Had a concrete pour go sideways last Tuesday when the pump truck showed up 3 hours late

The crew was already on site and the mix started setting in the truck before we could even get the forms fully braced, ended up with a 6 inch cold joint in the middle of a driveway that the homeowner is definitely going to notice.

2 comments

2 Comments

jamie_white11d ago

the mix started setting in the truck" - that's the part that really gets me. I think a lot of guys forget that once the concrete hits that drum it's already got a timer on it, and 3 hours late is basically a disaster waiting to happen. I've seen it before where the dispatcher will push a load out too early to meet a different deadline, then your job gets screwed because the truck just sits there. Next time you order, try asking for a different dispatch center or a specific plant that's closer to your site. Also, if you know you've got a tight window, you can ask them to add a retarder to the mix before it leaves the plant. It's a few bucks extra but it buys you that extra hour of working time. That cold joint is a real bummer though, especially on a driveway where it's front and center.

jamesfox11d ago

You ever ask them to throw retarder in and they still show up late anyway? That always pisses me off, paying extra for nothing because the dispatcher still screws the window up.