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Concreters place, spread, compact, finish and cure concrete for buildings
and other structures, using hand tools and automated machinery.
Concreters mix, lay, spread, compact and finish
concrete for building and construction work. They mix cement with other
materials such as gravel, sand and water, and pour the concrete, usually
over steel reinforcement, moving it into position using a pump. They also
prepare and move boxing, or formwork,
so that it contains the concrete in
the right shape and dimensions. Once the concrete has been poured,
concreters level the concrete, clean and seal it. They might also create
decorative surfaces on the concrete prior to cleaning and sealing. They may
also spray concrete onto retaining walls, swimming pools or other surfaces
that require rendering.
ANZSCO description:
8212: Pours, spreads, smoothes and finishes
concrete for structures such as floors, stairs, ramps, footpaths and
bridges.
Alternative names: Concrete Worker
Specialisations: Decorative concreter
Concreters may specialise as concrete finishers, concrete cutters, or
concrete slab layers. There are large differences in the work done by
concreters working on high-rise buildings and those working on smaller
residential and commercial buildings.
Knowledge, skills and attributes
A concreter needs:
- practical and manual skills
- physical fitness and stamina
- problem solving skills
- to enjoy working outdoors
- basic maths skills
- to be safety conscious and accurate in
their work.
Duties and Tasks
Concreters may perform the following tasks:

- mix cement, gravel, sand and water to make concrete on site
- move concrete into position using a concrete pump
- place concrete into the formwork (usually temporary wood or steel
moulds), making sure that it is spread and levelled, then compacted
using vibrators
- operate paving and trowelling machines to float, trowel and polish
the concrete surface
- create different surface textures by tamping, smoothing and shaping
the concrete surface with a variety of hand tools
- cut joints into hardened concrete
- mix and apply pigments when a coloured surface is required
- dig foundation trenches if working on residential or small
commercial projects.
- erecting concrete form work and laying steel reinforcing
- pouring, spreading and levelling concrete using screeds and
templates
- tamping, smoothing, shaping and sealing concrete
- operating trowelling machines to float, trowel and polish concrete
surfaces
- forming expansion joints and edges using edging tools, jointers and
straight edges
- installing fixtures in concrete such as anchor bolts, steel plates
and door sills
- wetting concrete and rubbing with abrasives to finish vertical
surfaces
- covering concrete with plastic sheeting and sand to cure it
- cutting lines in concrete using power cutters
- may cover freshly poured concrete with colouring powders and other
materials
Working conditions:
For most jobs, concrete is mixed at a pre-mix concrete supplier's factory
and delivered to the site in a pre-mix concrete truck.
Concreters usually work
outdoors on building and construction sites as well as infrastructure such
as bridges and roads. Conditions can be dirty and noisy,
and they may have to work at heights or underground, depending on the nature
of the work. Much of their time is spent standing or kneeling and they may also
have to work at heights or underground in tunnels.
They are often required to spend large amounts of
time on their feet, and their work often involves heavy lifting and other
manual labour. Concreters may travel
from job to job and usually begin work very early in the morning.
They usually work regular hours; however in hot weather they may
begin earlier in the day to avoid the heat. In winter they may need to begin
later as early morning frost makes concreting difficult.
There is a growing industry in pre-cast concrete where concrete elements are
cast and cured in factories and then transported to the site for use.
Tools and technologies
Concreters
need to be familiar with the various types of concrete, as well as the
materials that go into its making. They use concrete mixers as well as hand
and power tools such as shovels, edging tools, concrete vibrators and
trowels. They use wheelbarrows and boxing (formwork), as well as concrete
pumps. They drive large vehicles that may be fitted with industrial cement
mixers, or pump trucks. They are usually required to wear protective
clothing such as steel-capped gumboots and gloves.
Education and training/entrance requirements
You can work as a concreter without any formal qualifications and get
training on the job.
You may improve your employment prospects by doing an apprenticeship to
become a concreter. The apprenticeship usually takes 24 months to complete.
Workers in the construction industry must undergo safety induction training
and be issued with a Construction Induction Card (commonly known as a “white
card”).
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