Thursday - The Pour

So Thursday started about 07:30 with the boys arriving and getting setup for the concrete pours. The back patio area would be first cab off the rank. The carport would then follow, with the driveway coming on Friday.

All the boxing was checked and readied. The plastic lining was then added as well as the steel reinforcing mesh and standoffs. The remaining mesh you see in the above shot is for the front carport and driveway.

Then the big truck arrived and drove in as far as possible. 

The blokes would be using wheel barrows to move the concrete from truck to the patio area. 

While the concrete was being barrowed in, others were raking it out and still more were leveling it and troweling it around.

Once the concrete started hardening sufficiently, the helicopter was brought out to smooth it all out nicely. The boxing also started being removed from around the place.

Here we see pretty much the completed patio area.

And my new ramp. I suppose I'll now have to sort out some sort of railings to stop people falling off it..

The next step was for another truck load of concrete and the carport area. Here is the carport area almost ready for pouring.

So the fellas finished the steel mesh and boxing out front and then in came the truck. This time no wheel barrows were needed, as the trucks spout could easily reach all the required areas. The fellas just had to spread it around, level it and trowel it all down.

Here is a video I made out of a few photos, showing the concrete pour for the carport. It took 40 minutes to pour and level - not bad fellas - I couldn't do it better myself!

40 minutes of concrete pour in 50 seconds

And of course after a good concrete pour, you wash out your truck spout.

The blokes then did the boxing for the driveway for tomorrow and put in the reinforcing and such. On the right you can see the rain down pipe (in white) - It will be running uphill to the gutter on the road - only a lift of about 300-500mm.

Also the concrete was dry enough to helicopter in the carport area by now.

So until Friday and the driveway. Pity I'll be at work, but at least I'll have a driveway when I come home.