Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Civil Engineering

Advance Construction Methods Equipment

Visquera, Adriane T.
BSCE 4-1
2018-00510-MN-0
October 20,2021

One of the main topics I've learned in our first session of Advance
Construction Methods Equipment yesterday is about Concrete Technology. There are
times that what we learned from books and academe are different from what we will
encounter in the actual field. One of these scenarios is when mixing sand and cement
that has the ratio of 3:1 for plastering, if we followed the rule that there must be no excess,
the materials won't be enough because there will be parts that will be plastered by pure
cement for easy drying. The importance of chemical admixtures is also discussed
yesterday. I've learned that admixtures fasten the curing process of concrete, this is a big
factor when it comes to meeting the desired construction schedule.
We also discussed about the ordering and specifying of concrete. If for
example there are discrepancies in the capacity of the concrete when tested in labs, these
discrepancies must be coordinated with the suppliers for further assessments and
validation. On the other hand, if the discrepancy is on the drawing ang design aspect, the
conflict must be addressed with the engineer or designer through submitting Request for
Information (ROI) while explaining the conflict so that the person responsible can find
ways to address the issue. In this issue, we must always remember that the specification
is the highest in the hierarchy of construction documents.
Batching of concrete on the other side is the process of measuring concrete
mix ingredients by either mass or volume and introducing them into the mixer. This is
significant to produce concrete of uniform quality. We also discussed the different
methods of transporting of concrete. It is pointed out that good planning in transporting
the concrete is significant to avoid delays, premature stiffening, and segregation of
concrete. There are 4 different ways to transport concrete.

1. Wheelbarrow, which is mostly utilized on the ground level for small projects
things like road construction. One drawback of this method is that segregation may
occur if concrete is delivered over a long distance on rough routes, hence the
uniformity of the concrete will be disrupted.
2. Crane, Buckets, Ropeway and Bucket method, this approach is commonly
utilized in large projects. It is utilized in high-rise constructions to carry concrete mix
vertically and horizontally. When carrying out this sort of transportation, the most
important thing to remember is to pour the concrete mix from the lowest feasible
height.
3. Dumpers and Belt Conveyor Method, which is used to deliver concrete for
large-scale road projects and are effective in pouring concrete at ground level.
Problems that might occur while moving mix across long distances can be reduced
and prevented by using correct packaging and techniques. Because it is exposed
to air and the heat of the sun, the conveyor technique is at a significant risk of
segregation. It's only useful in locations where large equipment isn't available.
Another disadvantage of this method specifically the belt conveyor is that the
concrete might be over-exposed to the environment.
4. Chute and Skip Hoist Method, here, the chute technique has a slope of 1:2.5,
which implies that for every 1 vertical, there should be a 2.5 horizontal. This must
always be done for the concrete to flow smoothly. On the other hand, when carrying
mix vertically, the skip hoist technique is employed with a bucket attached to the
machine. It is recommended that the concrete be remixed before pouring due to
various difficulties that may emerge during transit.