Experiments

Friday I had the opportunity to experiment with some new admixtures in our concrete.  I always love doing this, even though I know I must drive my admix salesman nuts.  But anyway, when you experiment with new things you really get an appreciation for the equipment you have and for the advances in concrete.  As we added the new SCC admix we could actually watch the low-slump concrete turn into liquid.  We turned low slump concrete into 30” spread concrete.  If you have never seen this happen, I would encourage you to try and see this; it’s one of the neatest morphs you will ever see.  Even though we only tested 6 yards it was a lot of fun and kind of recharged the batteries.  I sat in my office that afternoon and thought to myself, “Damn, that was cool!”  I have seen concrete made over and over and over again, but when you actually create concrete it is really a good feeling.  Call me goofy, but you tweak something here, add something there, it is really cool.  It is kind of like building a house.  You have a set blue print, but sometimes you can just tweak something here or there and make what you really want to have.  I can’t wait to see the results tomorrow!

I also really take away an appreciation for our fine mixer from ACT.  When you make concrete day in and day out you don’t get a fond appreciation for how nice your equipment is until an outside set of eyes comes in and tells you this is the nicest equipment I’ve ever seen.  That’s an awesome feeling.  When someone comes in that you know has been to other plants and says you have the nicest equipment it gives you a renewal for what you have.  I know at the time when we purchased our mixer we were deciding on other mixers, but now I am glad we went with who we did because we have the best of the best.

So what I want you take away from this short blog is never stay satisfied with what you have.  You should never settle for what you were told to have.  Make your own way and keep your head looking for the better option.  And realize that things change.  Newer products are being developed everyday and you should never settle for what has been done.  Make your own way!