How to Prepare for a Concrete Delivery

Concrete is one of the most commonly used building materials that is required for all kinds of construction projects. 

Whether it’s a small, DIY project at home or a major commercial development, concrete will likely almost always be required.

With this in mind, if you’ve ordered a concrete delivery or you receive regular drop-offs, it’s important to be prepared for it to arrive at your home or site. 

This way, you can make sure that your team is ready for its arrival, the drop-off process will be efficient and straightforward and you can get on with the task at hand without delay. 

In this article, the team here at Concrete Supply UK will explain how to prepare for a concrete delivery, providing you with a comprehensive guide that will help the process run smoothly. 

Read on to find out more. 

How to prepare for a concrete delivery 

Whether you’re a homeowner embarking on a domestic DIY project or work for a large commercial construction firm that needs regular concrete deliveries, it’s important that you are properly prepared to receive your concrete mix. 

Concrete trucks are extremely large, and the process of offloading a mix can be complex. This is particularly true if you’re using concrete pumps so properly preparing your site is the best way to avoid delays and complications upon delivery. 

You can help prepare your site by doing the following:

Ensuring clear access to your site 

Once you’ve agreed on a date for your concrete delivery, you should immediately begin thinking about preparing your site.

First and foremost, you can prepare for your concrete mix delivery by making sure the delivery trucks will have clear access to your site and making it as easy as possible for the drivers. 

To do this, you can remove any vehicles that are parked on your driveway or at the site’s entrance as well as moving any obstacles that could pose an issue for the trucks. This will allow the delivery truck to get as close as possible to the drop-off location and prevent further issues. 

This will also provide space for any equipment, like concrete pumps, to be set up.

Prepare your staff

If you work for a commercial organisation, you should let your staff know when the concrete is going to be delivered.

Provide them with all of the necessary details ahead of time so they are able to prepare themselves accordingly. 

As well as this, make sure they are wearing all of the necessary safety equipment such as:

• Long sleeves and trousers 
• Rubber gloves
• Eye protection
• Large rubber boots 

This will ensure the project is as safe as possible, is efficient and any delays are minimised. 

Check the weather 

It’s also worth checking the weather forecast as the delivery day approaches. 

The UK weather can be unpredictable, but it’s still worth checking in advance to see if there will be rain. Heavy rain can be detrimental to concrete, so if this is the case when yours is due to be delivered it may be worth rescheduling. If rearranging the delivery is not possible, having this foresight will at least mean you can put mitigations in place.

Let neighbours know 

If you are expecting a concrete delivery for a domestic project, it might be worthwhile letting your neighbours know when concrete is delivered. As with the first point in this list, this can help you prepare your site for delivery as they might be able to help when it comes to moving vehicles. 

This is especially important if your neighbours tend to park cars on the street in areas where the concrete trucks will need to pass by. Usually, neighbours will be helpful as they will not want to risk their vehicles sustaining any damage from the large trucks. 

Get the site ready 

As well as preparing the entrance to the site for a concrete delivery, it’s also a good idea to prepare the site itself, especially areas where the concrete is going to be used. 

For practical purposes, remove any debris from areas where the concrete will be poured, ensure the ground is level and if a framework is being used take some time to check its strength to ensure it can handle the concrete’s weight.

Make sure you have the right equipment 

It’s important that you have the right tools and equipment to hand to deal with the concrete once it has been delivered, especially if you are not using a pump service. Make sure you have wheelbarrows, spirit levels, trowels, shovels and other concrete equipment. By ensuring all your equipment is accessible and in good working order before the mix arrives, you can rest assured that you’re less likely to experience any delays. 

Check you have the right quantity 

At Concrete Supply UK, we always make sure our clients have the right quantities of concrete for the job. There’s nothing worse than getting ready for a project before realising you have ordered too much or too little, so ahead of time double check the amount you have ordered is enough for your task. Doing this before the concrete is delivered will allow you to make changes or adapt quantities if necessary. 

How to choose the right concrete company?

Equally as important as preparing your site for a concrete delivery, choosing the right concrete company for you can also ensure your project is seamless and kept on track.

When selecting a concrete company be sure to check the following: 

• Check reviews: Do your research before placing an order, all reputable concrete suppliers will have positive reviews that you can check out online which will outline the quality of work they provide. 

• Experience and expertise: Companies with a longer track record will often be more experienced in the industry and therefore offer proven reliability. A company with more experience are also likely to be able to help with more specialised work. 

• An extensive product range: It’s important a concrete company meets your needs, so check if their product range is suitable for your project. 

At Concrete Supply, we lead the way as the country’s most trustworthy concrete supplier. With a wide range of concrete products, we’ve spent more than a decade delivering bespoke mixes to house builders, property developers, engineers, DIYers and more. Contact our team today to find out more.