National Concrete Dispatch provides emergency ready-mix concrete when timelines collapse. C20/25 domestic foundations, C30/37 commercial floors. 6m³ minimum load. Same-day/next-day delivery if booked before 2pm.
Call before 2pm. Delivered next morning. 90-minute discharge window. Done.
BS 8500-compliant concrete. Slump tested on arrival. 28-day strength certificates provided. Pumped concrete available (40m+ reach). Fibermesh reinforcement optional. Minimum 6m³ (typical extension needs 3-4m³—order two pours or upgrade neighbors' projects to hit minimum).
The mixes you actually need (not just what's cheapest)
Standard domestic foundations to BS 8500. Minimum strength 20MPa at 28 days (25MPa characteristic). Slump: 75-125mm (S3—pourable, not sloppy). Aggregate size: 20mm max. Cement content: 240kg/m³. Covers 99% of domestic extension/garage foundations where Building Control specifies "C20/25 or equivalent." Cost: £100-130/m³ delivered. Typical 6m x 4m extension needs 3.6m³. Order 6m³ minimum (use extra for base of garden walls, shed bases).
Structural floors, beams, commercial foundations. Strength 30MPa at 28 days (37MPa characteristic). Higher cement content (300kg/m³) = stronger, more durable. Required for: Two-storey extensions with calculated loads, commercial buildings, suspended slabs, ground beams. Slump S3. Cost: £110-140/m³. Worth upgrading from C20 if structural engineer specifies or if building over services/voids where extra strength reduces cracking risk.
When barrow-access won't work. 40m boom reach, 80m pipe reach. Pump mounted on truck, parks on road, boom extends over house to rear garden. Discharge rate: 1m³ per 3-4 minutes (full load in 30-40 mins). Cost: £200-350 pump hire (fixed fee regardless of load size). Makes sense if: No side access, rear extension >20m from road, multi-level pour. Needs 3.5m width for truck + room for outriggers. Book 2-3 days ahead.
Polypropylene fibermesh mixed into concrete. Replaces A142/A193 steel mesh in floor slabs (for some applications—check with engineer). Advantages: Faster pour (no mesh to lay first), reduces plastic shrinkage cracking, improves impact resistance. Typical dosage: 0.9kg/m³ (40mm fibers). Cost: +£5-8/m³. Good for: Domestic garage floors, workshop slabs, driveways (if base properly prepared). NOT suitable for: Structural suspended slabs (steel mesh still required), heavy point loads.
Standard concrete gains strength slowly in cold temps (<5°C). Winter mix has accelerator admixture—speeds up curing. Essential Nov-Mar when overnight temps drop below 3°C (frost damages fresh concrete). Set time: 50% faster than summer mix. Cost: +£10-15/m³. Must still protect concrete: cover with insulating blankets for 3-5 days, or use tarpaulin + straw if budget tight. Don't pour if ground frozen (concrete won't bond to frost). Some contractors skip winter mix—get specified in writing.
Standard concrete starts setting after 90-120 minutes (hot weather: 60 minutes). Retarder extends workable time to 3-4 hours. When you need it: Large pours (>10m³) with small team, hot summer days (>25°C), long pumping distance (slows discharge rate). Cost: +£8-12/m³. Gives you breathing room—but don't abuse it. Concrete still needs finishing within workable window. Over-retarded concrete is weak concrete. Specify required workability time when ordering.
6m³ minimum • Book before 2pm for next-day delivery