TM

COCKBURN Cement to be used should be Cockburn Cement Type GP only, as other

CEMENT cement products may contain lime which is not acceptable for concret-
ing applications such as this.
For small jobs use Cockburn General Purpose Concrete pack.
Cockburn’s pre-blended range already contains cement, sand and
aggregate.

COCKBURN CONCRETE PACK

CONCRETE FOOTINGS Size Cubic Metres Per Bag Bags Per Cubic Metre
* Brickwork * Pergola * Fence Posts *
0.014 m3 per bag
30kg bags 70 bags per m3
14 Litres per bag
Tools & Materials Required
Shovel for mixing
Straight edge/Spirit Level 4. Mixing the concrete
String line Concrete needs to be mixed on a clean
hard surface, such as an existing
Wooden float
concrete slab or on a piece of
Wheelbarrow or cement mixer board. You can also use a cement
Timber for setting out and bracing mixer if available. Firstly place your
measured quantity of sand and add the correct proportion of cement.
Concrete materials (see “Concrete Guide”)
Mix these materials thoroughly until the colour is consistent.
Add the coarse aggregate, mix all three ingredients thoroughly again
1. Setting out a brickwork footing until the colour is consistent. Finally add your measured quantity of
A concrete footing should be 100mm deep by 300mm wide if the water, sprinkle the water slowly over the mix, stopping frequently to
footing is for a free standing wall. The footing should be increased to turn over the mix until the mix is consistent in colour and texture. Do
150mm deep and 450mm wide if the wall being built is a retaining wall. not add too much water, you do not want your mix too sloppy. Too
For larger retaining walls an engineer may need to be approached for much water means a weak concrete. The water should weigh roughly
advice. half of that of the cement added.

Firstly mark out the position of the footing with pegs and a string line. A concrete mix of 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 4 parts coarse aggregate
Dig a shallow trench to the required depth of the footing and drive the (by volume) should be used for footings.
pegs into the ground along the line of the trench. The tops of the pegs
sould be set level to indicate where the finished surface of the footing 5. Placing the concrete
is to be. A spirit level along the top of adjoining pegs will show whether
the pegs are in fact level. Concrete must be placed within half an hour of mixing.
Brickwork - Place your concrete into your trench. Work the concrete
into awkward places and corners using a shovel. Place enough
concrete to overfill the formwork slightly. Take your wooden float and
compact the concrete by drawing the float firmly across the concrete
surface. Use a straight edge to spread the excess concrete using a
2. Setting out posts for pergolas and fences sawing motion levelling the concrete off to the pegs.
First you need to established where your first and last post will be and Using a wooden float, smooth the surface of the concrete to achieve a
then the distance between the remaining posts. Check each post for consistent mortar finish, which will ensure the concrete is well
height, then line and plumb using string lines and spirit levels as shown compacted.
in diagram below.
The footing should be covered with plastic and left to cure for at least
seven days before any brickwork can commence. (See our “Laying A
Concrete Slab”) flyer for more information.

6. Pergola and Fence Posts

Excavate a hole for your post and ensure that there is a clearance of 50
to 80mm between your post and the hole sides. For posts which will be
placed in the ground, ensure you dig the hole
deep enough so that 25% of the post is in the
The depth will depend on the length of the post, normally one third of ground to achieve sufficient strength.
the post length must go into the footing, with a minimum footing Alternatively you can purchase a post shoe or
depth of 230mm. The footing diameter should be three times the metal stirrup which is specically designed for
diameter of the post being placed. posts.

Place each post into a hole and wedge them into position. Check the Thoroughly saturate the hole (as per instruc-
posts are the right height and are plumb and in line with the other tions on the bag) and without delay pour the
posts. correct quantity of concrete into the hole.
Mix thoroughly. The concrete must be
compacted by ramming down with your boot
3. Concrete requirements for large jobs or similar sized object.
Calculate the volume of your footing by multiplying the footing length
x width x depth. This will give you a quantity of concrete in m3. The post then needs to be supported using a
timber brace until the concrete has hardened.
CONCRETE ESTIMATING GUIDE
Posts freshly set into concrete can be forced
Concrete Mix Materials Volume of Concrete Required (Cubic Metres)
Type Ratio Required
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
into a new position for upto 20 minutes after
Reinforced 1 Cement (20kg Bags) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 the concrete pour.
Beams, Floor
Slab, Footings, 2 Damp Sand (Cubic Metres) 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Load Bearing 4
Aggregate (Cubic Metres) 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 Your posts should be left to stand for at least three days before any
Posts
braces are removed and before anything can be attached to them.

www.cockburncement.com.au
Technical Assistance: 1300-138-996