A Guide to Modern Koi Pond Construction Pouring the concrete base
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| When it comes time to pour the concrete most pond builders are surprised
by the amount that is required, and to do this work successfully and with
the minimum of stress requires planning well in advance. The standard mix for concrete is 3 chippings, 2 sand, and 1 cement by volume. If you are using ready mix then advise the company what you are using it for and they will recommend the mix you should use. |
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![[cement mixer]](img/cem1.jpg) |
If you are pouring a small area then it is acceptable to do the mixing using a cement mixer as shown here as long as you can get a few friends or neighbours to help. If you are filling a large area, say for a pond ten feet square, there is a good possibility that you will not be able to maintain the same consistency over the whole area and so weaken the pond base. |
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As long as you are able to get the truck with the ready mix fairly close
to the pond then this is certainly the best solution, and many consider
it is the only way to do. These trucks are very heavy, and cannot come
down a drive normally designed for private cars. The driver will usually
wait for you to take the concrete away in wheel barrows as long as you
have quite a few and a small army of helpers. It is a worrying sight to see a large pile of concrete on your drive on a hot sunny day. |
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It may be that you have decided that you are going to use ready mix concrete,
but it is difficult to get the material to the pond. It is possible to
hire a truck with a pump. The ready mix truck will pour the concrete into
the truck and it will then be pumped via the gantry to the base of your
pond. It takes almost one hour for the truck and pipes to be put in position and stowed away again, but the concrete is poured into the base and partially levelled in ten minutes. The only problem with this method is the high cost. The truck has to be hired for a minimum of six hours, and the total cost for this in Cardiff in November 1996 is about £160. |
The next step is to look at bottom drains |
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