The Importance of Geographical Location


Concrete projects can sometimes cost fluctuation based on geographical location. Geographical location throughout the country have varying wage scale of that locations work force. This is one of the most important factors to scout for when looking at a project in a new geographical location. Many high-rise flat slab concrete projects will be within a city and most cities are subject to union wage scales and union work rules. These work rules can cause a significant increase in labor and overall project costs. Work rules can dictate everything from the means and methods that have to be used, such as no prefabrication, or the number and make up of a crew required for various installations, to name a few. This is important to account for because some local markets are not familiar with or will not accept a new technology or method of construction which they are not accustomed to performing. A projects specific site location can dictate the loading and movement of materials based on street access and potential lay down area for tight city projects. Concrete materials need to be sourced from a facility that can reach the site not more than 1 and half hour of their batching. This can create complications for projects within a dense city or for projects in rural location that may not be near a batch plant. Location to a batch plant will also dictate how many concrete trucks are required to service a project. This count of trucks can be very important because too few trucks will result in an underserved project and have crew members standing around waiting for materials, to many trucks and the project cost for concrete could become too expensive. Moreover, the cost for concrete materials can be increased if the source of the raw materials, such as aggregate, cement, or blast slag or fly ash, needs to be sourced from a distance requiring costly trucking or shipping methods to the batch plant. Additionally, any formwork materials needed for the project can have increased cost due to distance for sourcing of the materials and the proximity to the storage yards for the various concrete suppliers.

It is essential to ask your concrete supplier’s values and goals when assessing whether or not they could be a good fit. When a company’s values align with yours, it’s typically a good indication that the partnership work well. It is also important to consider hiring some concrete suppliers that is well equipped and has the best type of concrete. To save on time during the transportation, it is important to check whether the company has volumetric trucks that are in mint condition. Make sure that the concrete suppliers have enough equipment such as the drum mixers if you need to ease the work in your site. For durability and easy maintenance, make sure that the supplier has high-quality concrete. The costs of the services offered by concrete suppliers needs to be considered. With a list of recommended options, you should definitely consider having one that has affordable prices because the price is an essential factor. This means that you should go for a supplier which is reliable with quality of assurance and has the most reasonable prices. Also remember that if you need the best concrete, you should consider paying more. Do some research to understand the quality of the product or service the concrete suppliers provide. It should be obvious that your supplier’s quality will have a direct impact on your project overall. Again, refer to reviews and past work for a true picture of a supplier’s quality.

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