News

Concrete Quality Control

For almost every material used in every process around the world, quality is crucial, and concrete is no different. Due to the purposes that concrete serves, it is absolutely vital that you use high-quality mixes – if your house or building is built upon poor foundations, you could be looking at more than inconvenience – the consequences could be dire. Here, the team at Neil Sullivan & Sons will give you the rundown of concrete quality control and why it’s so important. How do you control the ‘quality’ of concrete? Unlike a t shirt, a car or a television, for example,…

Fresh Concrete Tests

To be sure that your concrete is fresh and ready to be used, and you’ve not received or created a batch of poor quality concrete, you can conduct a number of tests. Here, the team at Neil Sullivan & Sons will detail what those tests are and how they work. The slump test As well as checking freshness, this test can also be used to ensure the right amount of water has been added to the mix. This method uses a steel ‘slump’ cone. The cone needs to be placed atop a solid base, and then it is filled with fresh…

Neil Sullivan & Sons Partnership with Eastern Waste Disposal

Neil Sullivan & Sons have announced a new partnership with Eastern Waste Disposal. This connection increases Neil Sullivan’s capacity to supply aggregates to customers throughout the majority of the Essex region, as well as facilitating the opening of a new depot in Clacton. Eastern Waste Disposal is a family-owned waste disposal and recycling business, serving industrial and domestic clients from their HQ in Brightlingsea, Colchester. Neil Sullivan & Sons are a supplier of domestic and commercial concrete, as well as topsoil and aggregates for customers around Essex.

What Makes Concrete Cheaper?

Cost is at the forefront of our minds in almost everything we do. Whether it’s a contractor trying to budget for a big construction project or a homeowner trying to save a little on a DIY job, building projects can get pricey. As one of the most popular and useful building materials on the planet, concrete is sure to factor in to your project sooner or later. If you’re in the market for concrete, then price has probably crossed your mind – but what can make concrete cheaper? In this article, we’re looking at concrete costs and what might affect them….

The Role of Aggregates in Concrete

Concrete consists of three main ingredients: cement, water and aggregates. Your base concrete mix will have different properties depending on how these ingredients are proportioned. Aggregates are often seen as a filler material, but their role in concrete is more varied than that. In this article, we’re looking at how aggregates influence the end concrete mix, including the differences between aggregates of varying sizes, shapes and texture. Workability Arguably the most obvious aspect of a concrete mix influenced by aggregates. Workability refers to how easy concrete is to mix, transport, place and compact – or, how easy the concrete is to…

A Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide to Build Systems

One of the most crucial issues you have to contend with when starting a selfbuild project is settling on the type of build system you’ll use. Almost every single aspect of your project will be affected by this key decision, from cost to construction time, layout to energy efficiency and everything in between. Making the right choice, therefore, is of the utmost importance. Here, we’re going to be looking at the differences between the most popular build systems and highlighting their merits. Timber Frame Post and beam, conventional open or closed panel, or oak timber frames are just some of the…

The Ultimate How-To Guide For Self-builds

Self-build homes are becoming increasingly popular, not only because they allow those looking to buy the opportunity to build their dream home tailored to suit their requirements, but also because nowadays property prices are constantly on the rise, making attaining a reasonably priced home very difficult. This is especially true in areas like London where house prices are increasing at a drastic rate. Whether it’s to cut costs or to build something unique, there are many considerations you will need to bear in mind prior to committing to a self-build. Working out your budget and getting a mortgage Once you’ve…

Video Testimonial By Kevin Chapman

Testimonials & Reviews Neil Sullivan & Sons are always looking to update our reviews and testimonials to provide our customers with reliable information about the quality of our service. Watch our video testimonial here to find out more about how Kevin rated our services. We always aim to offer an impeccable standard of customer care alongside our concrete services, and the best way to ensure we are meeting up to our own standards is to ask our clients. With this in mind, we’ve put together a case study of one of our many satisfied clients, Haynes Building and Development. We…

Why is Concrete So Strong?

Concrete is a fantastic material that is used worldwide to create some of the most impressive, strong and long lasting structures. Suitable for a whole range of constructions, including pavements, houses, skyscrapers, dams and bridges, the strength of concrete very rarely fails to hold up. With concrete being so integral to our society, this month we’re looking into the question: why is concrete so strong? The production The most simple answer comes down to the production process: concrete is produced when a paste of portland cement and water is mixed with both small and large aggregates. When the paste and aggregates…

Aggregates Explained

In order to learn more about concrete and its properties, we must first take a look at aggregates to understand the role it plays in giving concrete it’s all-too familiar characteristics and properties, making it such a reliable material to work with. What are aggregates? Aggregates are rock or mineral fragments that come in all shapes and sizes. As a purely natural material, aggregates are differentiated by grades, such as 1-3mm, 2-5mm etc. that are all suitable for different uses – we’ll discuss this further later on in the article. Classified as either normal weight, lightweight or heavyweight, they are either…