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Concrete contractors encountering circular slabs may be concerned with how to do the most efficient screeding possible. One way to make screeding circular slabs easier is to use the Lightening Strike roller screed from Lura Enterprises.

Northern Grain Equipment, West Fargo, N.D., has a concrete division that offers total grain system services. This includes pouring circular grain bin floors, says Foreman Justin Schmidt. These bins hold corn and other grains and can be used for drying and/or storing the grain.

A typical circular grain bin floor is about 48 feet in diameter, Schmidt says. But sometimes larger slabs are needed - Northern Grain recently completed a 75-foot-diameter grain bin floor.

The prep for a circular grain bin floor starts with compacting the fill. "We make sure there is at least 100 percent compaction so there is no chance of the floor cracking," Schmidt says. If the bin is going to be used for drying, an aeration system is set up under the floor so air can circulate through the grain. After the aeration system is in place, rebar is then placed for the concrete floor.

If the bin has a conveyor underneath to transport grain, steel decking is placed over the rebar to prevent the concrete from collapsing into the conveyor tunnel during the pour. Then a second layer of rebar is placed over the steel decking, Schmidt says. Once prep is done and rebar is in place, the concrete is poured. And once the pour is complete screeding can start. To make the screeding process easier, Northern Grain use the Lightening Strike roller screed, Schmidt says. "It's very versatile, lightweight, and seems to be the best fit for what we do," he says. "It makes screeding more efficient, we can use less people, and it takes less than half the time to use to."