Modern Build in Guilden Morden
A new-build in Guilden Morden, South Cambridgeshire required a clean, heavy-duty pour for an integrated entrance porch and ground floor slab. The main contractor needed a structural C35 mix delivered, batched, and placed without mess, delay, or any wasted concrete.
The site provided the Custom Concrete team with the kind of practical challenges which are typical of rural developments: tight approach lanes and unmade ground right up to the building line. With over two decades experience supplying volumetric concrete, Custom Concrete navigated the approach with ease and handled the batching and placement directly from the truck.
The Mix Design – Heavy-Duty C35 Durability
For this Guilden Morden project, C35 was the specified mix design. Achieving 35 N/mm² compressive strength, C35 concrete is built for structural durability and exposed ground contact.
Because the porch slab ties directly into the property’s front entrance, it’s susceptible to rain, frost, and has consistent footfall. Specifying C35 ensures long-term durability, low permeability, and a sound base for whatever final floor finish the client chooses.
By metering the raw aggregates, cement, and water on site, we were able to guarantee that every cubic metre met the structural engineer’s performance standards.
On-Site Challenges – Position, Reach, and Ground Conditions
The site conditions in Guilden Morden were typical of an active new-build: excavated topsoil, an unpaved sub-base, and tight clearances around parked trades. Our operator backed the volumetric truck into position to get maximum throw from the delivery chute directly into the timber forms.
Volumetric delivery completely eliminates the guesswork involved in ordering ready-mix. If the slab takes 4.2 cubic metres instead of the estimated 4.8, we stop mixing. The builder only pays for what goes into the ground, eliminating waste disposal fees and part-load penalties entirely.
Direct Chute Placement and Slump Control
Once in position, discharge began at the deepest point of the porch foundation, feeding straight from the rear chute. The site team worked the concrete into the corners, compacting around the edges to prevent voids and honeycombing against the timber forms.
Volumetric trucks allow real-time adjustments, so we were able to tailor the slump right at the chute; ensuring it was stiff enough to hold the perimeter edge cleanly, but workable enough for fast tamping and levelling across the slab.
Direct discharge meant manual wheelbarrowing was unnecessary. This speeded up the pour and kept the available labour focused on consolidation and finishing. Once the slab was struck off, the auger was shut down.
Need High-Strength Concrete Delivered On Site?
Get your next pour right first time.
Contact Custom Concrete today on 01525 861899 to schedule on-site volumetric delivery for slabs, porches, footings, and structural floors across South Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire.
Pay only for what you pour, with zero waste and complete slump control.