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To ensure consistency in our mixes every delivery is formulated under the supervision of our Level II concrete technicians in a computer controlled environment, and are dispatched to give you optimum working conditions at your jobsite.
Pyles Concrete, Inc. is committed to providing the highest quality concrete available. We regularly perform tests to ensure that our product will meet any standard.
Testing done as required by Kentucky DOT
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| Concrete Temperature
The temperature of freshly mixed concrete should be delivered between 50 and 90 degrees fahrenheit. When weather conditions require it, Pyles Concrete adds heated water to the mix to keep the temperature within the specified range.
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| Compressive strength test
For this test concrete is poured into a 6" diameter x 12" high cylinder. The cylinders are filled with concrete and allowed to cure at 70 degrees fahrenheit for 28 days. Then each cylinder is loaded axially in a compression machine. The cylinder is compressed until it fails or breaks. The maximum amount of force used by the machine determines the compressive strength of the concrete.
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Slump Test
The Slump Test measures the workability of freshly mixed concrete. If the concrete is stiff it will have low slump. Generally the more water that is added to the mix the more workable it becomes giving it a higher slump measurement. The downside of adding water is that the strength and durability of the concrete is reduced as more water is added. If a higher slump is required we have state approved admixtures that can be added to the concrete to raise the slump and workability without reducing strength and durability.
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| Air-Entrainment
Air entrained concrete is recommended for nearly all concrete because it improves resistance to freezing and thawing when exposed to water and some chemicals. Air entrained concrete contains billions of microscopic bubbles or air. These relieve internal pressures on concrete by providing tiny chambers for water to expand as it freezes. Entrained-air is typically 5 to 7% of the volume of a cubic yard of concrete. Monitoring air-entrainment also helps assure our plants to produce consistent concrete.
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| Aggregate Moisture Test
Each one of our plants is equipped with a computer controlled moisture probe that measures the amount of water in the sand as it is loaded into the truck. The computer makes adjustments to the sand and water mixtures to help provide a consistent yield and to control slump.
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| Unit Weight Test
The unit weight test takes the precise weight of a known volume of freshly mixed concrete, in conjunction with the exact weights of ingredients that went into the mix, to give the exact volume of the load of concrete tested. This assures that when you order a yard of concrete, you get a yard of concrete.
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