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MakingConcrete

MakingConcreteforUseinWaterWell
Construction:TheBasics
MakingConcrete:TheBasics
Note:ThecontentonthispagehasbeenadaptedfrompublicationsofLifewaterInternational,writtenby
FredProby.
ConcreteTerminology
Onthesepages,manywordsareusedwhichareuniquetomakingconcrete.Differentwordsmaybeused
intheareawhereyouwork,buttheconceptswillbethesame.
Makingoncreteisacommonpracticethroughouttheworldanditislikelythatwhereveryouarethereare
expertsaroundthatarefamiliarwithconcretework.
Itisworthwhiletotakesometimetogooverthewordsusedonthesepagesandmatchthemtotheirlocal
meanings.
Formaframethatholdsconcreteintheshapethatisdesiredforthefinishedproduct.
Screedaboard,normallyalittlelongerthanthewidthoftheform,usedtolevelthewetconcreteeven
withthetopoftheform(alsousedtomeantheprocessoflevelingtheconcrete).
Floatasmallsmoothboardwithahandlethatisusedtoagitatethewetconcretetosinkrocksbelowthe
surface,eliminateairpockets,bringwateruptothesurface,andtosmooththeconcrete(alsousedto
meantheactof''floatingtheconcrete").
Finishthefinalstageofmakingconcreteisaddingasurfacetexturetotheconcrete.Concreteismost
oftengivenasmoothsurfaceusingasteelfinishingtrowel.
Butinmakingconcreteitcanalsobegivenaroughnonslipsurfacebybrushingitwithabroom.Finishing
isdoneinseveralstagesastheconcretebeginstosetup.
Edgebecausethecuredconcretewillhaveasharpedgethatcancutbarefeet,orcrackoff,anedging
toolisusedtomakeashallowgroovebetweentheconcreteandtheform.Anedgingtrowelhasoneedge
thatcurvesdowntoaccomplishthis.
StagesofconcretecuringConcretedoesnot"dry".Instead,itgainsstrengththroughachemical
reactioncalled''curing''thatstartsassoonaswaterisadded.
Thefollowingstagesofcuringareusefultounderstandwhenmakingconcrete:
Wetverysoftandeasilypouredorshaped(lessthananhourafteraddingwater).
Setalsocalled''green''concretemeaningthatitisstillslightlysoftbutwillholditsshapewhentheform
isremoved(severalhoursold).
Hardenedcanbewalkedon,buthasnotreachedfullstrength(aboutaweekold).
Curedtheconcretehasreachedatleast80%offullstrength(atleastamonthold).
Concreteismadefromcement,sand,gravelandwater.
Inmakingconcretestrong,theseingredientsshouldusuallybemixedinaratioof1:2:3:0.5toachieve
maximumstrength.Thatis1partcement,2partssand,3partsgravel,and0.5partwater.(Seefigure6).

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(A''part''meansaunitofmeasure.Technically,itshouldbebasedonweightbutinpracticalusetheunit
ofmeasurewillbeavolumesuchasasack,abucket,orashovelfull.)
*Ifnotenoughcementisused,thentheresultiscalled''sandcrete''andthepadwilleventuallyfallapart.
Sometimes,adifferentcement:sand:gravelratiosuchas1:2:4or1:2:2isprintedonasackofcementas
aguidelineformakingconcreteslabs.
Itisbesttousetheratioprintedonthesack,butifnoneisgivenuse1:2:3.
*Ifthereareseveralgradesofcementavailable,alwaysusethebestgrade.
Cheapcementdoesnotholduptoheavyusesoapumppadmadewithcheapcementwillsoonhavetobe
replaced.So,cheapcementwillnotsavemoneyinthelongrun.
*Cementmustbestoredinadryplace.Ifitisexposedtomoistureitwillbegintocure.Cementthathas
hardlumpsinithasbeenexposedtowaterandshouldnotbeused.
*Forbestresults,thesandandgravelshouldbeangular,notroundedorsmooth.Thegravelshouldhave
amaximumdiameterofabout2cm(3/4inch).
*Itisveryimportanttousecleansandandgravelwhenmakingconcrete.Evensmallamountsofsilt,
clay,orvegetationwillweakentheconcrete.
*Theamountofwaterusedtomixtheingredientsisthemostimportantfactorindeterminingthefinal
strengthoftheconcrete.Usetheleastamountofwaterthatwillstillgiveaworkablemix.
Toomuchwaterweakenstheconcreteandleadstocracking.
The1:0.5cement:waterrationotedaboveismerelyaguideforestimatingwhenmakingconcrete.
Note:Firstmixthecement,sand,andgravelTHENslowlyaddwater.Itisbesttosprinklethewater
ratherthanpourit.Thewatermustbecleanandfresh,notsalty.
Formakingconcreteinalargevolume,aswillbeneededforapumppad,acementtroughisavery
usefultool.
Thetroughisapproximately1.2mwideby2mlong(4ft.x6ft.)and30cm(12inches)deep.Cleanthe
troughaftereachusebeforetheconcretesets,oritwillbecomedifficulttouseandheavytomove.
Ittakestimeforconcretetocure.Afteraweekconcretehasgainedmostofitsstrengthbutittakesabout
amonthtocuretofullstrength.
Therefore,itisveryimportanttolettheconcretehardenforatleastaweekbeforedoinganythingthat
willbumpormovethepumpbase.
Ifworkisdoneonthepumpbeforetheconcretehardens,thenthebondbetweentheconcreteandthe
metalwillbeweakened.Thismightnotshowuprightaway,butaftertimethebasecanbegintoseparate
fromtheconcrete.
Thisisaseriousproblembecauseitallowscontaminatedsurfacewatertoseepdirectlyintothewell.

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Wheninstallingorrepairingahandpump,NEVERleaveawellcasingopenandunattended!
Children,andevensomeadults,maydroprocksdownittoheartheinterestingsoundtherocksmakeas
theyfall.Inthiswaythewellcasingcanbequicklyfilledwithrockswhichwilldestroythewell.
Therefore,wheneverthewellisleftunattendedbeforethepumpinstallationhasbeenfinished,securethe
openinginthepumpbase.Boltingaplatewherethepumpheadwillbeattachedisaneffectivemethod.
CalculatingConcreteVolume
Whenmakingconcrete,figuringouthowmuchwillbeneededforapumppadrequiresgood
measurements,alittlemath,andexperience.
Itisnotunusualforconcretequantitycalculationstoresultintoomuchortoolittleconcretebeingmixed.
Itisbettertohavealittleconcreteleftoverthantohavetomixadditionalconcretetofinishthejob.

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