Concrete pumping services can be a must-have for any construction project involving large amounts of concrete, as the pump means you don't need to shovel concrete into pits or forms by hand. This can allow more concrete to be pumped at once, and it can also cut down on your risk of injury from manual shoveling. When you are ready to hire a concrete pumping service, note a few important questions to ask so you know you get the right pump and the right service, and also so you know the job will be done properly.
1. Ask about aggregate size for the pump.
If your concrete will have an aggregate added to it, always ask if the pump will be able to handle the size aggregate. Some larger aggregates may not be able to be pumped through the machine and may cause clogs or damage. In some cases you may need to have standard concrete pumped and then have the aggregate mixed over the surface of the concrete once it's in place, but you need to know about this beforehand so you can properly plan your work.
2. Ask if they can work around power lines and other obstacles.
If the area of your property where concrete will be installed has overhead power lines, cables, tree branches and the like, ask if they can work around this. Some pumps will be attached to a boom truck for use on commercial construction and this may interfere with low-hanging items you normally find on residential property. The pump truck may also be very large so that it cannot easily fit through a space between your home's garage and fence, if you're having concrete poured for a back patio. Note these types of obstacles and ask if they can work around them.
3. Ask about pumping speed.
You need to know how much concrete can be pumped in an hour or every minute so you can plan your work accordingly. If you have additional contractors you need to schedule for landscaping, constructing a garage or carport over the concrete slab you're having poured and so on, it's good to know if they can arrive on the same day or if the concrete needs more time to be pumped than you scheduled. This speed of pumping may change according to the aggregate added, the mixture of concrete you've chosen and the like, so ask about their projected speed for your project and then plan the remaining parts of your work accordingly.
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