What is the motor and pully system to the right of the mixer? Looks like the engine is missing off the mixer, so they have a different motor rigged up to run the mixer? Or is that an air compressor?
- Thread starter PeterInBrat
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Dominican *Concrete*
What is the motor and pully system to the right of the mixer? Looks like the engine is missing off the mixer, so they have a different motor rigged up to run the mixer? Or is that an air compressor?
A few years ago in Samana, once they finished the bridges, drainage ditches and installing water lines, they finally paved the roads with blacktop. The roads are now really nice except for one or two short stretches. Prior to that, I kept on seeing large piles of empty cement bags in places where the drainage ditches were already complete. I could not figure out why I would see these large piles of cement bags. One day when they stopped traffic, I found out why. They would bust open hundreds of cement bags, and throw them on the dirt road. They would then come along with a large grading machine and level and mix the cement with the mud and rocks and dirt. And then they would go home for the night. That was their short term solution for a road surface until they paved it. (no it did not work)
That runs the dumper/lifter to the roof. They dump materials into the front loader and a bucket of water into the mixer, mix it for ten seconds, then tip it to the rear bucket and it's lifted to the roof and dumps out into the pour. The can do about one batch a minute. The mixer runs non stop on another motor.
This is what happens when you mix "Dominican concrete" to make support pilings for a garage roof and throw in a 6.5 earthquake (Cofresi 2003).
Apparently they support pilings (6 of them) were mostly sand.
Apparently they support pilings (6 of them) were mostly sand.
And i would have always thought they had cement trucks in the DR!
Using a mixer like that for paving or to slap on blocks is one thing, but to build a building?
Foundation should be poured out of a truck. As well as floors. Cemento cibao delivers concrete to the jobsites, no?
Thats how I have seen it done in the campo. Foundation, slab, comback when walls are put up, even the very long drive way at times.
To mix all day is labour intensive.
Using a mixer like that for paving or to slap on blocks is one thing, but to build a building?
Foundation should be poured out of a truck. As well as floors. Cemento cibao delivers concrete to the jobsites, no?
Thats how I have seen it done in the campo. Foundation, slab, comback when walls are put up, even the very long drive way at times.
To mix all day is labour intensive.
You forget the cost of labor, esp Haitian day laborers.
There are a half dozen abandoned truck mixers on the way into Hig?ey and prob other towns. They didn't bother to empty out the mixers at the end of the day and rinse them out...oops. seen it in other countries as well.
I was on a build in Japan where we had to pour a 3x4m indoor bathing area. Only prob was they installed a window before we could do the pour. The whole crew of twelve had to hand carry in the concrete in five gallon buckets in an ant line. My arms have never been as tired..
There are a half dozen abandoned truck mixers on the way into Hig?ey and prob other towns. They didn't bother to empty out the mixers at the end of the day and rinse them out...oops. seen it in other countries as well.
I was on a build in Japan where we had to pour a 3x4m indoor bathing area. Only prob was they installed a window before we could do the pour. The whole crew of twelve had to hand carry in the concrete in five gallon buckets in an ant line. My arms have never been as tired..
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They poured the second story roof yesterday on the build. No dirt in the mix this time, but I never saw any rebar delivered in the last week or so either and I'm pretty sure I would have noticed... Mi esposa's says it's for Haitian apts.
There were some good videos put out after the quake on how simple design rules can prevent collapse.
I remember some teen up in Sosua had her legs crushed last year when a concrete ledge she was on collapsed.
There were some good videos put out after the quake on how simple design rules can prevent collapse.
I remember some teen up in Sosua had her legs crushed last year when a concrete ledge she was on collapsed.
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I wonder how many structures like this one in the DR just skip the rebar. (SCARY)
This might depend on the "maestro" since it's doubtful the owner is around to check....
This might depend on the "maestro" since it's doubtful the owner is around to check....
A second story roof w/o any rebars, is that what is been hinted here?
Because if you do, there is no reason to continue to read on as this clearly denotes the knowledge of whomever is attempting to hint as so.
Because if you do, there is no reason to continue to read on as this clearly denotes the knowledge of whomever is attempting to hint as so.
The owner is a 60 yo woman living next to the build in a tin shack. Talking to the neighbors, they seem to think concrete can do anything.
I wouldn't believe they'd pour without rebar either, but this is the same crew that mixes half dirt, half sand into a pour.. They better put the tinacos over the walls.
I wouldn't believe they'd pour without rebar either, but this is the same crew that mixes half dirt, half sand into a pour.. They better put the tinacos over the walls.
you mean Sharina..........and her friend who sadly died in the accident. * * *https://www.facebook.com/sharina.donations/?fref=ts
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They're putting in curb gutters down the road. Very nice work. Two guys form an eight foot section with two plywood templates using a 2x4 as a screed. When it's set but not dry, they finish it by dusting dry mortar mix on it then sponging it smooth. With any luck they'll get to our casita and get rid of the mosquito breeding pools. It was one of the main reasons we got an apt with real windows. Mi esposa says they usually only improve roads near election time.
They did another street about six months ago and ran out of mortar mix. About ten feet of sidewalk failed from water getting under it less than a month after they finished.
[video=youtube_share;2uaor9WBoZ8]https://youtu.be/2uaor9WBoZ8[/video]
They did another street about six months ago and ran out of mortar mix. About ten feet of sidewalk failed from water getting under it less than a month after they finished.
[video=youtube_share;2uaor9WBoZ8]https://youtu.be/2uaor9WBoZ8[/video]
Interesting device for laying brick. I wonder if it could be made to work with concrete block here. Still doesn't solve some issues but better than having more than an inch of mortar between runs:
[video=youtube_share;_R-QVDuTvSs]https://youtu.be/_R-QVDuTvSs[/video]
[video=youtube_share;_R-QVDuTvSs]https://youtu.be/_R-QVDuTvSs[/video]
Excellent tool, as an apprentice mason many, many years ago I would have loved to have this tool.
I pass a building site twice each weekday. They use incredibly dirty sand. The pile has become the toilet spot of choice for the packs of wild dogs which roam the Malecon. This does not faze the builders. Perhaps the dog**** assists the plasticity?
A house was built two lots down from us. I had a chance to visit the site often.
The maestro used two types of concrete methods. One was the usual guys mixing on the ground or in a mixer, using local sand and gravel. The sand was grainy and reddish, and the gravel was inconsistent, more like crushed rock without any consistent size. He also brought in cement trucks from Santiago, ConcreDom I recall.
I got to play with residue from both. The locally mixed concrete easily flaked and was not difficult to break. The commercial concrete was like a rock.
I don't know the quality of the bags of concrete and the specifics of the mixing rations, but the commercial concrete was a vastly superior product.
Both were used for general applications, but the commercial concrete was primarily used for the drive and patio/pool areas.
The mortar was made on the ground and I thought it to be too grainy to be used as mortar. On houses I've built the mortar used was almost a plastic consistency.
I'm no concrete guru, but I think the cost of using commercially prepared concrete is offset by superior quality.
we used cement truck for roofing over our parking. it was more expensive but i think it was worth it. it took less time and the quality of entire batch is more consistent. next year we plan a pool and will use trucks again. we prefer to pay more money for initial construction than be permanently stuck with repair costs. those things are supposed to last you a lifetime.
It wouldn't be too hard to make one up out of 3/4" plywood. I think you'd have to do one side at a time to avoid bumping into rebar and then a second device to butter the ends of the blocks. The thing is, the crews here will space the blocks up to two inches apart if it saves hacking at blocks.
The homes used to have unfinished blocks. Now with the skim coats, they can hide all kinds of bad work. And the old work was pretty bad!
I was watching one crew and they were rinsing the mortar bags out every couple batches and putting them in a stack. My bet is this to prove to the maistro that they weren't selling any bags on the side.
What is the normal spec for mortar between runs?
The homes used to have unfinished blocks. Now with the skim coats, they can hide all kinds of bad work. And the old work was pretty bad!
I was watching one crew and they were rinsing the mortar bags out every couple batches and putting them in a stack. My bet is this to prove to the maistro that they weren't selling any bags on the side.
What is the normal spec for mortar between runs?