READY MIX CONCRETE

INTRODUCTION

RMC is a specialized material in which cement aggregates and other ingredients

are weigh batched at a plant at a central mixer or truck mixer, before delivery to
the construction site in a condition ready for placing by the builder.

Thus fresh concrete is manufactured in a plant away from the construction site
and transported within the requisite time.

The RMC supplier provides two services :

• Firstly, one of processing the materials for making the fresh concrete and

•Secondly, of transporting a product within a limited time.

Batching plant are classified as :

1. Manual

2. Semi Automatic

3. Fully automatic

HOW DOES A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT WORK

It is a machine that combines various ingredients like aggregates, sand, water,

cement and additives. These components are first weighed individually and then
combined to prepared ready mix concrete.

Reversible drum mixer as the name suggests is a drum that will move in both the
directions. Its rotation in one direction will facilitate mixing and its rotation in the
opposite direction will facilitate discharge of materials. Tilting and non tilting type
of drum mixers are available.

Components of concrete batch mix plant

A concrete batch mix plant has a number of parts and accessories that combine
and work together to produce quality concrete. Some of the major components
are as below:

1. Aggregate feeders – Feeding unit is one of the important component. There are
bins located side by side to facilitate feeding of coarse aggregates and sand. The
different number of bins are there which will hold different sized aggregates /
sand into different compartment. The reason behind putting each material (size
wise) into separate bins is that each material will be weighed separately as per
designated mix ratio.

2. Aggregate weigh conveyor – Weigh conveyor usually sits below the aggregate
feeders. It is suspended and hanging on load cells. It is to weigh aggregates one by
one and then transfer the same to charging conveyor of skip. Aggregates are
discharged to the weigh conveyor by opening and closing of pneumatic cylinders.

3. Charging conveyor / Skip – Charging conveyor or a skip is to carry the weighed

aggregates to the mixing unit.

4. Cement weigh scale – Cement weigh scale will hold the cement in small
quantity that is transferred from the cement silo / hopper via a screw conveyor.
Its task is to weigh the aggregates prior to dispatch into the mixing unit.

5. Water weigh scale – Water weigh scale receives water from water pump. It will
hold water and weigh the water as per the recipe set in the control panel and
then add the same into the mixing unit.

6. Additive weigh scales – Additive weigh scales are also suspended on load cells
and they will weigh the additive material prior to dispatch into the mixer.

7. Cement silo / hopper with screw conveyor – Cement silo is to hold large
volumes of cement that comes in bulk trucks. It is usually provided with safety
accessories. A screw conveyor of suitable diameter and length is at the bottom
enabling transfer of cement into the cement weigh hopper. Many small capacity
machines are equipped with a cement hopper. The opening of the hopper is big
and it facilitates adding of cement that comes in bags. Bags have to be placed on
top of the hopper and once they are torn, cement will fall into the hopper.
Cement hoppers are also provided with screw conveyor for transfer of cement
into the weigh hopper.

Usually a weigh hopper has 2 openings on top for inlet of 2 screw conveyors.

8. Mixing unit – This is the most critical part and heart of the concrete batch
mixing plant. The job of the mixer is to receive all the ingredients and mix them
thoroughly for a fixed time. Then it will discharge the contents into a transit mixer
or a concrete pump.

9. Air compressor – Air compressor is one of the important components here. It is

used to control all the pneumatic operations of the concrete batch mixer like
opening and closing of cylinders that control the feeder gates, opening and
closing of butterfly valves fitted with weigh hoppers, opening and closing of the
mixing unit gate, etc.

10. Control panel – Control panel will control the working of the machine. Latest
machines are equipped with PLC panel for ease of usage. It is also possible to save
and print mix material recipes in the latest equipment. Control panel assist in fast
and accurate measurements of the ingredients. With growing demand for high
quality and accurate concrete it becomes important to produce quality material
without any wastage. This is where control panel helps to control all components
of the batching plant.

Operation / working of concrete batching plant

Usually a stationary type concrete batching plant is bigger in size. Its operation is
more or less similar to the mobile version. Stationary version is preferred by
customers who want to product concrete at a single place and portable version is
preferred by people who want to shift sites more often.

Working principle of concrete batching plant is dependent on five primary

functions as below:

Aggregate feeding – Aggregates and sand have to be fed into the individual feeder
bins.

Powder feeding – Powder here refers to cement, fly ash and additives. These are
important components for binding of material.

Water – Water will help cement bind evenly with aggregates. Specific quantity of
water is must for any ready mix.

Storage and conveyance – Storage and conveyance here refer to storage of

cement, fly ash, etc. They have to hold up quantity in bulk and transfer small
quantity by screw conveyor to the weighing hoppers.

Control system – Control system is very critical for any advanced machine. It
makes operation fast and accurate.

Concrete batching plant process flow will start from the feeding of aggregates
into individual bins. Size wise aggregates have to be fed into individual bins. These
aggregates will be weighed individually as per the design set in the control panel.
After weighing they will be transferred to the mixing unit. Above the mixing unit
there are weigh hoppers for cement, additive and water. The job of the weigh
hopper is to weigh and then transfer the contents into the mixing unit below.
Cement is transferred to the weigh hopper by means of screw conveyor. Water is
pumped up into the weigh hopper. After mixing for a specific time as set in the
mixing unit, the mixer will discharge the contents into transit mixer or a concrete
pump.

All the above processes are carried out carefully and systematically. Each process
is carried out for a specific time frame. The time frame starting from the weighing
of aggregates to the discharge of the ready mix material is known as a batch time.