The Ohio Ready Mix team is preparing to make a BIG splash at the upcoming Wacky Boat Races taking place on August 7^th, 2010 at Indian Lake, Ohio.

The seaworthy vessel will be setting sail at noon on the Russells Point Harbor next to Rite-Aid and TacoBell. (Directions here)

We asked team captains Josh Klofta and Jeremy Sloan if they had any words to share about their strategy for victory.   Here’s what they said.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssr___AYRyg

The 12^th annual Wacky Boat Race is sponsored by The Indian Lake Elks Lodge #2792.  The race consists of homemade boats using any material that floats.  The boat must be people powered and must not be manufactured for marine purposes, including the paddling devices.

Ohio Ready Mix is proud to announce that their boat is made from 100% green construction products.  All of the products used in designing this boat are used every day in the construction business and can be found by visiting Duff Companies and the Ohio Ready Mix product showroom located at 9016 St. Rt. 117 in Huntsville, Ohio.

The race starts at high noon at the Russell’s Point Harbor, Indian Lake Ohio.  Come support Ohio Ready Mix as Josh Klofta and Jeremy Sloan hit the open waters with their sights on the checkered flag.  To learn more about this event, please contac the Indian Lake Elks at 937-843-2763.

We asked Bob Banka President of Concrete Management Solutions to answer some important questions in a 5 part series about Pervious Ready Mix Concrete and the best way to get the most out of a pervious concrete installation.

 Question:  What are the 5 most important steps for a pervious concrete installation?

 Step 3:  Once the decision to use pervious concrete has been made and a well written set of spec’s have been used to set a job on its way to success the next important step is to talk to your local ready mix supplier.

 Questions you will want to ask are:

1. Have you made and delivered pervious concrete to a job before?
2. If the answer to question #1 was yes then get the address and go by and look at the job(s).
   1. Does the job look good? 
   2. Does the concrete take water?
   3. Are there any signs of raveling?
3. Is anyone at the plant NRMCA Certified in pervious concrete?

Get a copy of the mix design as well as the aggregate gradations and void content of the aggregate per ASTM C-29.  If you don’t know what you are looking for, ask one of the five national pervious consultants for assistance.  Too many times we see mixes that are too heavy on cementitious materials and admixtures with not enough concern being placed on the aggregate being used. More times than not, the aggregate used for everyday concrete will not make the best pervious concrete.  (Hint-asphalt gradations work better)

 The paste must contain enough water to bring a certain rheology to its consistency.  The critical function of this is to allow the aggregate to slide together with uniform consolidation with aggregate touching other aggregate on all sides.  The paste must get out of the way as we seek a point to point contact in the aggregate.  It is also necessary to shape the paste coating that is able to deform and reform into the paste bridge.  The shape of this paste must exhibit apparent surface tension on the paste.  The paste surface should shed water rather than absorb it for freezing climates.

 The toughest part of marketing pervious is the reputation for ravel.  Even in freezing climates, this is traced back to a malfunction in hydration.  To overcome this, the producer and installer need the free use of water.  This is not possible without measuring the aggregate and moderating cementitious to allow the space for adequate water. If the aggregate voids calculate out to 39% or higher, you can expect the tasks of mixing and discharge to be much easier.  Excessive fines and excessive cementitious can often bog down the placement operation which can eat up your profit.

 If the mix is designed with enough space in the voids, water can be used without fear of collapsing the voids.  Remember to check the chosen aggregate for voids using a standard C 29 bulk density test. It is perfect if it has 41 to 43% voids. When you add 564 to 600 pounds of cementitious you fill up approximately 23% of those voids leaving 18% +/- 3% voids.

 Bob Banka is President of Concrete Management Solutions and has been involved with the development of pervious concrete for over twenty years.   To learn more visit:  http://www.perviousconsulting.com

Top 5 Steps to Successful Pervious Concrete Installations

We asked Bob Banka President of Concrete Management Solutions to answer some important questions in a 5 part series about Pervious Ready Mix Concrete and the best way to get the most out of a pervious concrete installation.

Question:  What are the 5 most important steps for a pervious concrete installation?

Step 2: Make sure that there are well written specs to work from.

Pervious concrete is so different from regular concrete that in order for a job to be successful many things need to be addressed in specifications written by someone with a solid background in all aspects of pervious concrete.

First and foremost is to pre-qualify and insist on using a contractor that is either a NRMCA Certified Installer or Craftsman.  Nothing can be more beneficial to a good job than having someone on sight that is experienced and well qualified to properly install the concrete but since pervious concrete is part of a total storm-water management system, the installer needs be able to address all of the parts that make the system work.  Simply having five certified technicians on sight will not guarantee you a good job. The certified installer or craftsman needs to make sure that the recharge bed is properly designed to handle the designed rain event and then be able to see that the recharge bed is properly installed with the proper stone.  They need to make sure that the mix design chosen is the best possible.  They need to know the anticipated unit weight of the concrete and be able to make adjustments to the mix if anything changes during a pour.  They need to be able to quickly decide if the mix is delivered at the proper sheen and if not, know how to temper the mix or reject the load.  They need to make sure that the recharge bed is properly moistened prior to concrete delivery and then oversee and make sure that the concrete is placed, finished and cured properly. Remember, we are curing most pervious with a 6 mil poly and it will be left in place for 7 days so it needs to be securely fastened so that the wind does not dry the concrete out prematurely.

The next thing to make sure in your specs is that you address maintenance.  There is no one size fits all when it comes to maintaining pervious concrete.  It should be up to your Certified Installer or Craftsman to test the ability of the concrete to take water on a regular basis for twenty four months to help an owner develop the proper maintenance plan for each job site.

Bob Banka is President of Concrete Management Solutions and has been involved with the development of pervious concrete for over twenty years.   To learn more visit:  http://www.perviousconsulting.com

The City of Bellefontaine Engineer chose concrete for the street replacement project for several reasons. Durability, look and price. Concrete is durable and has several long lasting benefits. It offers clean lines, an upscale appearance that enhances property value and portrays a good first impression with a lasting sense of quality. When the life of the concrete does finally come to an end, it is able to be crushed and recycled as high-quality aggregate and re-used in other applications.

Concrete is environmentally friendly. With its light-colored surfaces, concrete’s reflectivity can lower cooling and lighting costs. The cooler surfaces also result in cooler storm water runoff with no toxins, which benefits lakes and streams. Pervious concrete actually allows rainwater to pass through supporting ground water recharge and tree growth.

Concrete streets and parking lots pay for themselves short-term and deliver long-term benefits.  It’s made of all natural resources rather than petroleum based products, keeping the cost down and the supply available.  There is little maintenance costs involved with concrete. It doesn’t need sealed, stripped or resurfaced and Ready–Mix concrete is manufactured locally.

The newest concrete street in Bellefontaine is Spring Street, completed by a crew from Terra Valley Excating, of Belleville, Ohio and Newcomer Concrete of Norwalk, Ohio. Together with Ohio Ready Mix, they poured over 800 cubic yards of concrete.

We at Ohio Ready Mix are excited to announce that we will be hosting July’s Logan County Networking Meetup at our facilities.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Logan County Networking Meetups, they are a monthly meeting, 3rd Tuesday of the month, in which more than 50 local county professionals come together, share ideas and connect with others in the area.

There will be multiple events with in the Meetup including, participating in the “Search for Gold” scavenger hunt by visiting each of the Huntsville campus business locations for the chance to win several amazing prizes (including an authentic piece of real Duff Quarry gold!).

Other events include:

-Get your picture with one of the World’s Largest Caterpillar® Loaders – the 992G!

- See a live Demonstration How Concrete can SAVE a business or homeowner THOUSANDS of dollars when compared to Asphalt.

-Design a Maintenance Free Outdoor Deck Using the Newest Technology in Building Materials

All of this, more, plus great finger food and drinks! Look for the Meetup signs at friendly faces at Duff Companies located at 9016 St. Rt. 117 in Huntsville on Tuesday, July 20th from 5:30-7:30PM.

Please click for directions to our facilities: Google Business Listings

Hope to see you there

Your outdoor space can be anything from simple to elaborate but it’s yours and the feeling you’re wanting to capture can be accomplished with decorative concrete.  It’s a great way to add value and personality to your home or business.  ConcreteNetwork.com says it best, “Nothing does a better job of anchoring an outdoor living room than an authentic outdoor fireplace.”

They go on to share that outdoor fireplaces and fire pits continue to grow in popularity as magazines continue to post beautiful design ideas and completed projects. When choosing the design of your outdoor living space pick a style that makes your guest’s feel at home, encourages an inviting conversation and keeps you relaxed.   

Concrete is an eco-friendly building material. It’s sustainable, preserves your natural resources and has an organic look and feel, making decorative concrete a super look around your flower beds, down your driveway, in your pool area or shaping your patio.  

Decorative concrete doesn’t have to be confined to the outdoors, bring it inside your home with colorful countertops, indoor fireplaces, pools and furniture. Yep, you heard correctly, concrete furniture, a great addition of character.   Have you thought about lighting up your concrete for enhanced color and flare? This can be done with the same fiber-optic cables that are used to speed up your telephone lines, cable TV and internet.

Now that you’re thinking about home improvements and concrete projects, feel free to contact any of the professional sales staff members of Ohio Ready Mix to answer your questions regarding decorative concrete.

Randy Poland of Designer’s Choice Concrete in Milford Center, Ohio, has been featured in a May article of Concrete Contractor. Designer’s Choice Concrete has been a long time contractor of Ohio Ready Mix and we are honored that his work is being featured in a national concrete publication.

The article is a showcase for his company and the work they do. Their unique focus on colored and decorative concrete create an opportunity to be able to work all year round despite the weather since their decorative products are able to be created in their shop and transported to the site. The falling economy is helping his business since homeowners are putting money into creating spaces they can use at home such as patios and backyard entertaining/living areas.

Designer’s Choice Concrete is able to offer a full service company, including design from start to finish. This is just one of the may features that differentiates him from other contractors. They have also invested in the proper equipment for their services. A design and the correct tools are not the only things that it takes to make beautiful concrete pieces. These creations came after extensive training for Poland and his small four person team of creative, artistic individuals.

The demand for Designer’s Choice Concrete is so high that there is a few month wait before they can take on any other projects. To find out more about Randy Poland and Designer’s Choice Concrete contact Randy at www.designerschoiceconcrete.com or call (937) 349-6374.  If you would like to read the full article you can do so here: http://www.forconstructionpros.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=7&id=16122&pageNum=3

We asked Bob Banka President of Concrete Management Solutions to answer some important questions in a 5 part series about Pervious Ready Mix Concrete and the best way to get the most out of a pervious concrete installation.

Question:  What are the 5 most important steps for a pervious concrete installation?

Step 1: Make sure that pervious concrete is the proper stormwater management solution for a projects needs.

Although those of us in the ready mix business would love nothing better than to sell more concrete, when it comes to pervious concrete we want to make sure that it is the proper material of choice and if so, how much of a job should use it.  Question number one should always be, what is the underlying soils percolation rate?  If it is at least ½ of rain per hour then pervious concrete is an ideal candidate.  If the perc rate is not quite what we would like it to be, chances are we can address that by creating a deeper recharge bed, in other words, build a deeper holding tank under the pavement.  If there is any concern about the ability of the soils to take the rain storm that the pavement is designed for, then a good belt and suspenders approach would be to run a perforated pipe halfway in the recharge bed to allow the system to take all of the rain it can and if need be, have an extra outlet rather than have the rain back up into the pervious pavement sections.  Studies have shown that even clay soils can now be used under properly designed pervious concrete pavements and with recent mix design improvements pervious concrete is now being used not only for parking lots and sidewalks but for alleyways and residential streets.

When designing a pervious pavement concrete can be very competitive with traditional asphalt designs, especially when we use regular concrete drive lanes and pervious concrete parking stalls.  If as a designer you can remove or reduce the number of catch basins, perimeter drains and other underground work, many times a pervious concrete system will be the most economical way to build not only an environmentally friendly but also a safer parking lot.

Bob Banka is President of Concrete Management Solutions and has been involved with the development of pervious concrete for over twenty years.   To learn more visit:  http://www.perviousconsulting.com

So you’ve heard about Pervious Concrete and want to know about all the hype?   Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Pervious concrete pavement is a unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support green, sustainable growth. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous concrete is instrumental in recharging groundwater, reducing stormwater runoff, and meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater regulations. In fact, the use of pervious concrete is among the Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended by the EPA-- and by other agencies and geotechnical engineers across the country-- for the management of stormwater runoff on a regional and local basis.

This pavement technology creates more efficient land use by eliminating the need for retention ponds, swales, and other stormwater management devices. In doing so, pervious concrete has the ability to lower overall project costs on a first-cost basis. Check out this quick 3-min informational video about pervious concrete:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEF0DeOq100

In pervious concrete, carefully controlled amounts of water and cement-like materials are used to create a paste that forms a thick coating around aggregate particles. A pervious concrete mixture contains little or no sand, creating a substantial void content. Using sufficient paste to coat and bind the aggregate particles together creates a system of highly permeable, interconnected voids that drains quickly.

If you are into the particulars….it’s normal to see 15% and 25% voids are achieved in the hardened concrete, and flow rates for water through pervious concrete are typically around 480 in./hr (0.34 cm/s, which is 5 gal/ft²/ min or 200 L/m²/min), although they can be much higher. Both the low mortar content and high porosity also reduce strength compared to conventional concrete mixtures, but sufficient strength for many applications is readily achieved.

While pervious concrete can be used for a surprising number of applications, its primary use is in pavement. This site focuses on the pavement applications of the material, which also has been referred to as porous concrete, permeable concrete, no-fines concrete, gap-graded concrete, and enhanced-porosity concrete.

To learn more if pervious concrete is best for your application, ask a friendly Ohio Ready Mix associate by contacting us today and stay tuned to our blog for our 5 part series with Bob Banka on pervious concrete.

Ohio Ready Mix, Inc. is the leading provider of ready mix concrete and everything you need to protect, repair or replace your pavement in West Central Ohio. For over 25 years, we have delivered products and services used to build the factories, bridges, roads, and sidewalks in Logan, Union, Shelby, Hardin, Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Delaware, Clark counties.