Ornamental Concrete Paving Slab Production

1. Ornamental Concrete Paving Slab Production a beautiful way to supplement farmer’s income

2. 10 questions to ask when considering paving slab production • Do I have a market for paving slabs? • Can I find raw materials? • Fresh Portland Cement • White Portland Cement (for yellow paving slabs) • Sand • ¼” or 3/8” stone from a quarry or a river • Color pigments of good quality • Do I have land for the factory that is within 45 km of a large city, is close to a paved road and has water? • Am I read to produce including looking after management, equipment maintenance and checking product quality? • Do I understand that I have to invest some money before I can begin? • Am I ready to be trained by a professional and am I ready to continue to learn about this technology? • Do I understand that in starting to produce paving slabs that I will encounter some problems; just like in any new activity. These problems can be solved by diligent workers and good management? • Am I interested in creating new good-paying jobs locally for villagers? • Am I able to collect money (or take out a loan) of $6000 to $8500? • Do I have a person who can manage work (for example, some one with experience or a vocational college degree) and do I have workers?

3. 11 steps to successful paving slab production • Do a feasibility study including a marketing study, raw material cost survey and other factors. Do a production cost analysis and income projection. A consultant might be needed. • Chose products to produce: what patterns and how many. Maybe there are products other than paving slabs to produce also such as pillars, pipes, blocks etc. Get quotations from equipment suppliers. • Take your feasibility study to your money source to ask for a loan (bank, government program, etc.). • Make an equipment purchase agreement including manual, training, warranty, service and parts. Make all points clear. You might have to wait 2 months for equipment to come from overseas. After ordering special equipment, purchase accessories like scales, curing chamber tarp, shovels, hoes, etc. • Prepare the site, build workshop, curing chambers and raw material bins. • Choose distributors and prepare marketing materials such as flyers and display stands. • Recruit workers and staff. Success depends on people. • Receive training. Put your heart into learning. • The first period of production will be a time of learning. There will be some mistakes. You must solve problems and give encouragement to workers. You must continue to look after the production process and the product quality. • You should practice the 5 Ss to keep efficient and secure: (look up this Japanese practice). • Follow up the market, serve customers and distributors.

4. The CVBT's Experience With Ornamental Paving Slabs And Rice Farming VillagersWin4

5. The first winners - the village workersthey receive good wages.

6. Noy and Wichit at our Christmas party

7. The 2nd Winner – Paving Slabs make the CVBT sustainable.

8. Villagers and staff at the CVBT

9. The 3rd Winner – Garden supply stores:A ready-made marketing channel

10. Distributors come from 150 km away

11. Payom pan mai, our oldest distributor

12. Red lotus and brick patterns at a garden supply shop

13. Buem checks out washed stone and brick slabs at a distributor in Khon Kaen

14. Paving slab walk at a distributor’s

15. Finished products

16. The 4th Winner -The customers.A patio in Ban Naka, Spanish style

18. Samart on the hexagonal walk to our office

19. Ban thin nursery school with our sons peter and Thomas

20. Red lotus pattern in Phen district

21. Washed stone rounds ready for sale

22. Spanish style slabs in a gazebo with Andrew our eldest

23. Success on the first try with paving slabs. Easier than roof tiles or Rhino Blocks.

24. How Paving Slabs Are Made

25. pebble sifter for washed stone slabs

26. Weighing cement insures quality

27. Pigment weighing needs to be accurate

28. Aew has a 6th grade education

29. Nute measures in 3/8 inch stone

30. Aew checks water content in sand

31. Nute measures super plasticizer

32. Nute cleans plastic molds

33. Painting release oil on molds

34. Nute calculates water content in sand

35. We measure water into the mix

36. Nute puts the mortar in the hopper ready for weighing in the mold.

37. Wichit weighs mortar into a mold

38. Wichit puts the pebble topping on washed stone slabs

39. Wichit vibrates the pebbles into the mortar

40. Wichit levels a mold frame

41. The paving slab production unit

42. 4 people can produce about 100 slabs per day

43. Aew demolds a slab

44. Demolded slabs ready for curing

45. Putting slabs in solar high-humidity curing chamber

46. Concrete needs moisture to cure. Heat speeds up curing

47. Abe loads slabs from a curing chamber, 7 days is enough.

48. Another load of slabs going out and bringing income to villagers

49. Resources The CVBT, Udon Thani, Thailand • Training • Vibrating Table • Turn Table • Cart • Strength Tester • Other equipment Armcon molds (UK/USA) Pakpasak Champasak Vocational Technical School (Pakse Technical College)

50. Laotian teachers learn slab production