It is easy to understand how most of the construction equipment work. For instance, cranes function to move things up and down, dump trucks can load items up and unload, graders can grade aggregates, and bulldozers can push. However, one of the exceptions is cement mixers or mixer trucks. Mixer trucks are a kind of vehicle loved by kids, hated by drivers who want to do the work in a hurry, and misunderstood by many people.

Concrete has a rich history of thousands of years. Romans were building behemoth structures by utilizing the fascinating properties of concrete. However, the transit mixer truck is a relatively new invention of the 20th century. It has paved a new way for concrete transportation and made it easy for the product to be used in remote locations. Even though the trucks are commonly known as “cement mixers,” they are used for mixing concrete. The trucks are available in a variety of sizes and configurations in order to handle multiple numbers of tasks.

When working with transit mixers, one of the most common questions is, “how far can a concrete truck reach?” It is a vital question to address because transit trucks cannot enter all types of spaces, and a chute is used to discharge concrete in such a scenario. This article will discuss how far a concrete truck can reach for discharging Ready-Mix Concrete.

Types of Cement Mixers

The process of removing concrete from the truck is where you will notice the changes in truck designs. All the mixers you can find use torque, power, and weight distribution to deliver the concrete to the site. A significant portion of the mixer fleet, particularly the trucks of the older batch versions, uses a straightforward tip-and-pour technique to ensure the concrete is removed from the mixer. The concrete pours out of the mixer directly onto the project thanks to a device called a chute that is attached to a port.

The truck’s driver typically controls the machinery and directs the chute. Many transit mixers on the market are connected to hydraulic lift beds. If necessary, this hydraulic lift bed is capable of tipping the drum upward like a dump truck. Other trucks use a pump to transfer the concrete from the truck to the project. The pumps, which are mostly reciprocating piston pumps, can be installed on the truck’s front or back. If the pump is in the front position, the driver can easily move to a certain area of the job site and direct the concrete from inside the cab.

The controls may be electromechanical, hydraulic, mechanical, or entirely electronic. In order to ensure that pumps and even other mixer components can be monitored, modern trucks are integrating more technologies, such as onboard computers. In order to prevent the formation of what we call “concrete,” a number of simpler equipment are essential. These machines even mix the concrete on the spot. Some of the earlier parts of the fleet, like early mixers, used paddles to stir the concrete and prevent it from “setting out” or possibly separating into its many component parts.

The main concrete mix already goes through rigorous testing to ensure standard quality. Read-Mix Concrete testing is performed by the manufacturer at the production site. The delivery of concrete should also be tested. The concrete discharge system can be monitored from inside the cab. Wet concrete is forced into the back of the mixture by the drum’s rotational motion. The driver makes sure to turn the machine around when the mixer arrives at the location so that it can be pushed away from the mixer and straight down the chute. Gravity takes care of the remainder immediately after that. Concrete is moved by augers in volumetric mixers. These resemble the batch mixer’s blades in many ways, except they are smaller.

The Space Available in Your Property Determines How Far a Concrete Truck Can Reach

It should come as no surprise, given that a concrete truck weighs more than 27,000 pounds and measures more than 20 feet in length, that it can only reach as far on your land as the way you have established for entry and exit. The concrete truck should be able to drive straight up to the spot where the pour is going to take place if there is a sufficiently big and unobstructed pathway leading into and out of the construction site.

However, this is not the only factor to take into account; you must also take into account the degree to which your soils are compacted and/or the depth of any concrete slabs that the truck will be driving over. You can protect your property from being damaged if you consider these additional factors.

But even if you don’t have the room or the appropriate conditions to transport the concrete truck directly to the location of the pour, you shouldn’t lose hope because you still have alternative options available to you. Utilizing a variety of concrete pumps allows a concrete truck to reach far wider distances.

What is a Concrete Pump?

Any construction project needs a concrete pump since it is used to transport newly mixed concrete from the containers to the areas where it needs to be filled at the construction site. Concrete pumps are the most useful method of discharging liquid concrete into the construction site. The invention of the concrete pump has helped to increase work efficiency and is extremely useful when it comes to high-rise buildings. Ready-Mix Concrete pumping trucks are equipped with advanced mechanical devices to monitor and control the flow of concrete appropriately.

How is Concrete Pump Used in Construction?

Here is a list of how concrete pumps are used in construction.

• The concrete pumps use less water than other standard concrete pouring procedures. As a result, the concrete won’t exhibit any shrinking or cracking characteristics when it is placed and will keep its strength
• The use of concrete pumps ensures concrete placement at difficult-to-reach or crowded places. Concrete pumps can therefore move the concrete mix to practically any region and at any height without leaving spills and lumps in their wake, whether you wish to lay the concrete in a foundation slab or on the top floor of a high-rise project.
• Concrete placed with a concrete pump has higher accuracy and little to no material waste.
• Any weathering activities or conditions have no impact on the concrete placement.

How do Concrete Pumps Work?

A concrete pump is a machine that can move wet concrete to places where the concrete mixer trucks cannot reach easily. There are two primary kinds of concrete pumps. Both systems can reach under, over, and longer distances from a Ready-Mix Concrete delivery truck to deliver the wet concrete accurately and quickly.

A skilled professional who operates the concrete pump can control the position and output of the pump by directing one of the two different types of systems:

• Boom Pumps: This pump transports a substantial amount of concrete mix to the site by using a robotic arm attached to the truck. The truck remains stationary while the discharge of concrete is taking place.
• Line Pumps: This type of pump, sometimes referred to as a ground pump, can be truck- or trailer-mounted and employs rubber or steel hoses to transport concrete from the concrete hopper to the project site.

How Far Can the Chute on a Concrete Truck Reach?

The maximum distance that concrete may be poured using a chute is 18 feet, measured from the truck’s tires to the discharge point. The ready-mix truck’s wheels must be maintained one foot away from below-grade walls and one foot away from trenches and excavations. They usually carry three or four add-on chutes. But the chute distance usually does not go above 18 feet. However, concrete can be poured down a chute for up to 40 feet before aggregate segregation becomes an issue, depending on the mix design and slump.

Source: TRUCKile 

Summary

Ready-Mix Concrete is currently the best solution for your construction needs. It can deliver a hassle-free experience while ensuring a high standard of product quality. There are various types of concrete truck capacities available. You should carefully consider before ordering large and heavy concrete mixer trucks. These trucks can exert enormous pressure on your driveway, which can crack or damage the property. Hence, order accordingly to ensure the work environment is prepared before receiving the delivery of Ready-Mix Concrete. Accurate estimation of Ready-Mix Concrete will help you to minimize waste and increase work efficiency. The concrete pouring site should be within reach of the parking place of the truck.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much concrete can I pour in an hour?

Ans: Most standard concrete mixer trucks can pour 24 bags in an hour.

What is the capacity of a standard concrete truck?

Ans: A standard concrete truck can carry around 8 – 10 cubic yards of concrete.

Can concrete trucks pump concrete uphill?

Ans: Concrete pumps can reach over, under, high up, deep down below, and far away from the concrete mixer truck to pour concrete quickly and accurately.

Is pumped concrete weaker?

Ans: When delivering concrete with a chute system, the concrete must be much wetter, and the resulting concrete will produce strength of around 2,000 PSI, which is a bit lower than the standard 3,000 PSI.

What type of pump is best for concrete?

Ans: The boom concrete pump is best suitable for pouring concrete within a limited area. Otherwise, line and boom both types of pumps can be used.