Specific Concrete Mixes For New Construction
If you're not an experience building contractor and
you're building a house foundation, you should pay special attention to
what I'm about to say. There should be a specified concrete mix on your
blueprints and if there isn't, contact your structural engineer and make
sure that you get the specified concrete mix in writing. In other words
make sure that he has given you a signed copy of the specific concrete
mix that you will be using.
Usually everyone trusts everyone else, however when it comes to
professionals in the construction business, you had better get a
signature on any correction that might cost you lots of money.
Professionals don't hesitate to ask another professional for a signed
copy of anything in the construction business.
Let's just say, that you ask the structural engineer over the phone, for
the specific concrete mix that is required for your new foundation and
he says that it's okay to use a 3500 PSI mix. You hang up the phone and
don't give it another thought, until the building inspector, notices
that there is no specific concrete mix called out or approved by the
building department, after this concrete slab has been poured.
He stops your job, you contact the structural engineer and he goes to
the city, to correct the problem. The city won't approve a 3500 PSI mix
and is now demanding a 4500 PSI mix. This problem is going to cost
someone a lot of money. What do you think the structural engineer is
going to do?
Let's just say that he's a decent and honest person and admits his
mistake and pays to correct everything and it only cost him about
$35,000. That's when everything works out good for the contractor.
However, could you imagine the structural engineer telling you that he
never said to use the 3500 PSI mix over the phone?
If this happens to you, you could be paying the $35,000. When I say to
get everything in writing, you had better get everything in writing from
every person that you deal with. Don't let this happen to you, it's
happens to me and other contractors. Some of these contractors are no
longer in business, because something like this put them out of
business.