Gabe: I live in real suburban Etlanner, Jawja (That’s Atlanta, Georgia , for those who don’t speak Sutthen.). A guy named Moose wearing a LaFarge hardhat & wearing alligator shoes (Moose LaFarge – sounds like a great north woods hunting & fishing guide. Actually, I’m joking about the shoes; they were really steel toed boots. Alligator just sounded better for a salesman.) came to see me about pouring a patio w/ Agilia. The stuff is just starting here in Atlanta, & I guess they want to get some projects in so they can talk about them in sales pitches. He prices at about $130 per Yd. Regular concrete is about $104 per Yd. That’s for us one time buyers – big guys get it at about $85 per Yd. When I factor in cost for a crew to stand ankle deep in fresh concrete, pushing a bull float, costs are almost a wash. My wife even liked the sound of it. Patio will be about 30X18 X 4″. I got the idea from your year old post. LaFarge bought out Blue Circle a short while back, & are introducing Agilia here. Has it caught hold in Canada where you are? What is your experience? Moose told me it would come out dead flat, smoother than a baby’s azz (to quote Rez) & slicker than a snot dipped eel ( to quote my father) when wet. Also promised me that they could pour the vertical hollows in a bunch of cinder blocks I’m using for a retaining wall at one end & fill all the screwy shaped voids & bond to the slab underneath.
I’d also appreciate any comments from the rest of you out there. As if I really have to ask!
DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
“If it scratches, I etch it!”
Edited 4/29/2006 11:41 am ET by Don
Replies
A quick Google search shows that this product has some commercial history. Self-consolidating concrete? Sounds neat, and I might like that myself. I didn't find anything that says 'self-finishing' concrete, so I would make sure that the rep is 100% clear with you about exactly what it will take to get a perfect slab. Are you going broom finished? Somebody's going to have to do that part. It's hard for me to imagine pouring a slab with no crew to finish it.
Last slab I poured was with a water reducer, and it made the laydown go very quick and easy. I will do the same thing again. We still had to finish it in the usual way even though it was fairly self-leveling.
Keep us posted.
Don
An inspector for the Illinois DOT was telling me about this stuff a couple weeks ago. It does sound too good to be true - is it? Is it not only easy but strong, durable?
I don't want to be the one on who the new is tried or last to lay the old aside.
Fz
only thing it is : a high strength cement with a lot of water reducer and a fine graded sand that lets the aggregate slip so it self leveling. we have la farge here too, but not the right sand, so it will either be too expsensive or never come this far south. But I would be the first to voulnteer to try it.