NEW! Mixes 301 Self-Study
If you are an experienced concrete countertop maker who's doing a great job but still having mysterious mix problems like inconsistency, curling, cracking or efflorescence, you need this class! Learn the logic and scientific principles behind mix designs, avoid problems, and get more satisfied customers with fewer headaches.
What will I learn?
Detailed agenda
How do I purchase?
What will I learn?
This is the most technical class ever offered for concrete countertop makers. This class will help you solve any technical difficulties you might be having with mixes.
Whether you mix your own concrete or use a bagged mix, you need to understand the logic and scientific principles behind concrete mix design, so that you know what to do when something goes wrong. You need to know what proportions of sand, cement and aggregate are appropriate and why - what happens if you change the ratios? What kind of admixtures do you need and what do they really do?
In this class, you will take away a complete understanding of from-scratch mixes for concrete countertops, plus actual formulas for 2 very different from-scratch mixes. Use them as is, or incorporate them into your own mix design. Or, if you used bagged mixes, understand better how to troubleshoot or tweak them to meet the demands of different projects.
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Detailed Agenda - Here is the table of contents for the textbook:
- Fundamentals of concrete
- Cement
- Water
- W/C ratio
- Aggregates
- Strength development
- Curing
- Pozzolans
- Metakaolin
- Fly ash
- Others
- Admixtures
- Superplasticizers
- Accelerators
- Retarders
- Viscosity modifiers
- Liquid silicates
- Aggregate gradation
- Analyzing aggregate gradations
- Gradation types
- Effects on concrete properties
- Fibers
- Effects of workability and consistency on finished appearance
- Mix designs
- All-sand mix
- Coarse aggregate based mix
- Self consolidating concrete
- Lightweight concrete
Andy from Ohio sums up what this class offers: "Playing with mix design is akin to walking through a strange house in the dark. CCI's 301 turns on the lights."
How do I purchase this self-study course?
The class includes:
- a 61-page textbook by Jeffrey Girard, P.E. with the above table of contents
- a 358-page textbook "Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures" by the Portland Cement Association (this was one of Jeff's textbooks in engineering school)
- a CD with a grain size analysis spreadsheet and additional technical research papers
The price for all this is just $495. That is the equivalent of only 20 bags of a bagged concrete countertop mix if the bags each cost $25.
Click here to purchase using our online system, or contact The Concrete Countertop Institute.
