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I talked to someone who created a startup in this space, specifically a two sided network for a type of construction material. She said it's all hyperlocal (no
by ilamont 3y ago
I talked to someone who created a startup in this space, specifically a two sided network for a type of construction material. She said it's all hyperlocal (no one is ordering from a supplier 3 hours away), most orders and planning are done on the fly and over the phone, and there are lots of local quirks that frustrate attempts to provide a one-size-fits-all solution.
Another example: I recently learned from someone who specializes in foundations in a rural area that he only has two options for ordering large volumes of concrete: a quarry 5 miles away, or a quarry 15 miles away. Any further, and there is a risk of the concrete drying out before it arrives at the site. He prefers the nearest quarry, even though it's smaller, because the owner hasn't yet moved to computer-controlled mixing and errs on the side of caution when creating a new batch, which leads to a better grade of concrete than its supposed rating.
ETA: concrete, not cement per @gtfoutttt
- bbradley406 3y agoThere are concrete trucks that hold the various ingredients in different containers and can start the mix on demand. Unfortunately they're (obviously) more expensive to purchase and operate, but they are super neat and could pave the way towards 3d printing options going forward.
- debacle 3y agoBefore COVID, but especially during/after, there is also loyalty to consider. You need 18 yards of concrete by 8am. You go to the depot, and there's not enough concrete to go around. If you've stuck around and dealt with the ups and downs with the same guy, you're getting your concrete. If you're the kind of guy that shops around, you're not getting concrete. These relationships are highly personal.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- gtfoutttt 3y agoFYI. If you're talking about the stuff in the big round trucks that final product is concrete. Cement is an ingredient in concrete, a chemical binder. Normally for "sidewalk concrete" that binder is an ingredient called "Portland cement", and the final product is "Portland cement concrete" or P.C.C. Probably the stuff your friend is working with. For road paving, often referred to as black-top, the binder is Asphalt, and that is called "Asphaltic Concrete," or A.C. And of course these terms might be local as well, this is what we call them in Southern California. But the fact that the smaller company doesn't computer control and errs on the side of caution is a great illustration of the difficulty of working in this space. And that 10 miles can make a difference. I believe it! For large road projects in the boonies they typically have to build concrete mixing plants on site! The look like a collection of huge round tank-style trailers tilted upright and assembled all together. Edit - spelling.