1. Cement
   Golden Bay EverSure Type GP or EverFast Type HE Cement – bags must be stored in a dry area, off the ground and locked away.
   
   
2. Aggregates
   Aggregate is the term used to describe gravels, crushed rocks and sands – classified as coarse or fine. Fine aggregate (PAP or sand) is material passing through a 5-7mm sieve. Combined coarse and fine aggregate is described as all-in or builders mix.
   
   Use a clean, well-graded builders mix, in accordance with NZS3104 grading requirements (if possible).
   
   
3. Water
   Water should be fresh and clean.

• Causes serious eye and severe skin burns
• May cause respiratory irritation
• May cause damage to lungs by inhalation through prolonged or repeated exposure
• Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.

Prevention

• Keep out of reach of children.
• Read label before use.
• Do not breathe dust.
• Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
• Use only outdoors or in well-ventilated area.
• Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
• Avoid release to the environment.
• Wear protective gloves and eye/face protection.

First Aid

• IF INHALED: remove to fresh air and keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing. 
• If experiencing respiratory symptoms: call the POISON CENTRE at 0800 POISON (0800 764 766) or a doctor/physician.
  IF IN EYES: rinse cautiously with water for several minutes.  Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do.  Continue rinsing.
  IF SWALLOWED: rinse mouth.  Do NOT induce vomiting.  Immediately call the POISON CENTRE or a doctor/physician.
  IF ON SKIN: remove immediately all contaminated clothing.  Rinse skin with water.  If skin irritation occurs: get medical advice/attention.
  If medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand.

Storage and Disposal

• Store locked up in a dry, ventilated area off the ground. 
• Reuse or recycle where possible. 
• Alternatively, ensure product is covered with moist soil to prevent dust generation and dispose of to an approved landfill site.
• Do not discharge to storm water drains and waterways. 

Environment

• DO NOT ALLOW CEMENT OR SLURRY TO ENTER DRAINS OR NATURAL WATERWAYS.
• Do not allow cement or water that comes into contact with uncured cement, concrete, concrete slurry or wastewater, to go down any drains, waterways or into the sea. The high pH water can kill fish, insects and other aquatic life.
• Dispose bags  away from waterways and in accordance with local council guidelines.
• Reuse or recycle where possible. Alternatively, ensure the product is covered with moist soil to prevent dust generation and dispose of it to an approved landfill site.

The information above is for general guidance only and is not a substitute to the services of a professional consultant on particular projects, no responsibility can be accepted by Golden Bay by its use.

Accurate proportioning (batching) of materials and thorough mixing are essential to produce good quality concrete. Either method of batching by weight or volume may be used.

Ensure that air doesn't become trapped during the mixing process. This lowers the performance of the concrete, leading to:

1. Reduced strength
2. Increased permeability
3. Reduced durability

To produce concrete that is strong, dense and impermeable, the mix should be thoroughly compacted in order to remove trapped air. This can be achieved by hand tamping, but the best method is by mechanical vibration.

For both machine and hand mixing, use only sufficient water to ensure workability and allow thorough compaction – excess water will affect the concrete quality. 

How to place and compact concrete:

1. Place the concrete quickly, evenly and steadily without causing segregation.
2. Rake or shovel the concrete into place to a level of about 15mm above the formwork. Make sure concrete gets right into the corners.
3. Use a length of thick timber on its edge to tamp or compact and screed the concrete to the correct level. A vibrating beam could be used which will achieve greater and faster compaction.
4. The tamped finish achieved during compaction and screeding can be used if a washboard type finish is desired.

How to finish concrete:

1. Float or trowel the concrete as soon as possible after tamping/screeding but don’t overwork the surface.
2. Protect concrete surface with evaporative retardant in drying conditions to avoid the surface drying out and plastic shrinkage cracking occurring.
3. Let the concrete bleed and do not touch until all bleed water has disappeared.
4. Use an edging tool to finish the edges while the forms are still in place so that they end up slightly rounded.
5. Apply the desired finish to the concrete.

How to cure and protect concrete:

1. Cover with polythene sheeting as soon as the concrete is hard enough not to be marked by the sheeting.
2. Weigh down the edges of the sheeting so that the wind cannot blow underneath.
3. Leave the covering in place for at least seven days.
4. Alternatively a curing membrane can be applied to the surface of the concrete.
5. Inclement weather precautions may need to be followed during the carrying out of the work:

• Do not mix concrete when the air temperature is at or below 5°C and falling, or below 2°C and rising.
• Do not place concrete during heavy rain.
• If there is a risk of frost or the air temperature will drop significantly overnight once the concrete has been placed, protect with an insulation quilt sandwiched between two sheets of polythene sheeting and weighted down; or protect with a layer of sand.
• Equally, during hot and/or windy weather, the concrete mix should be protected from drying out too quickly to avoid surface crazing and plastic shrinkage cracking.

Table 3.1 - Prescribed mixes (P) | NZS 3104:2003

Note:

1. Materials are batched in bulk volume except as provided for in 3.3.4.
2. SSD is the mix design based around aggregates which are assumed to be saturated inside but have a dry surface so that the builder's mix neither absorbs water from the mix nor contributes free water to the mix.
3. Damp conditions are considered to be 3 % free moisture in the builder's mix.
4. Wet conditions are 5 % free moisture.Where a problem is consistently experienced with water demand, the aggregate grading needs to be checked.

Aggregate

Aggregate for use with this section shall be supplied as a combined grading of coarse and fine aggregates complying with table 3.2 except as provided for in 3.3.3. The aggregate supplier shall, when requested, supply the particle size distribution information of the builder's mix supplied.

Prescribed concrete mixes

The proportions of materials as shown in table 3.1 shall be batched. The table provides mixes for the following applications:

NOTE- The proportions for prescribed proportions mixes (P) 17.5 and 20 are identical. The design accuracy for the mixes does not warrant amending the proportions.

This table shows the recommended concrete mixes and raw material quantities required for general DIY use.

Calculate the area required (Sq. /m2 = length (m) x width (m) and then use table 2 to determine quantity of concrete required (Table 2 allows for 10% for wastage)
Jobs that require >3m3 consider the option of Readymixed concrete from a Readymix Concrete Supplier.

Measure the hole diameter and  depth and then use Table 3 to determine the quantity of concrete required.

Post hole calculations based on hole diameter of 300mm and depth of 500mm