Thread: In search of concrete

We are building a new house for a client and tomorrow the second storey is having the concrete poured .
In this gang we have already built 2 houses, however the access is very limited, only a small car or pickup can squeeze down it.
So there is no way we can get a concrete truck down the gang, without smashing down houses either side.
All this week my Balinese wife, who is really the site manager, as been trying in vain to find concrete.
All the shops and warehouses in Denpasar have had no stock, as none has come from Java.
So today l suggested l go out and try.Well you should have seen the look l got.How can you find concrete, she said, when l know all the distributors here and none of them have any.
Well, l said, you never know....so off l l went...not really having any hope.
I went to 3 major Concrete warehouses/distributors and each said wait until new year....but we had the team ready for tomorrow.
Going back home down Jln Cargo l spotted 2 trucks with the Semen Gresik logo on the back, it was pissing down rain and the trucks had a pastic cover over them..so l figured they must be full.
I followed them for a while and they pulled into a warehouse.
I went into the office and asked if l could buy 100 sacks( we already had 50)
The lady said , waving pieces of paper, that they had orders in for the past week waiting for this delivery, she also pointed out that the 10+ guys waiting outside each had a truck waiting to be filled with the newly arrived cement.
It seemed like every shop in Denpasar had got wind of this delivery and wanted a piece of this order.
So, a bit of pleading from me that we needed it for a pour tomorrow and a call from my wife, she agreed to sell them to me only if l paid in the next 15 minutes....luckily l had 4.5 million rps in my wallet. Only other problem was they could not deliver....luckily we have a small pick up.
So, 2 trips from Canggu to Ubung later, we finally have the cement.
My wife now believes that a bule can source a product even when a local, with plenty of contacts, had given up.

Did you tell her you paid twice the price or did you keep that under your hat. lol

Yeah l should have, but she is onto all the prices here.

Speaking of concrete, my wife tells me that there are small versions of the big concrete trucks (wit the slowly spinning back). The small size versions are meant to service the projects where big trucks cannot enter.

I'm 99% sure this isn't true but I guess there is no harm in asking.

Does anyone know if these exist?

The alternative is pumping it through pipes but that's messy.

Originally Posted by balibule

Speaking of concrete, my wife tells me that there are small versions of the big concrete trucks (wit the slowly spinning back). The small size versions are meant to service the projects where big trucks cannot enter.

I'm 99% sure this isn't true but I guess there is no harm in asking.

Does anyone know if these exist?

The alternative is pumping it through pipes but that's messy.

I'm pretty sure they don't exist, I was asking & searching too...would have been great! Big trucks & pipes OR mix it yourself on site the only way I guess, difficult if you live in a small gang though...

I have never seen any in South Bali, but l wish we had some.

Yes, good one Gilbert.
Funny though, someone has probably seen your picture and started building the prototype...ha ha

I would guess that whoever has a mini concrete truck would not find it hard to keep himself busy. Maybe I should build one myself. Gilbert already has the drawings