TYPES AND ADVANTAGES OF USING READY MIX CONCRETE

Concrete is a popular construction material made from cement, water, and aggregates.

And there are two varieties of concrete used in the construction industry- the ready mix and the site-mixed concrete.

In this article, you’ll find the types and advantages of ready-mixed concrete.

First…

What Is Ready Mix Concrete?

Ready-mix concrete is concrete manufactured in a batching plant according to specifications, then transported to the work site  “ready to use ” in a transit mixer mounted over a truck and delivered in an unhardened or plastic state.

On the other hand, site mix concrete involves volumetric preparation of concrete at the construction site where you’ll need a concrete mobile mixer. The components are batched based on mix ratios to achieve the specified strength.

Ready mix concrete relies on automation to monitor batching, water-cement ratio, and even admixture dosage with high precision to produce concrete that meets the client’s requirement. In contrast, site mix concrete relies on formulas and workers’ meticulousness with the ingredient proportion to produce consistent-quality concrete.

Companies like PumpWright provide clients with ready-mix concrete to their desired specifications sold by volume measured in cubic meters.

Types of Ready Mix Concrete

Now, let’s look at the three types of ready mix concrete.

• Transit Mixed Concrete

Transit mixed concrete is also known as dry-batched concrete since all the basic ingredients are put directly into the truck mixer.

The mixer drum revolves fast while charging the material into it and continues at a normal speed afterwards. 

And there are about 3 possible variations of the transit mixed concrete.

• Concrete Mixed At Site

Here, the drum revolves at a slow speed of 2rpm during transport to the site, then an increased speed of around 12-15 rpm after getting to the site to achieve homogeneity before discharging.

• Concrete Mixed At Site

Here, the drum revolves at a slow speed of 2rpm during transport to the site, then an increased speed of around 12-15 rpm after getting to the site to achieve homogeneity before discharging.

• Concrete Mixed In Transit

The drum revolves at a moderate speed of 8rpm during transport to the site, then slows down to a speed of 2rpm after getting to the site till it is discharged.

• Concrete Mixed In The Yard

The drum revolves at a high charging speed of 12-15 rpm in the yard and then agitated slowly during transit.

The other two types of ready mix concrete are…

• Shrink Mixed Concrete

The concrete is mixed partly in the batching plant mixer, under the meticulous supervision of an expert concrete contractor, and the final mixing is done in the mixer truck’s drum during transit. With the guidance of an expert concrete contractor, the quality and consistency of the concrete mixture are ensured throughout the process, resulting in durable and reliable construction materials.

The amount of agitation depends on the level of mixing achieved in the batching plant mixer.

• Central Mixed Concrete

All the mixing is done in the central batching plant before loading it into the truck mixer.

The mixer of the truck only agitates it, and it’s commonly used where workability needs are low. 

Now let’s look at the benefits of using ready mix concrete in your project.

Advantages of Ready Mix Concrete

• Cuts Down Construction Costs And Time

Ready mix concrete is produced to suit the client’s specifications at a plant and delivered to the site rather than mixed onsite.

This means work can proceed faster since there’s no lag due to waiting for concrete to be mixed. And fewer steps are involved in discharging ready mix concrete into formwork.

Also, since ready mix concrete is produced in a controlled environment ( i.e the batching plant), precise measurements are used, which lowers wastage, and in turn, less money is spent on materials. 

Not to forget that you escape storing materials on site- storage costs are removed. And also, you incur less labor cost because you need manpower for only casting.

• Quality Controlled

When concrete is mixed onsite, there’s a lot of room for human error, which can make it difficult to guarantee the mix quality. Using low-quality concrete puts the integrity of a structure at risk. 

Also, homogeneity is rarely achieved in onsite mixing. But in ready mix concrete, mixing is done in a plant environment which makes the variation in batches minimal. This helps the quality of ready mix concrete. 

• Eco-friendly

Ready mix concrete is eco-friendly. 

Because it is produced using computerized systems that follow the mix ratio with precision; therefore there’s less waste of materials and energy.

Also, bulk cement is used rather than bag cement. This reduces the amount of dust released when making ready mix concrete.

Bagged cement is used in onsite mixing, which produces clouds of dust that pollute the atmosphere.

All of these reduce the environmental impact of ready mix concrete.

• Custom Made

You get what you ordered.

Each client gives a ready-mix concrete supplier like PumpWright the specification of the concrete they need- and that’s what they get.

Looking To Buy Ready Mix Concrete in Bristol, Bath And Surrounding Areas?

PumpWright can supply you with custom-made ready mix concrete for your large commercial and even smaller DIY projects. With a wide range of concrete pump hire options.