FAQ’s

What is IT?

An Ingram proprietary and exclusive mix that provides the performance of a 3500 psi performance mix while delivering enhanced performance characteristics to meet the customer’s needs and job requirements.

 What strengths do you get from the I-35 EPF?

          OR

How do strengths of I-35 EPF compare to your 3500 psi performance mix?

          OR

What strengths am I going to get using I-35 EPF ?

28 day strengths are between 3000 psi and 4000 psi at 28 days and 4000 to 4500 psi at 56 days.

Strength development meets early age construction requirements without any delay.

 REMEMBER the majority of our customers use 3500 psi designs not because of strength but because they like the way it places and finishes.

If it is not 3500 psi in 28 days why call it I-35 EPF, and how does it have greater strength than our 3500 performance mix?

The answer is based in the basics of concrete technology:

Strength usually indicates the 28 day specified or targeted strength.

Increase coarse aggregate content you increase strength.

Decrease water content you lower w/c ratio and increase strength.

We begin with our basic 3500 psi design.  Then we ENHANCE it by increasing the coarse aggregate content.  We surround this with a new, unique, fluid, high-quality paste that requires less water than our standard 3500 psi performance mix but allows the concrete to be placed/pumped and finished.

 There is another basic of concrete technology – a slower strength gain results in  higher ultimate strengths and a more durable concrete.

 I-35 EPF  STARTS at or around 3500 psi @ 28 days. Its’ design allows it to gain strength more slowly at first which develops a longer strength curve over an extended period that results in higher ultimate strengths with increased durability.

Can the slower strength gain effect construction schedules?

Strength development meets all early age construction requirements without any delay.

 NOTE: On slabs with post-tensioning, early tensioning (24 – 48 hours after placement), firms should be advised to treat slabs as if they had been placed under winter conditions.  --- There are no set standard strengths for early tensioning.

What is in It’s “special paste”?

It is an exclusive blend of admixtures that allows our uniquely proportioned design

What are the admixtures being used?

OR

Why won’t you tell me?

Ingram Enterprises spent a lot of time, research, and getting customer input developing this technology.  To our knowledge, not are we the only company in Texas (and to our knowledge this part of the country) doing this; BUT we are the only ones who have tried to do this.

 We have a real advantage over the competition with this technology.  Not only do we have an exclusive product but one that we know will make your jobs easier and that will allow you to make more money.

 Why would we reveal our research to the public and help our competition? Especially considering they are doing nothing to help you.

 How long has IT been used?

Ingram Enterprises began developing this product in 2004, and marketing it in the  Spring of 2006. 

So IT is a brand new product and is experimental?

The specific technology has been used for more than 10 years in the concrete industry worldwide.  What we have done is to take a technology used in other phases of the concrete industry and adapt it to the ready-mix market.

Why is IT restricted to “non-specification” projects?

Most “Specified Projects” have concrete based on either prescription or performance (or a combination of the two) rubber-stamped industry “standards” established at a national level. Many times the specifications restrict slump even though slump is not an indication of strength. The engineer doesn’t know or understand the performance of concrete they just write what others have written before them.

If Ingram’s isn’t willing to guarantee a specific strength for IT how do you back its performance?

Most contractors used to always order “5 sack concrete” because they “knew” this would guarantee them good concrete.  We did not guarantee any strength performance we just promised good concrete. 

IT produces superior concrete and Ingram Enterprises will stand behind its’ performance just as we have stood behind all of our prescription or performance products