Technical excellence

Ready-mixed concrete is in many ways a simple material made from basic materials, but the batching, mixing and delivery process is crucial to the construction projects that depend upon it. If the concrete fails, then the whole structure is at risk.

The fact that ready-mixed concrete is made under factory conditions means that high standards of quality are assured. BRMCA members have adopted the highest levels of product conformity certification and control, either through the:

• Quality Scheme for Ready-Mixed Concrete (QSRMC), or the
• British Standards Kitemark Scheme for Ready- Mixed Concrete.

Both these schemes include the three essentials for effective product conformity certification: approval of a concrete producer’s quality management system to BS EN ISO 9001; product testing by or calibrated against a laboratory accredited for the tests undertaken, and surveillance that includes checking the validity of the producer’s declarations of conformity by an accredited certification body.

While it is easy to think of ready-mixed concrete as a single product, it can be specified in an infinite number of ways to suit different end-uses. From trench fill for the reinstatement of openings in highways to houses, and the high-strength concrete used as the structural core and columns supporting the highest buildings in the world.

BRMCA members support continuing personnel development for all employees. In particular BRMCA members encourage, support and provide the necessary resource and training for all their concrete technicians to attain ACI-ICT EN Standards Concrete Field-Testing Technician Certification. With others BRMCA sponsored training videos that cover sampling procedures and the most common site tests for concrete:

• EN 12350-1 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 1: Sampling and common apparatus
  
• EN 12350-2 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 2: Slump test
• EN 12350-5 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 5: Flow table test
• EN 12350-6 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 6: Density
• EN 12350-7 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 7: Air content — Pressure methods
• EN 12350-8 Testing fresh concrete.  Part 8: Self-compacting concrete — Slump-flow test
• EN 12390-2 Testing hardened concrete. Part 2: Making and curing specimens for strength tests

On submission of a valid email address the videos are free to view at:
https://theict.org.uk/CFTT-training-video.asp