At one time, I worked for a engineering testing lab and my primary job was controlling/inspecting concrete. We developed mix designs, tested materials, tested concrete, oversaw mixing at the plant, and made/tested samples from the field. I've personally controlled pours for everything from 20 story buildings to residential flatwork. As others have stated or implied, there are a lot of ways to make concrete strong and durable and just as many ways to mess it up.
I don't know what your project involves but the best advice I can offer on the limited space of a forum like this is to use the best ready-mix plant you can find. My guess is that your project is not commercial so the expense of hiring an engineering firm to oversee the project is out of the question. Therefore, you are at the mercy of the mix plant and its employees. (Truck drivers, alone, can mess up a load my adding too much water to make driving easier, or by not thoroughly mixing the load so they can save time and make more loads. They can also fail to empty the drum of rinse water before adding a new load - increasing the water to cement ratio.)
I'm sure most companies try to do things right and I'm not saying they don't. I'm just trying to point out that it is sometimes a matter of "let the buyer beware". Choose your mix plant and contractors wisely.
I don't know what your project involves but the best advice I can offer on the limited space of a forum like this is to use the best ready-mix plant you can find. My guess is that your project is not commercial so the expense of hiring an engineering firm to oversee the project is out of the question. Therefore, you are at the mercy of the mix plant and its employees. (Truck drivers, alone, can mess up a load my adding too much water to make driving easier, or by not thoroughly mixing the load so they can save time and make more loads. They can also fail to empty the drum of rinse water before adding a new load - increasing the water to cement ratio.)
I'm sure most companies try to do things right and I'm not saying they don't. I'm just trying to point out that it is sometimes a matter of "let the buyer beware". Choose your mix plant and contractors wisely.
Just started operations last June. Business is BOOMING, but not ready to delve into TxDot yet.
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