EP #144: Concrete Isn’t Too Expensive — The System Around It Is

Concrete Is Losing on Cost. Here’s How to Take It Back.


Concrete keeps getting priced out of jobs, not because it can’t compete, but because we keep doing the same things the same way.
 
In this episode, Seth Tandett sits down with Rich Szecsy to talk about where concrete costs actually come from and why material price increases are only part of the story. They walk through how specs, local codes, labor assumptions, and risk avoidance quietly stack the deck against concrete, even when it’s the better material.
 
This isn’t a theoretical discussion. It’s a practical look at what contractors, engineers, and producers can question, change, and push back on if they actually want concrete to stay competitive.
 


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN


·       Why concrete keeps losing bids to steel and other materials
·       How self-compacting concrete can cut labor without cutting performance
·       Where specifications quietly drive cost more than material prices
·       How local codes create massive cost disparities for the same building
·       Why fear of sharing ideas slows innovation across the industry
·       How small, incremental changes can unlock real savings
·       Why understanding the full contractual chain matters more than mix price
·       What questions teams should be asking earlier to avoid cost traps
 


CHAPTERS


00:00 – Intro and how to support the Concrete Logic Podcast
02:36 – Why concrete is struggling to compete on cost
05:32 – Self-compacting concrete and labor reduction
08:18 – How specifications quietly drive cost
10:55 – Engineering challenges baked into specs
13:44 – Local codes and why the same building costs more in different cities
16:31 – The industry’s fear of sharing ideas
18:58 – Incremental changes that actually move the needle
21:32 – Local regulations and hidden cost multipliers
23:56 – Asking better questions earlier
 


GUEST INFO
Rich Szecsy
Bio: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/rich-szecsy/





CONCRETE LOGIC PARTNERS


INTELLIGENT CONCRETE
Concrete not behaving the way it should?


At Intelligent Concrete, Dr. Jon Belkowitz and his team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root of performance issues, not just the symptoms.
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete



CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY
Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/academy



SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Did you get value out of the show? Give some value back:
https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate



Buy your KUIU work & hunting gear and 10% goes to the show. No added cost to you: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu


Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries:
[email protected]



CREDITS


Producer: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media


Music by Mike Dunton: https://www.mdunton.com/


WHERE TO FIND SETH


https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/


https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast


https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com