Welcome to the Concrete Mix!
This section of the Mixamate website contains the latest mix on site concrete and screed industry news, as well as our own expert analysis and
opinion on upcoming developments as they happen. Here you will also find stories relating to recent jobs, wider construction stories, and the
important work we are doing in spearheading the UK's Batched on Site Association.
For hints and tips, F&Qs, and further information relating to the technical specifications of concrete and screed design, please visit the
Advantages over Ready Mix section of our website.
Mix on Site Screed Delivered to New Starbucks Site
We are pleased to say that the work went without hitch (even the fox seemed completely un-phased by it all) and the all new screed pumping truck was perfect for this tight central London location. You can see more images of the truck in action on the gallery section of our website, as well as images specific to this particular shoot.
It was also an interesting day at the office because our friends from Jewson (who we do some work AND blogging with) turned up down the same road to attend another nearby job, which led to some swift manoeuvring from our quick thinking driver.
The new screed pumping truck is currently only available in and around London but we do also offer further screed pumping services in all the other territories we operate in so please get in contact with us about our screed services if you would like to know more.
Just before Christmas Mixamate was called into do a screed pumping job on a new site in Central London that is due to house an all new Starbucks coffee shop.
Being as we had just launched our new screed pumping truck it was the perfect opportunity to test out the new machine – which allows for the delivery, mixing and pumping of screed from a single vehicle and has been widely celebrated throughout the trade press.
You may have already seen our testimonial from Keith Tracy at Abacus Flooring, who first called in Mixamate to deliver the screed to the location. It must also be a very lucky spot for future coffee lovers as it was also this job on which we discovered a fox running around on site-not something you see on a building site every day!
Introducing Q Screed - Our Quick Drying Screed Additive
Mixamate’s brand new quick drying screed additive significantly decreases the drying time needed for screeding jobs.
A standard screed will on average dry at a rate of 1mm per day. So ifor example if your screed was placed at a depth of 75mm, it would require 75 days to fully complete the drying out process.
There is often confusion with screed between the time taken for the screed to set and the time it takes to dry out properly: these are two different things.
Generally screed will usually set within 36 hours of job completion, allowing other tradesmen working on-site to walk on the surface where necessary, although the surface should still be given as long as possible without being interfered with to give it the best possible chance of setting properly.
With the drying out process however, the time taken is significantly longer, and this can be particularly important when an expensive finish is due to be applied to the screed upon completion, as moisture will rise up during this drying out process and interfere with the top layer.
Mixamate can add quick drying screed additive to our composite mix to assist the drying of the screed and allow it to dry within just 7 days, which significantly reduces the drying out time and means that the floor can become usable within this time, rather than suffering from long waiting periods which of course incur additional costs/loss of income.
Please ask us about out new Q-Screed service, which can be mixed by our Screed trucks to match your specific requirements.
For further information please visit the screed section of our website – and for screders in and around the M25 don’t forget about our brand new Screed Pumping Truck: delivery, mixing, and pumping of screed from a single vehicle!
Fox Attracts Attention on Construction Site
Here is something you don’t see every day – a FOX attracting attention on a building site!
This brave little mite was recently filmed scurrying around a site in Central London, where our new Screed Pumping Truck had been called into work on a job being looked after by Abacus Flooring.
Luckily our marketing team were on-site doing some filming that day anyway, and consequently caught some great footage of the creature in action.
Initial curiosity seemed to turn to unease, and we are pleased to report that the fox eventually found its way off the site and towards freedom, having seemingly been caused very little distress along the way.
We have some exclusive footage coming from the shoot showing the new truck in action very soon, but in the meantime you will have to settle for our attempt at Attenborough!
New Screed Pumping Truck Receives On Site Acclaim
As regular visitors to our blog may know, our new all-in-one Screed Pumping Truck was launched last month to widespread press acclaim, some of which you can view here.
It’s fantastic to get this kind of endorsement from the industry press, but what is even better is when we receive positive feedback from the guys on-site that we actually supply this service to.
One such example comes this week from Keith Tracey of Abacus Flooring, who were recently working on a very exciting job in the City of London that only Mixamate could help on! Conditions were difficult for the delivery and administration of screed into a fairly tricky space, and our unique Screed Pumping Truck was called in to take care of the job!
The real advantage of this pioneering piece of industrial manufacture is that it allows for the delivery, mixing and pumping of screed from a single vehicle – meaning that you don’t need a separate screed pump anymore! As testified by Mr. Tracey below, this significantly reduces the labour and operation costs, time taken, and hassle associated with a traditional screed pumping job.
“We had an awkward job in the City of London where we needed to get 20 tons of screed in during a very short window,” said Tracey, Abacus Flooring. “We searched the Internet, found Mixamate, and discovered they can provide a lorry and mix the exact quantities on-site with no waste. They were also able to administer it via pump, which would have been quite an awkward job with quite a lot of labour otherwise. It seems to be a fantastic set-up.”
That is high praise indeed coming from Abacus flooring, who provide flooring solutions to some of the largest names in UK retail thoughout the UK. Further details of their work can be found on the company's website and for further information on Mixamate's brand new screed pumping truck please click here.
Lord Mayors Show Delays Screed Pump Delivery
Last weekend Mixamate was scheduled to deliver over 20tons of floor screed using our brand new Screed Pumping truck to a highly secret (but very central) City of London location.
The new store of a brand new well known coffee Global coffee chain is nearing completion and as the shop moves closer towards opening, floor screed is required to prepare the inside for the flooring.
Abacus Flooring (www.abacusfloors.com) found themselves with a dilemma of how to get 20 tons of high quality floor screed into the new store without having it dumped on the road outside the store. The days when you could just unload screed on to the public highway are now long gone: local authorities will no longer tolerate their roads, pavements and drains being blocked by building materials left on the road.
The Lord Mayors show clashed with the delivery of the screed to the new store, as the new shop is very close to the Guildhall where the show starts.
The City of London Police through a wide security cordon around the City which included the Store -- not even a vital delivery of screed to the store would melt their hearts and the delivery had to be aborted.
Coffee lovers will only have to wait an extra week for their fix as we successfully delivered the screed this weekend. Stay posted to our blog as exclusive footage of the new truck in action will be released over the coming weeks!
Concrete Calculator
One of the things that separates Mixamate’s unique Mix on Site service from standard volumetric concrete operators is the way we mix our concrete. Our pioneering Conqueror mixing trucks have developed a reputation in the industry in recent years as a ‘Concrete Plant on Wheels’, since they carry an on-board computerised 'Concrete Calculator' that ensures that every component that is added to the mix is electronically weighed before it is added.
So how does this work exactly?
Well, standard volumetric concrete mixing trucks can be seen to operate on a “guesstimate” basis – recording the number of times the belt revolves and using this as a proxy to determine the correct mixing proportion.
In the case of Mixamate, our on-board computers mathematically weigh every ingredient as it goes into the mix, guaranteeing exact proportions that are displayed on an easy to read printed ticket, so that you can rest easy in the knowledge that you are getting quality mix on site concrete concrete.
The Concrete Plant on Wheels effect allows us to ensure batching plant standard concrete quality within a mix onsite service, which is something that the volumetric operators simply cannot do. Additionally, this unique system of technical measurement gives us greater control over how much mixture we are able to pour, meaning that you only pay for what you take, no more, no less.
Further information on the Conqueror Truck can be found here, and if you can’t wait until the truck turns up on-site then we also have our very own Concrete Calculator here on the Mixamate website that allows you to work out the exact quantity and strength of mix you require.
Any other questions, as always, give us a call – it’s all part of the service!
Screed Pumping Truck Makes the Headlines
Mixamate, the UK’s leading provider of Mix on Site Concrete and Screed, last month launched a brand new Screed Pumping Truck based on pioneering new industry technology. The truck is capable of delivering, mixing, and pumping screed from a single vehicle – making it one of the most technologically innovative machines on the road today.
First on the road in October 2011, the unique screed pumping machine has already achieved widespread industry acclaim throughout the trade press, being featured in no less than 5 industry magazines including Building & Facilities News, British Builder & Developer, Heating Ventilating & Plumbing Magazine, ABC+D and Builders Merchants News.
The comany, who uses Social Media Publisher inPress Online to assist them in their online communications, is certainly no stranger to press attention, having been called upon by the Concrete Society’s flagship publication Concrete Magazine recently to provide an independent view on the current OFT issues facing the ready-mix sector. Mixamate Managing Director, Chris Smith, was also interviewed for the HSBC newsletter earlier this year providing his insight into modern marketing and communications technologies.
Of course while media attention is nice the proof of the pudding for any new form of industrial technology is its reception by the industry, and we are delighted to say that the new screed pumping truck has been on the road non-stop since its launch last month! The phones are literally ringing off the hook and with just one truck in place around the M25 area at present the company already have plans to roll out further vehicles in 2012, so watch this space!
Because the truck provides the delivery, mixing and pumping of screed from a single vehicle, this technology allows for great reductions in the costs, carbon emissions, and of course hassle associated with administering screed into hard to reach areas.
For more information on our new screed pumping truck specifications please visit the screed pumping section of our website, and other than that we’d just like to say a huge than you to all of our drivers, office staff, and technicians who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this innovation in the screed sector a reality!
Mixamate Facebook Page Now Live
The social media users amongst you may have already spotted our company Twitter account: @Mixamat_e.
This has proved to itself to be an increasingly important communications tool in recent months, not only for communicating with all of you, and the industry press, but also in keeping up to date with the latest industry news and stories.
Here at Mixamate we take our technology very seriously, from the marketing and communications platforms we use, right down to the technology we use on-site. You may have seen for example the recent launch of our pioneering new screeding truck, which achieved widespread acclaim in the industry press.
For a little bit more of a fun-facing view of the company you can now also check us out on Facebook. This should prove to be a Mixamate hotspot for all of our friends, colleagues, and customers, containing the latest news, comment and image galleries taken both on and off-site.
With the news today that Google+ has just launched business profiles we will no doubt be launching our way onto that platform very soon. In the meantime come on over to Facebook and give us a like – we look forward to seeing you there!
Mixamate Provides Analysis on OFT Decision in Concrete Magazine
Mixamate Managing Director and Founding Member of the Batched on Site Association, Chris Smith, was this month interviewed by Concrete Magazine to provide his expert analysis on the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) decision to investigate the industry.
In August of this year, the OFT formerly requested a Competition Commission investigation into the aggregates, cement and ready-mixed sectors, amidst growing concerns over a lack of competition in the industry.
Sales of concrete, cement and aggregates were worth a combined total of £3.4bn in 2009. It is believed that just five providers now account for 90% of the cement market, 75% of aggregates and 68% of ready-mix concrete – a situation that has prompted OFT Chief Executive, John Fingleton, to raise concerns: "We are concerned that competition is not working well in these sectors."
Previously featured by the BBC and throughout the national press, this situation is being treated very seriously by the industry, and featured as the main story in the October issue of Concrete Magazine, the Concrete Society’s flagship publication.
As the UK’s leading provider of mix on site concrete and screed, Mixamate were featured heavily in the article, as Chris offered a unique insight into the situation:
“Right at the summit of the ready-mix sector you are talking about national and Global organisations that are operating along every step of the supply chain from quarry to delivery. Therefore if you’re a smaller organisation trying to get a toehold in just one area of this supply chain there is an argument to be made that it can be very difficult to compete.”
“However, whether or not that is right or wrong is a very difficult thing to argue because in a sense you are talking about two different business models coming into contact in the same sector. This idea of looking at the entire supply chain versus the individual service industries it contains will be a key focus for the regulators in determining how to proceed.”
With referral to the Competition Commission still pending the industry is awaiting further developments. In the meantime, stay tuned to the Concrete Mix for further updates and insights from the Mixamate team.
The Evolution of Screed Pumping
As we recently blogged here on the Mixamate blog - the Concrete Mix - the all new Mixamate Screed Pumping Truck has now been launched on the road and has been a resounding success.
For those of you who have not yet seen the publicity surrounding the truck, we have today launched a new gallery section of the site that demonstrates the awesome capabilities of the vehicle in action. This really does represent an evolution in the screed pumping industry, in which a single vehicle can come to a site, mix screed to batching plant standard metrics, and pump it into a floor screeding project from up to 60 metres away.
This technology has so far only been rolled out in and around the M25, but based on the success of the vehicle and the demand for it across our entire UK customer base will soon be getting rolled out around the country. There is also a video of the new truck in action which you can view here.
To find out if you are eligible for this unique service in your post code area, please visit the contact section of our website and get in touch with your local brand directly.
