Volumetric Concrete Mixers
Our towns and cities are largely created from a basic mix of sand, gravel or aggregates, cement, and water, otherwise known as concrete. Given the wide range of uses to which concrete is put – roads, buildings, footpaths, foundations – different mixes are required for different kinds of construction.
The relative volume of water and cement in a concrete mix will determine its durability, strength, workability, and resistance to heat. Volumetric concrete mixers are designed to deliver the widest range of different concrete mixes as efficiently as possible.
The Origin of Volumetric Trucks
Volumetric concrete mixers were introduced in the 1960s in response to a growth in demand for mix on site concrete from the construction industry. The challenge was to deliver a range of different concrete batches, freshly made, without delay. The design solution was to transport the raw materials, and mix the concrete batches to order, on site.
Volumetric concrete is mixed by volume, rather than weight, making it the ideal solution for mixed batch requirements. By contrast, ready-mixed concrete is manufactured in advance at a batch plant, and then transported in an agitator truck to the construction site.
How Do Volumetric Concrete Mixers Work?
Once a volumetric concrete mixer arrives, our customers are instantly equipped with a mobile concrete batching plant on site. The truck is filled with all the raw ingredients to make the concrete mixes required. They are kept separate whilst being transported and are then mixed together once the truck is in position.
Our Custom Concrete calculator helps customers to order the exact ingredients they need for the mixes they require. The result is ultra-fresh site mixed concrete in batches that produce the exact mix and amount of concrete required. There is no waste produced in the process.
How is the Volumetric Concrete Made?
The technical design of a volumetric concrete mixers allows for the production of a range of mixes that can be used for large, medium, or small-scale projects. Here is how it works:
- The Mix. The control panel on the truck is calibrated and programmed with all the mix designs required. The Custom Concrete operator will scroll through the menu to find the mix design that has been ordered.
- Ingredients. The control panel on the truck displays the required settings for the water, cement, and aggregate. The operator adjusts the truck settings, and you can prepare to pour concrete.
- Mixing the Concrete. The mixing is done in the auger which is at the back of the truck. The operator starts the process, and the central conveyor brings forward the aggregate, this automatically feeds cement and water into the auger. The fresh concrete produced is mixed to your exact requirements.
- Repeat as Necessary. Once the pour is complete, the process can be repeated for different mixes as many times as necessary.
FAQs
Custom Concrete has a fleet of concrete mixers, each of which carries up to 8.5m³. Our 8 wheeled trucks are 10 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 4 metres high.
We use CEM-II eco-cement which minimises the carbon footprint of traditional cement production. The mobile batching plant minimises delivery journeys and pre-ordering using the Custom Calculator eliminates waste. Volumetric mixers require far less water for washing down than the agitator trucks that carry ready-mixed concrete.
Custom Concrete hires out Line Pumps, or Boom Pumps if you need to reach over obstacles or pour from above.
No. We don’t charge a surcharge on smaller orders, and we are happy to deliver for any size of job. Our priority is to ensure that our customers get exactly the amount of concrete they need, and that waste is eradicated.
Working With Custom Concrete
The Custom Concrete team care about getting things right for clients. For this reason, our customer service specialists are always available to offer advice and guidance when you order. Technical advice is available upon request. Our volumetric concrete trucks are 10 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 4 metres high. They have a good reach but if you need line or boom pumps, we provide concrete pump hire.
Would you like to order volumetric concrete from Custom Concrete? Book a slot today by calling today on 01525 861899, or by contacting us online.