Concrete Pad

[pomchop]

Would anyone happen to know approx cost to have a concrete? cement? pad 5 meters by 6 meters and thick/strong enough to park a car on it? Trying to decide if i need it and just looking for ballpark figures.

thanks...

[sunholidaysun1]

One small truck of sand and one small truck of stone , roughly 1200-1500 bht for both. Cement is roughly 125bht per bag. Maybe 20 bags required if you know how to mix it or 100 bags if the Thais do it their way. You can buy steel to reinforce but if you mix the concrete well you will not need the steel. Labour from the village 2-300 bht per person per day , plus food and a bottle of local hooch that they drink to keep em happy.

Good luck.

[sceadugenga]

Sorry, must have reinforcing steel if you want to park a car on it.

A good mix is about 3 gravel and 2 sand to 1 of cement. Work on about a ton of mix to the cubic meter.

Why not get a quote from a ready mix company? You need about 3 to 4 cubic meters for a slab that size. Better to have a bit over than run short. Work on about 90/100mm deep.

No idea what the cost is, we hand mixed for my house etc. So much of it I never kept count. (Or I did and I've forgotten).

[lapoon]

Get ready mix, 1700Baht a cube, need 3 or 4 cubes.

3 cubes will give you 100millimeter slab.

No cleaning up the mess in your yard after.

[pomchop]

Thanks for the info guys....

[klikster]

When I did my driveway, CPAC quoted prices from Bt 1,800 - 2,800 / cu mt, depending on quality and additives for waterproofing, etc. With CPAC, you will get a quality mix.

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

I used steel on about 20 cm centers, heavier in one direction, 2 "fun" and 3 "fun" I think. Don't remember the prices.

I did about 350 sq meters of seriously strong driveway (thickness closer to 15 cm thick) and used the second-to-best mix. Drive, parking areas, and small terrace for about Bt 70,000.

Part of the price was taking out the old driveway and digging the area a bit deeper.

[klikster]

^ should be about 150 sq mt rather than 350 <grumble>

[pomchop]

When I did my driveway, CPAC quoted prices from Bt 1,800 - 2,800 / cu mt, depending on quality and additives for waterproofing, etc. With CPAC, you will get a quality mix.

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

I used steel on about 20 cm centers, heavier in one direction, 2 "fun" and 3 "fun" I think. Don't remember the prices.

I did about 350 sq meters of seriously strong driveway (thickness closer to 15 cm thick) and used the second-to-best mix. Drive, parking areas, and small terrace for about Bt 70,000.

Part of the price was taking out the old driveway and digging the area a bit deeper.

Thanks...I had a quote yesterday and they told me 10,000 baht total materials/labor etc with steel etc using a big cement truck rather than mix by hand....sounds about right i guess? They say it will be plenty strong to park cars etc. They will have to dig out a little so it will match height of other parts of driveway.

[extexthai]

Having been in the business for decades in another life time, I designed this myself and did not dare leave it up to someone else to "just do it." This car park was tiled after the fact, there fore had to be bombproof. Did not want cracks showing up in it a year later and so far....has not. I used 3 of those 1m elephant leg posts with the base and sunk them down to original soil for absolute support for the middle beam. I also had beams to attach to and work off of. The entire area was sloped for runoff. Some would say overkill, but I was/am very satisfied with the outcome. But then again, it was an integral part of the house plan and not just a place to park a vehicle or what have you. I hope the pics help and perhaps give you some ideas. Don't know how much or the cost, as the steel, sacks of cement and all the aggregate was already here for the house. It was mixed in an electric, on site mixer. ett

[sceadugenga]

When I did my driveway, CPAC quoted prices from Bt 1,800 - 2,800 / cu mt, depending on quality and additives for waterproofing, etc. With CPAC, you will get a quality mix.

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

I used steel on about 20 cm centers, heavier in one direction, 2 "fun" and 3 "fun" I think. Don't remember the prices.

I did about 350 sq meters of seriously strong driveway (thickness closer to 15 cm thick) and used the second-to-best mix. Drive, parking areas, and small terrace for about Bt 70,000.

Part of the price was taking out the old driveway and digging the area a bit deeper.

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

Jeez Klikster, if you pay them that much they'll expect it ALL the time.

[passingas]

Having been in the business for decades in another life time, I designed this myself and did not dare leave it up to someone else to "just do it." This car park was tiled after the fact, there fore had to be bombproof. Did not want cracks showing up in it a year later and so far....has not. I used 3 of those 1m elephant leg posts with the base and sunk them down to original soil for absolute support for the middle beam. I also had beams to attach to and work off of. The entire area was sloped for runoff. Some would say overkill, but I was/am very satisfied with the outcome. But then again, it was an integral part of the house plan and not just a place to park a vehicle or what have you. I hope the pics help and perhaps give you some ideas. Don't know how much or the cost, as the steel, sacks of cement and all the aggregate was already here for the house. It was mixed in an electric, on site mixer. ett

What are you parking in there....a tank....a bulldozer? pg

[klikster]

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

Jeez Klikster, if you pay them that much they'll expect it ALL the time.

Problem is, we live in an area near one of Thailand's investment zones (Zone 3, I believe) and in very close proximity to a golf course. People here apparently have plenty of steady work at higher than normal wages. Even with an offer of Bt 300/day for yard improvement type work, we get no takers.

And not just us -- puyaibaan can't find enough folks to work his 2 rai of sugar cane.

The "top notch worker" was, indeed, very skilled. We contracted the labor portion of the contract to him. Wife found out how much he was paying his workers and we calculated his cut at about Bt 700/day.

[Paul888]

Top notch worker Bt 700 / day, skilled helper Bt 400.

Jeez Klikster, if you pay them that much they'll expect it ALL the time.

It is not exactly extortionate is it? If a man is skilled he deserves a decent day's pay for his skills regardless of where he lives. Costs of living are going up for Thais as well as us. Expect more tradesman to realise this...... especially the good ones.

[sceadugenga]

Agreed, I find it easier not to get involved in employing people for this kind of work though, the Mrs handles most of that type of negotiating and organising.

As we live in a small village she's usually related to the workers but everyone seems to come out satisfied.

I often wonder about farang who end up banging their heads against a wall getting tradesmen/workers and finding out the job isn't done properly.

I just make sure everyone knows what I want, delegate the responsibility, and leave them to it.

Never had problem.

[klikster]

Agreed, I find it easier not to get involved in employing people for this kind of work though, the Mrs handles most of that type of negotiating and organising.

As we live in a small village she's usually related to the workers but everyone seems to come out satisfied.

I often wonder about farang who end up banging their heads against a wall getting tradesmen/workers and finding out the job isn't done properly.

I just make sure everyone knows what I want, delegate the responsibility, and leave them to it.

Never had problem.

For obvious reasons I would have preferred to be invisible in the situation. But even though I don't stroll around the village, most people refer to our house as the "baan farang", even though it was built by and lived in by a Thai family for a number of years.

So even though my wife is a bit tight-fisted and negotiates anything above Bt 20, she can't overcome the "farang = money" prejudice. That being said, the job was completed in a timely manner and work done well.

[maidu]

ever notice that in Thailand you can't buy 'redi-mix' - which is a dry mix of concrete - with the sand and rock - in bags. A variation is a mix for doing stucco ('psap' in Thai) - without rock. Why are those items not available in Thailand? Perhaps for the same reason that tomato starter plants aren't available. Vendors will say that 'All Thai people can mix their own concrete, or start their own tomato plants from seed, if that's what they want. But the real reason is they just don't see the commercial value of such things. Same reason you can't find a hoe with an attached handle - you have to buy them separately and put them together yourself.

[krading]

Same reason you can't find a hoe with an attached handle - you have to buy them separately and put them together yourself.

Easier to transport in bulk that way.

[kumsamut]

Having a Thai person ask for quotes is a good idea.