Quantity Calculator for Cement

[Lburou]

If you are ordering cement, This Calculator might be useful.

[brickie in oz]

Dont use bagged rubbish get a mini mix delivered, if you calc out using metric, I know them cheese eating surrender monkeys invented it , but it is way too easy.

If your concrete slab is, 1.2m (4')x 1.2m (4')x .1m (4") Total = .144 M3, metric is a dozen times easier.

[dmun]

I'd like to see the face of my ready mix vendor when I walk in and order .144 cubic meters of concrete.

We know that inches and yards are ridiculous, but they're ours and we like them.

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by dmun

I'd like to see the face of my ready mix vendor when I walk in and order .144 cubic meters of concrete.

We know that inches and yards are ridiculous, but they're ours and we like them.

The ready mix guys are hard to impress, but such a request dmun, would cause animation like a Disney cartoon at my local batch plant!

Sadly, (really, I'm happy to say), we live an hour or more from such a vendor Brickie....But, I have done it in another life

[azpizzanut]

Hi All,

Home Depot has a calculator too. It overestimates slightly but that is no problem since the extra bags are useful for other projects and you can always return what you don't use.

If you are ordering a small amount of concrete then work with your vendor and be flexible about the delivery time. I've ordered several small batches and the truck either arrives fully loaded or nearly empty but holding the amount I needed. There were apparently enough customers nearby that two deliveries could be made by one truck. if you are out in the boonies and the only customer needing concrete then you may be out of luck with such a plan.

I've always enjoyed mixing bagged concrete for small jobs because friends and family can get involved to help one another. The hard work is done soon enough then we all sit around and drink beer and, well, drink more beer.

Cheers,

[Tscarborough]

LXWXH/.66=80# bags required, plus 10% for waste.

[Neil2]

If you are planning a fair amount of concrete work over time, consider buying a cement mixer. You often see used ones on Craigslist and the like. Then get a half yard of aggregate delivered and buy some bags of cement. This will give you the greatest flexibility in how much and when you pour. It is also the least expensive way to do concrete work and you can assure the quality.

When your various projects are done, you can sell the cement mixer, (probably for what you paid for it if you bought a used one).

[Tscarborough]

I bought a mixer about 15 years ago, a little 3 CuFt Stone brand. We (amongst friends) have run at least 30 yards of concrete through it (we did 4 yards in one day; that is 168 80# bags), and it looks and operates like new. Keep it clean and covered and it will last forever.

Here is a rough breakdown on how much cheaper it is to mix your own instead of buying pre-mix, prices for this area for comparison only:

1 yard of home-made=85 bucks
1 yard ordered from a ready-mix plant=100 bucks (not counting fees for short ordering or delivery, which would push an order of less than 6 yards to around 125 bucks a yard)
1 yard of bagged=145 bucks