Concrete is one of those materials we take for granted -- the laying of the foundation is a critical step in the building process but how often do we think about what happens before the material makes it to the job site? We see the specs and we see it being poured and finished but before that there are a myriad of steps that are the responsibility of the ready-mix producer. The ready-mix producer is responsible for the appropriate selection and use of the materials – cement, course and fine aggregate, water, admixtures and supplementary cementitious materials as well as getting all of that material into a truck, mixed with appropriate performance characteristics for the job conditions. The selection and handling of materials and conditions impacts the quality of the concrete as does the testing. Aside from producing the concrete the ready-mix producer is also responsible for testing multiple samples from any number of projects in addition to also working with 3rd party testing facilities. The world of concrete is highly complex and very competitive. During this episode we talk with QC Directors/Managers,  Lauro Rivas, PE, CalPortland; Tom Villa, Rock Solid; Joel Martinez and Bill Wheeler, Hanson Aggregates.