Batching, Mixing, Transporting

and Handling Concrete

CEng 6102 Concrete Construction

MSc program in Construction Technology and Management

Civil and Urban Engineering Department

Institute of Technology
Hawassa University

First semester, 2017/18

Abebe Dinku, Prof. Dr.-Ing.

October 2017
Ordering Ready Mixed
Concrete
ASTM C 94

Specify:
• Coarse aggregate size
• Slump
• Air content
• Basis for proportioning,
select Options A, B, or C.
Ordering Ready Mixed
Concrete
ASTM C 94

Option A—performance based:

Purchaser specifies:
• Compressive strength

Concrete producer selects mix

proportions.
 Ordering Ready Mixed
Concrete
ASTM C 94

Option B—prescription based:

Purchaser specifies mixture

proportions including:
• Cement content
• Water content
• Admixture type and content
 Ordering Ready Mixed
Concrete
ASTM C 94
Option C—mixed option:

Purchaser specifies:
• Compressive strength
• Cement content
• Admixture type and content

Concrete producer selects mix

proportions.
Batching
Stationary Mixing
• Stationary Mixers
– Onsite or Central Mix R/M
plant
– Used for complete or shrink
mixing
• Mixer Types ― up to 9m3
– Tilting or non-tilting drum
– Open top revolving blade or
paddle
• Typical complete mixing times
– Minimum of 1 min. for up to 1
yd3 or less mixer capacity plus
15 sec. for each additional yd3
or fraction thereof
Ready Mixed Concrete
• Shrink-mixed
concrete
– mixed partially in a
stationary mixer and
completed in a truck
mixer
• Truck-mixed concrete
– mixed completely in a
truck mixer
Ready Mixed Concrete
• Central-mixed
concrete
– mixed completely in a
stationary mixer
– delivered in
• a truck agitator
• a truck mixer
operating at agitating
speed
• a non agitating truck
Ready Mix Plant
Truck Mixed Concrete
ASTM C 94
 70 to 100 revolutions required for mixing,
mixing speed = 6 to 18 rpm

 After mixing, drum revolves at agitating

speed, 2 to 6 rpm

 Discharge before exceeding 300 drum

revolutions

 Discharge before 1½ hours

Mobile Batcher Mixer
 Used for: Intermittent
production of concrete at
jobsite, or small quantities.

 Advantages: Combined
materials transporter and
batching and mixing system.
One-man operation.

 Watch for: Good preventive

maintenance program.
Materials must be identical
to those in original mix
Nonagitating Truck
 Used for: Transport
concrete on short hauls over
smooth roadways.

 Advantages: Cost of
nonagitating equipment is
lower than that of truck
agitators or mixers.

 Watch for: Slump should be

limited. Possibility of
segregation. Height upon
discharge is needed.
Agitator Trucks
 Used for: Transporting concrete for
all uses. Haul distances must allow
discharge of concrete within 1½ hours.

 Advantages: Operate usually from

central mixing plants.

 Watch for: Timing of deliveries should

suit job organization. Concrete crew
and equipment must be ready onsite to
handle concrete.
 Remixing Concrete (1)
ASTM C 94 (AASHTO M 157)
Water may be added at jobsite provided:
• Spec. w/c-ratio is not exceeded
• Measured slump less than specified
• Allowable mixing and agitating time (or
drum revolutions) are not exceeded
• Concrete is remixed
– min. 30 rev. at mixing speed
– until uniformity is within limits
Transporting and
Handling
Wheelbarrows and Buggies
• Used for: Short flat hauls
on all types of onsite
concrete construction.

• Advantages: Versatile—
ideal inside and on jobsites
with changing placing
conditions.

• Watch for: Slow and labor

intensive.
Transporting and
Handling
Belt conveyor
• Used for: Conveying
concrete horizontally or
higher/lower level.
• Advantages: Adjustable
reach, traveling diverter,
variable speed.
• Watch for: End-discharge
arrangements needed to
prevent segregation and
mortar on return belt. Belt
cover needed in hot and
windy weather.
Transporting and Handling
Truck mounted conveyors
• Used for: Conveying
concrete horizontally or
higher/lower level.
• Advantages: Conveyer
arrives with concrete.
Adjustable reach and
variable speed.
• Watch for: End-discharge
arrangements needed to
prevent segregation and
mortar on return belt. Belt
cover needed in hot and
windy weather.
Transporting and Handling
Buckets
• Used with: Cranes,
cableways, and helicopters.
• Advantages: Enables full
versatility of cranes,
cableways, and helicopters to
be exploited. Clean discharge.
• Watch for: Select bucket
capacity to conform to size
of the concrete batch and
capacity of placing
equipment.
Transporting and Handling
Transporting and Handling
Cranes and Buckets
• Used for: Work above
ground level.
• Advantages: Can handle
concrete, reinforcing
steel, formwork, and
sundry items.
• Watch for: Has only one
hook. Careful scheduling
between trades and
operations is needed to
keep crane busy
Transporting and Handling
Pumps
 Used for: Conveying concrete
from central discharge point to
formwork.

 Advantages: Pipelines take up

little space and can be readily
extended. Delivers concrete in
continuous stream. Pump can move.

 Watch for: Constant supply of

freshly-mixed concrete is needed
without any tendency to segregate.
Transporting and Handling
Flexible Hose at End of Pump’s Rigid Pipeline
Transporting and Handling
Screw Spreaders

 Used for: Spreading

concrete over large flat
areas.
 Advantages: Concrete can be
quickly spread over a wide
area to a uniform depth.
 Watch for: They are
normally used as part of a
paving train. They should be
used for spreading before
vibration is applied.
Transporting and Handling
Typical concreting
operations around Addis
Ababa!
Batching!
Placing and compacting concrete!
Transporting concrete
Appropriate incentive is important!
Concrete casting practices

Selected experiences in the USA,

Saudi Arabia,
Ethiopia (Renaissance dam. Addis, …
….
Orlando Health Inc. on Dec. 14 began pouring the
foundation for its $297 million expansion project.
 The foundation, which will finish hardening in 56 days, will
support the 11-story, 190-bed, 345,000-square-foot patient
tower at Orlando Health's downtown campus.
A 100-man construction crew spent eight hours
Dec. 14, 2012 laying 2,400 cubic yards of concrete.
Four concrete pumps were set up to continuously
pour the concrete.
It took 240 trucks worth of concrete, each with about
10 cubic yards of concrete, to lay the foundation.
 Some points to discuss and consider!

• What do we learn from modern concreting

practices?
• Do we have “correct” mix design procedure in
Ethiopia?
• Visit any construction site where concrete is
batched, mixed, transported, placed and cured, and
comment on the overall practice of concrete
production.
• What should be the role of supervising
engineer in the effort to produce good quality
concrete?
• Could Ready mix concrete be a solution for our
problem? Comment on it!
Thank you!!!