 400 or 500
Strength is indicated on the packaging with the letter “M” and numbers ranging from 400 to 1000. This indicator indicates how much weight the concrete will withstand after hardening per 1 cm. It is best to use cement grade M400-M500 (depending on the density of the soil and the load on foundation). Before making a purchase, it is advisable to find out the name of the manufacturer, reviews about the manufacturer, as well as in what packaging the products are packaged. On the packaging you must pay attention to the series and number; they should not be duplicated. These simple precautions will help you avoid buying counterfeits.
Also, to prepare concrete you will need sand, water and crushed stone (gravel). When choosing these materials, it is also necessary to take into account their properties. Sand for concrete must first of all be clean. Sticks, leaves and debris are not allowed in it. Also, it should not contain clay, the permissible error is no more than 5% of the total mass.
the ideal crushed stone for concrete is granite
The presence of crushed stone or gravel is allowed if percentage of the total mass it does not exceed 0.5. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the size (fraction) of sand. Not every building material fits this parameter. Perfect option fractions - in the range of 2-2.5. When making a solution for the foundation, the sand must be dry. If the sand used is wet, it must be dried, or in the future, when preparing concrete, use less water.
It is better to use fine gravel or crushed stone. The crushed stone must be clean, without foreign impurities. The most durable crushed stone is granite, but it is more expensive than others and has a higher background radiation. It is better to choose lime or gravel material. Under no circumstances should river pebbles be consumed.
Exact proportions of the solution
Before preparing the solution, you first need to calculate how much concrete will be needed. The calculation is carried out using a simple formula: the product of the length of the tape, width and height. You can also use ours for calculation. Having decided on the volume and materials for pouring the foundation, it is necessary to maintain the correct proportion of the mixture. The process of drawing up proportions must be strictly followed, otherwise the foundation will be unreliable.
As a rule, the ratio of sand and cement in concrete is 1:2, and the amount of crushed stone is 4 parts. Based on this proportion, you can easily prepare a concrete mixture. If the solution turns out to be too dense, it must be diluted with water. The resulting consistency should be stirred with a shovel with little effort. In this case, the solution should not quickly drain from the shovel.
You can mix the components different ways. but if possible. It is better to do this using a concrete mixer.
with the help of such a device the mixture is better mixed
Pouring concrete - instructions
After the concrete is prepared, it must be poured into reinforced formwork. The ideal temperature for pouring is from +5° to +15° C. If the air temperature is below 0° C, the poured foundation must be covered with film. Do not remove the formwork until the concrete has completely dried.
If the street is above +15° C, the foundation must be watered once a day and also covered with film to avoid cracking. The formwork can be removed the next day.
The foundation can be poured in warm weather
Complete drying occurs within 2 days. Pouring should occur calmly, in layers of 25 cm. The time between pouring layers should be from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the type of cement in the concrete.
Air must be released from each filled layer. To do this, you can use conventional reinforcement, lowering its parts into concrete at a short distance from each other.
Also, each layer must be leveled. If pouring occurs in one layer, then it is necessary to use a vibration-shrinking tool. If you follow everything according to the instructions and do not skimp on materials, then a house built on such a foundation will delight its owners for many years.
Every owner of a private home should know how to prepare concrete - this will help in arranging the house or summer cottage. Often there is no point in ordering just a couple of cubes of factory-mixed concrete, it is simply not profitable. To save money, the solution can be mixed manually and in significant quantities, if the necessary ingredients are available.
Tools
At home, a concrete solution is usually prepared manually for commercial buildings, but when building housing, this procedure must be approached very responsibly.
The main rule for preparing the solution: the grade of cement should be 2 times higher than the grade of concrete that is needed for pouring. Those. if M150 concrete is needed, then the cement must be at least M300.
For pillows under the foundation and preparation of work in dry soils, use a solution of B7.5 (M100) with a rigid consistency. Crushed stone 5–20 mm is used as filler. Stairs, steps are made from the same concrete, but more plastic, fences, paths, etc. are poured. For the same purposes, in wet soils it is recommended to prepare hard concrete B10 - B12.5 (M150). Both the subfloor and paths are made from a mixture of a hard consistency of this brand.
To bookmark strip foundation For unloaded parts of the building, rigid mortar B15 (M200) or B20 (M250) is suitable. It is the same, only a little more plastic, suitable for cesspools, settling tanks, and septic tanks. For the foundation of a good residential building you need to make concrete M300 (B22.5): this will be the best option and crushed stone is better to take fractions of 20–40 mm.
Concrete grades M350 (B25) and M500 (B40) are used for high-rise buildings, heavy-duty structures, storage facilities, laying runways and are not used in home construction - there is no need, and it is difficult to work with such a solution.
To mix the solution you will need:
- trough or concrete mixer;
- shovels;
- hammer (for crushing caked cement);
- buckets;
- sieve for sifting sand;
- containers for washing the filler.
Components
Before preparing concrete, you need to carefully control the quality of the components.
Water
The water should be as clean as possible, without impurities, dirt, clay, or soil. You cannot take wastewater from swamps, stagnant springs, or chemically contaminated wastewater. The solution simply will not set well. On average, water needs half the mass of cement.
Never add water to a ready-made solution.
Filler
There is a fine filler - sand, and a coarse filler - gravel, crushed stone. For light mixtures - expanded clay filler, slag, brick or limestone crushed stone. There is a rule: the strength of a coarse filler is two to three times greater than the design strength of the finished mortar. Crushed stone creates a kind of power skeleton for the mixture.
The filler should be as clean as possible, without soil, branches, soil, and especially clay. It is sometimes washed and sieved at the construction site. Allowable amount of impurities: 35% for crushed stone, 5% for sand. Organic impurities destroy the solution from the inside. It is recommended to sift, rinse and dry the filler before use.
Sand
It is advisable to take coarse sand, it is more versatile. There are 5 groups of sand: from 3.5 mm - with large grains; up to 1.2 mm – fine-grained. Builders recommend the latter only for lightweight concrete.
Checking the contamination of sand: 200 ml of it is poured into a bottle, water is poured, shaken, and poured out. Water carries away impurities, volume loss of more than 5% is poor quality. When mixing, take into account that dry sand contains 1% moisture, after rain - 10%.
The fractions used are small (up to 12 mm, up to 40 mm). Granite screenings or chips are taken for floor screed and non-volume work.
Crushed stone can be:
- granite is the best;
- gravel - standard for private construction;
- limestone - not recommended for buildings, as limestone becomes limp from moisture.
The most popular fractions: 5–20, 5–10, 10–20, 20–40 mm. The size of the material should not exceed a third of the width of the product in the narrowest part and 2/4 of the distance between the reinforcement. Crushed stone larger than 150 mm is not recommended.
It is advisable to use two fractions - fine (at least a third of the coarse aggregate) and coarse - this will make the concrete denser. Pebbles are categorically undesirable: they are smooth and do not bind the solution well. Expanded clay (3–5 cm in size) is suitable for light screeds in houses with wooden floors.
Cement. Rigidity
We will consider the characteristics of cement separately in close connection with the determination of its quantity in the mixture. Proper preparation concrete is based on a harmonious relationship of components. Concrete must be used all at once - it is never left “for later”, so the amount of mixture must be carefully calculated.
Rigidity
Rigidity is determined by slipping: if the mixture flows from a horizontal plane, it is too liquid, plastic; when sliding when tilting - medium-plastic; if it sticks without slipping, it is low-plastic; does not settle, remaining a lump - hard. Liquid concrete It’s easier to lay, but the quality and strength of hard is better.
Most popular brands cement for private construction M400, M500.
Table - Composition concrete mixture per 1 m3 of concrete:
So, the amount of material M400 for 1 cubic meter of mixture:
- for concrete B7.5 – 180 kg;
- B10 – 200 kg;
- B15 – 260 kg.
The main quantity of cement sold on the market is Portland cement M500. If it is taken, then the above norms must be multiplied by 0.88. This and the following formula will be useful for purchasing the required amount of cement. The length, width, depth of the foundation is multiplied - the volume (cubic capacity) is obtained, based on the above proportions, you can find out exactly how much cement is required.
Nuances
Cement at home is often taken from stale cement, from leftovers from other construction. It must be taken into account that such a material does not have the necessary properties. To prepare the solution, you need dry, not expired material without lumps - this way the concrete will not crack. The shelf life of cement in original packaging is 90 days, in open packaging - no more than a week for dry conditions and no more than a day for wet conditions. The stale material must be thoroughly crushed with a hammer.
To prepare the solution manually, the popular grades of concrete are M100 - M350. All calculations are carried out by weight and are based on the mass of cement. The ratio of ingredients is calculated as their weight ratio to it.
The grade strength of the mortar is determined by the ratio of water and cement (WC). Less water– brand higher. But if there is a lack of it, the opposite effect can occur, so the rule “more cement – better (stronger) concrete” is erroneous. As mentioned above, the grade of cement should be 2-3 times higher than the design grade of the mortar. Knowing the water-cement ratio, you can increase or decrease the grade of the mixture.
Handmade recipe
Let's consider the option of how to prepare a concrete mixture for home construction manually, based on the proportions in the tables. Here are two tables, using which you can determine the proportions and number of components for 1 cubic meter of solution.
Table of water-cement ratio (average indicators of aggregates):
Table - Ratio of water and cement
| Concrete, brand | V/C | |
| Cement M400 | Cement M500 | |
| 100 | 1.04 | - |
| 150 | 0.86 | - |
| 200 | 0.70 | 0.80 |
| 250 | 0.58 | 0.66 |
| 300 | 0.54 | 0.62 |
Calculation of water for filler per cubic meter. m and the percentage of sand in it.
Table - Ratio of sand, crushed stone and water
You also need to know the approximate density of the fillers, weight in kg/m2:
- for gravel filler – 1600;
- for crushed granite – 1500;
- For quartz sand – 1500;
- for expanded clay - 600–800;
- for cement - 3000–3200 (bulk -1300 ÷ 1800).
Preparation of concrete M300 (1 cubic m). Ingredients:
- crushed stone with a fraction of 25 mm;
- medium-grained sand;
- Portland cement M400.
The first table determines W/C - 0.54; the second is the amount of water, with such a filler you need 196 liters. Cement: 196/0.54=363 l. Volume and percentage of filler: 1- ((363/3000)+0.196)=0.680 m3. We look at the percentage of sand according to the second table - 45%, which comes out to 680 × 0.45 = 306 liters of sand. Crushed stone: 680–306=374 l.
The volumes were determined in liters, so you can work with a 10 liter bucket. If the supplier measures fillers in tons, then it is easy to convert them into liters using the above weight-volume density values in kg/m2 (for cement you need to take the bulk density).
Other popular recipes and proportion options
The generally accepted proportions for preparing concrete at home are: 1 (C)/4 (W)/2 (P)/0.5 (V). In weight terms, it looks like this: 300/1250/600 kg, water - 180 liters.
If you take M400 cement, you will get M250 concrete, if you take M500 cement, then you will get M350 mortar. For mortars of low grades, it is necessary to reduce the cement content. For solution B20 (M250) there is another recipe: 1 (C - M500) / 2.6 (P) / 4.5 (Sh) / 0.5 (V) or in kg: 315/850/1050, water - 125 l per cubic meter m.
More proportions (cement: sand: crushed stone; water - half of cement):
- 1:3.5:5.7 – M150 (for floors, paths);
- 1:2.8:4.8 – M200 (fences, foundations of garages and bathhouses);
- 1:1.9:3.7 – M300 (walls, strip foundations);
- 1:1.2:2.7– M400 (very durable, professional, quickly sets and hardens).
Simple secret
There is a simple way to determine proportions. Crushed stone is poured into an empty bucket and distributed evenly. Using a measuring cup (1 liter jar), add water until its level is equal to the edge of the crushed stone. The volume of liquid is the required volume of sand.
Next, the crushed stone is poured out, and in its place the same can of sand is poured in the same amount as there was water. Then water is poured in again until it covers the sand. This is how the required volume of cement is determined. The last component is water, its amount is 50–60% of cement.
The method is based on the principle that sand fills the voids between the crushed stones, and cement fills between the grains of sand. In this case, the strength of the solution will be approximately the same as that of crushed stone. This method does not take into account the expansion of the filler grains or some other parameters, but it is simple and can be used for non-critical structures.
Mixing methods
The preparation of concrete mixture is carried out in two ways:
- manually;
- using a compact concrete mixer (mechanical or automated).
Many people are mistaken in believing that kneading by hand requires a container - no, preparation is carried out using a board made of boards; they also use metal, tin boards, troughs with various materials, the concrete mixture is mixed even just on a flat, hard surface. If the shield is constructed from boards, they need to be tightly fitted and, ideally, covered with roofing iron, although you can simply knead it on a sheet of such iron with the edges slightly turned inward.
First, sand is poured in a heap along the length of the shield, a furrow is made in the center, cement is poured there, the sand is rolled in little by little from top to bottom, stirring gradually. Next, sand and cement are mixed 3-4 times using two shovels, then everything is moistened with water from a watering can and mixed again. Next, gravel is poured evenly, the mixture is stirred at the same time, and water is added little by little until the required consistency is formed.
Another sequence: cement - water - sand - gravel (crushed stone).
There are two types of these devices: with a gravitational or a forced mechanism. The simplest and most accessible first. This is a pear with blades inside, rotating in an inclined position. It takes about 2-3 minutes of rotation to knead.
Preparation is carried out in stages - this way the concrete mixture is well mixed:
- the mechanism always starts empty;
- water is poured in;
- pour half of the cement;
- fill in all the coarse filler;
- add the second half of the cement;
- sand is gradually poured in;
- rotation – 2–3 minutes.
Everything is poured only into a horizontally standing (maximally inclined) bowl. The more horizontal the concrete mixer, the better. After unloading the concrete, the bowl must be washed with water so that there is no frozen solution on it. There are small mechanisms, they are convenient, but they can mix no more than 4 buckets of crushed stone at a time; if you load more, you won’t be able to tilt the bowl, and the batch will be of poor quality.
In winter the order changes: first hot water, then - crushed stone, cement, sand. Potash (potassium carbonate) is added to the solution. antifreeze additives, but you need to know when to stop, they destroy the reinforcement.
The basis of any building is a concrete foundation. The quality of the foundation determines the duration and safety of operation of the entire building as a whole. Today, ordering and buying ready-made concrete mortar from industrial manufacturers is not a problem, but sometimes everything is hindered by a limited construction budget. If construction requires a small volume of mortar, then in these cases it is better to make it yourself.
Experts point out that for the safety of the building, the foundation should be poured with concrete at one time.
Materials for making the solution
The concrete solution consists of the following components:
- sand;
- crushed stone or gravel;
- cement;
- water.
These are the main components of concrete, and to improve some characteristics, a number of plasticizers and additives are added to it. To produce foundation concrete with high-quality performance characteristics, it is important to withstand correct proportions stockpiling of raw materials.
The concrete mixture includes two fillers: coarse crushed stone or gravel and fine sand.
Sand. Sand is natural material, a rock residue with grain sizes of 0.1-5 mm. In the construction industry, many types of sand are used, which differ in grain size and the presence of various impurities. The main types of sand are river and quarry.
River sand is extracted from reservoirs using special equipment called dredgers. It has smooth polished grains and practically no foreign impurities. The sand from the presence of remains of shells is sifted before making concrete.
Quarry sand consists of a mixture of rock residues, and therefore it is rich in a variety of impurities: clay, stones, lime and plant debris. Quarry sand is washed and dried before being added to the solution.
Crushed stone. Crushed stone is small stones irregular shape, it is obtained by crushing granite. The surface roughness and the acute angular shape of the crushed stone maintain good adhesion in the concrete solution for making the foundation.
Depending on the type of main raw material, crushed stone can be granite, limestone, or gravel. It is also distinguished by fractions, which are determined by particle size. How smaller size crushed stone particles, the lower the fraction number. The fraction is determined by the maximum permissible size individual pebbles, it is usually expressed in two numbers, for example, 5-10 mm. To make high-quality concrete for the foundation, crushed stone of a medium fraction of 20-40 mm is used.
Cement. Cement in concrete mortar is used as a binder. To make the foundation, Portland cement grades 300, 400, 500, 600 are used. The cement is characterized by rapid setting, so the solution should be used within 1-2 hours. In private construction, Portland cement grades 300 and 400 are more popular. Cement of these grades is included in the concrete mortar for the foundation, and is also added to masonry mortars and in the manufacture of blocks and reinforced concrete structures.
For the manufacture of foundations, slag Portland cement is also used, which is more resistant to harmful influence groundwater. The disadvantage of Portland slag cement is its slow setting, which makes it impossible to use it in winter.
Cement should be stored in closed, dry rooms. During storage, it absorbs moisture from the air, thereby losing it quality characteristics. In a month of storage it loses 10% of its strength; in two years the loss is over 50%.
Water. High demands are placed on the water used for mixing concrete mixtures. Used for kneading fresh water, odorless and free from foreign impurities, containing no chlorine, oils, solutions of acids and salts. To prepare a concrete solution in the summer, use cold water, and in winter they use warm, heated to 40 ºС, for better setting of the solution.
Water is introduced into the batch gradually and in doses, since its excess affects the strength of concrete. From the construction literature it follows that 125 liters of water are spent to produce 1 m³ of concrete.
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Making concrete mortar for the foundation
To mix the solution you must have the following tools:
- a container for mixing the mixture manually or a concrete mixer;
- shovel;
- buckets;
- sieve for sifting sand.
In individual construction they are most often used the following proportion when making foundation mortar: one part cement, three parts sand and five parts crushed stone.
Instead of crushed stone, you can use gravel. It should not contain soil impurities, like sand; it must be sifted or even washed and dried.
The procedure for loading components into a container for preparing concrete manually:
- sand and cement are poured into the container for preparing concrete mortar, they are thoroughly mixed until uniform and color is achieved;
- crushed stone is added to the mixture and mixing continues;
- Water is added and the solution continues to be stirred until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Mixing the solution in a concrete mixer begins by pouring 2/3 of the calculated amount of water. Water is poured first so that the cement does not stick to the walls, but mixes well. Turn on the concrete mixer and add cement, stir well. Then sand and crushed stone are gradually added. When mixing concrete, the remaining water is added, while monitoring the consistency of the mixture so that it is not very liquid.
If you adhere to the correct placement of components into a concrete mixer, then there will be no problems with how to make concrete with high quality and quickly.