Quikrete concrete is produced for pouring concrete 2-in thick or more and building or repairing anything out of concrete. It is perfect for sidewalks, curbs, steps, ramps, walkways and patios.

Details and Its Uses

In Quikrete’s product number nomenclature, it seems 1101 is the product, and the 10 at the end (last two digits) is the packaging size, in-lbs. This Quikrete concrete No. 110110 is regular strength, general-purpose concrete mix in a small 10 lb. size. Perplexingly, this concrete barely costs more in the large 60 or 66 lb. bags when you buy in-store, but not everyone can lift these hefty bags.

 This No. 110110 formulation (10 lb. size) doesn’t contain the coarse aggregate (gravel) you might expect. It’s just sand grains and sometimes a few tiny pebbles. It’s a pretty fine/smooth concrete mix, pretty easy to use. However, this same concrete in large 66 lb. bags do contain gravel about 1/4″ in size.

 

Quikrete Concrete Resistance 

This concrete is meant for applications greater than 2 inches thick. For less than 2 inches, Quikrete concrete recommends their No. 1103 ‘Sand/Topping Mix’ which is an even finer, smoother concrete mix that has sand as the only aggregate.

Quikrete 5000 (high early strength) and Quikrete Crack Resistant (fiber-reinforced and air-entrained) concrete mixes – both of these have larger, medium-size gravel (about 3/8″) and have a coarser feel and are better for thicker applications like steps and slabs. All these other Quikrete mixes work well, but they only come in large bags as far as I know.

Read here to know about Concrete Bags 
This #1101 concrete sets at regular speed, so it gives plenty of working time. In cool temperatures, it might take annoyingly long to set. As with all concrete, be careful that it’s never exposed to freezing temperatures in the first week or so after placing/pouring.

In warmer temperatures, this is an ideal general-purpose concrete. Depending on the temperature, it will be solidified after about 12-24 hours, but will still be weak and crumbly. After a few days it will be quite strong and functional, but, like other concrete, it continues to slowly gain more strength over subsequent days and weeks, and takes a month to attain its final rated strength.

 

General Thoughts about working with Quikrete Concrete

 It’s important to add the right amount of water – you don’t want soupy (too much water) or crumbly (too little water). You usually want a thick, workable paste. Too much water results in weak, porous concrete that is prone to shrinking and cracking. Too little will give a mix that is difficult to work with. The amount of water recommended in the instructions seems to be the minimum that, in theory, the concrete needs to set, requiring very firm compacting (which almost nobody does or can do).

You’ll almost certainly have to add more water, but only as much as needed to get the work-ability you need. Also, wear respiratory protection; mixing concrete puts lots of fine silica dust into the air. Its nasty stuff and you don’t want that in your lungs.

 When you’re finished placing your Quikrete concrete, it’s important to prevent it from drying out, otherwise, it won’t reach its full potential strength. Keeping it moist during the hardening period is called curing the concrete.

Keep it covered in a plastic sheet and re-misting with water if necessary so it never dries out – for at least several days, longer if possible. This tedious babysitting will give you the best chance of reaching the full 4000 psi final strength.