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Concrete & Masonryaka: transit mixaka: truck mixaka: RMC

Ready-Mix Concrete

In Plain English

Concrete mixed at a plant and delivered by a rotating drum truck — the standard way most construction concrete is supplied.

Definition

Concrete that is batched at a central plant and delivered to the construction site in a rotating drum truck, ready to pour. Ready-mix allows precise control over mix design proportions and is the standard method for most construction projects. The total time from batching to placement must be limited (typically 90 minutes or 300 drum revolutions) to prevent the concrete from beginning to set.

Why It Matters in Bidding

Ready-mix is usually the single largest concrete material cost, priced per cubic yard with surcharges that estimators routinely overlook — short-load fees, overtime delivery, winter hot water, and standby time. The 90-minute placement window also ties pricing to crew sizing and pump logistics, so a bid must coordinate delivery rate with placement capacity or face waste, cold joints, and rejected loads.

Example

Bidding a 200-cubic-yard mat slab, the estimator confirms the plant's truck rotation and adds a concrete pump plus extra finishers so loads are placed within the window without incurring standby charges.

Related Terms

Batch PlantSlump TestAdmixtureConcrete Pump

Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond the per-yard price, watch for short-load and minimum-load fees, after-hours or Saturday delivery surcharges, standby waiting time, hot-water or accelerator charges in cold weather, and Saturday wash-out. These add-ons can meaningfully raise the delivered cost, so estimators should request a full rate sheet from the supplier before pricing.
Because concrete must be placed before it begins setting, the estimator sizes the crew and equipment to keep pace with truck deliveries. Underestimating placement capacity risks rejected loads and cold joints; a pump or conveyor and adequate finishers are priced in so the delivery schedule and crew output match.
They take off the volume of each element in cubic yards from the drawings, then add a waste factor — commonly a few percent — for overexcavation, spillage, and form deflection. Ordering by full truck loads where practical avoids short-load fees, so quantities are often rounded to efficient delivery increments.

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