May. 26, 2025
Automobiles & Motorcycles
Concrete is the primary element when it comes to building construction works and it is important to make sure of its quality and on-time delivery for any and every building project. So, keeping the same in mind, cement mixer trucks play an essential role as they serve as the tools that blend and transport concrete from ready mix concrete plants to construction sites all at the same time.
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A concrete mixer truck comes with a rotating drum that mixes the ingredients of the concrete like cement, sand, aggregates, and water, as it moves along the road while the truck is in motion. The continued mixing helps the concrete not to set prematurely and simultaneously maintains the correct concrete mix ratio. When it arrives at the construction project site, the truck can pour out the fresh mix directly into the area where it is required thereby ensuring that the concrete is ready for use immediately.
There are several types of concrete mixers and you can get to know about them in this article. But these different types cement mixers are divided into two broad categories which are Batch Mixers and Continuous Mixers. So let us give you a brief about them.
Batch Mixer
A Concrete Batch Mixer mixes a specific quantity of concrete at a time. It consists of a drum or container to which all the ingredients such as cement, sand, water, etc., are added in a predetermined order. It is the best choice for small to medium-sized building projects where the demand for concrete is not of high quantity.
Continuous Mixer
Continuous Mixer is used in the construction industry to mix concrete or other construction materials. In this type of concrete mixer the materials are continuously fed into the mixing chamber from one side and the result, which is the mixed material gets discharged continuously from the other side. This process helps produce large volumes of mixed material quickly and efficiently.
Maintaining concrete consistency over long distances is crucial to prevent premature setting or segregation of materials. Some key factors that help in this process are:
Constant Drum Rotation at a controlled speed to keep the mix homogeneous and prevent setting.
Use of Retarders to slow down the hydration process, extending the workability time of the concrete.
Temperature Control
Moisture Control
Truck Load Optimization to allow sufficient space for mixing without segregation.
Delays can be problematic because concrete starts to set once mixed. Here’s how issues are managed:
Revolving the Drum to keep the concrete workable for an extended time.
Addition of Superplasticizers to restore workability without affecting the mix ratio.
Re-Tempering carefully to avoid compromising strength and restore workability.
Dumping and Recycling as per the state of the concrete whether it is usable or not.
Use of Alternative Equipment for example a volumetric mixer instead of a drum mixer when needed.
Traditional on-site mixing relies on labor involvement and is also uneven. But when you have concrete mixer trucks, they can bring you numerous benefits such as:
Consistency: The automated mixing process will result in uniform concrete mix ratio, which therefore leads to greater structural integrity.
Efficiency: These trucks completely cut away the need for mixing on-site as they already transport the ready-mixed concrete thereby saving a lot of time and also the cost of labor.
Quality Control: Mixing of concrete in a controlled environment such as that which is found in a ready mix concrete plant will ensure better quality and adherence to certain specifications on the project.
Time is a very important factor when it comes to construction and delays in delivery of concrete can pause progress and increase costs at the same time. Cement mixer trucks ensure that concrete arrives on-site right at the mentioned time, thus maintaining the schedule of the building project. Moreover, by providing the exact amount of concrete needed, they reduce waste and expenses related to excess material.
The choice of ready mix concrete supplier is considered the most decisive factor in most construction projects' success. To determine a proper supplier, various factors need consideration, such as the supplier's track record of supplying quality and reliable materials in a timely delivery schedule. Collaborating with such a supplier gives assurance that only standard-quality concrete will be provided, which reflects the overall efficient nature of a project.
Cement mixer trucks are really profitable in the construction industry because they ensure that high-quality concrete is delivered to where and when it is most needed. Besides that, their ability to maintain the consistency of the ideal concrete mix ratio and deliver fresh concrete on time makes them very necessary elements in any construction site.
For a construction project that demands excellence in concrete quality and delivery, consider consulting Bangur Cement. As a leading ready mix concrete supplier, Bangur Cement is committed to providing top-tier materials and services to meet your construction needs.
Drum rotation prevents concrete from settling or hardening by continuously mixing it at a controlled speed (2-6 RPM). This keeps the mix homogeneous, ensuring that the concrete remains workable until it reaches the construction site.
If concrete starts setting beyond a workable state, it can no longer be poured. In such cases, it is either dumped in a designated area or repurposed for non-structural uses, such as filling voids or making precast blocks to minimize waste.
Most construction equipment is easy to understand. Cranes move things up and down. Dump trucks load up, move out and unload. Bulldozers push and graders grade. The one exception to this is the humble cement mixer, beloved by children, hated by in-a-hurry drivers, and misunderstood by most people outside the cab of the 30,000-pound (13,608-kilogram) behemoths.
While concrete has been around in one form or another since before the Romans built the Appian Way, the transit mixer is a child of the 20th century. But recent invention or not, the mixer is here to stay.
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The misunderstanding begins with the name. What people refer to as a cement mixer is known in the construction industry as a concrete mixer and comes in a large number of types, sizes and configurations to handle the many tasks set before it each day. That need to fill so many roles means the machine is dynamic, changing shape and form as the needs of the people using concrete change as well.
In this article we'll examine some of the major types of mixers, from the traditional drum-shaped ready-mix transit mixer to the less-common but growing in popularity volumetric mixer, essentially a concrete plant on wheels. How cement mixers work and why they work the way they do is a fascinating combination of old and new technology. You'll never see a cement mixer the same way again.
But before we begin, let's clarify the difference between cement and concrete. In baking terms, the difference between concrete and cement is the difference between flour and a loaf of bread. Concrete is a generic term for a mix of aggregate -- usually stone or gravel, water and cement. Modern cement is a complex blend of finely ground minerals, and goes by the generic name of "portland." Concrete is made by combining the three ingredients in a mixer, whether that mixer is stationary or driving down the road, and the water is absorbed by the cement, which then binds the aggregate together, creating concrete.
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Stephen Stepanian developed and applied to patent the first motorized transit mixer in , in an effort to replace the horse-drawn concrete mixer used at the time. Wooden paddles churned the mixture as the cart wheels turned, but the design was of limited use -- it was cumbersome and slow. The same, however, could be said of the engines and trucks during that period. But by the s, engines and truck-frame construction caught up to the need for a rugged vehicle capable of hauling thousands of pounds of wet, or unset, concrete. As the building boom following World War II went into full swing, mixer trucks came into their own.
The large drum mixer seen on roads today hasn't changed much from Stepanian's vision of a better concrete hauler. Mobile transit mixers are a mix-and-match selection of engine, truck frame and rotating mixer. The mixer is similar, though larger in scale, than the smaller ones found on construction sites. A large motor, separate from the engine, rotates the drum on the truck body, and a series of blades or a screw powered by the same motor keeps the aggregate, water and cement in constant motion. This keeps the premixed concrete from setting, though the clock is often ticking to get the load to the construction site, road section or parking lot. Most cement manufacturers suggest keeping the time between mixing and pouring to 90 minutes at most. It's even better to get it to the site in less than an hour.
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As technology has changed, so has the basic mixer design. While many transit mixers still have rotating drums, most don't simply pick up a load of wet cement and transport it. The few that still do head mostly to road sites where it's possible to pour the mixture immediately.
Most transit mixers have a separate water tank in the truck. The spinning drum keeps the dry ingredients, aggregate and cement mixing during most of the trip. When the driver is within a few miles of the site, water is added to create concrete fresh for delivery.
This is considered "batch" delivery of ready-mixed concrete, mixing ingredients off site and trucking them where they're needed. Advances in technology have made it possible to mix concrete at the job site, though transit mixers are still the workhorse of the field.
Volumetric and metered mixers are becoming more common. Both types are essentially on-site custom concrete plants. Separate holding tanks of aggregate, cement and water are contained in one truck with a computer hooked to augers and pumps. At the site, the customer can order a specific type of concrete (there are more than a dozen) that can be mixed by the truck.
Volumetric and metered mixers are often used during high-rise construction and can be paired with pumper trucks to deliver concrete more than 15 stories above the ground.
The Concrete PastSome form of concrete -- the mix of a binder, aggregate and water -- has existed since the dynasties of the Egyptian pharaohs when water, sand and lime were mixed to use as mortar in building sections of the pyramids. Romans also used a form of concrete in constructing their aqueducts, the Coliseum and other major constructions. Scientists in the s began experimenting and perfecting hydraulic cement, which is what the construction industry still uses today. The name for portland cement came from the Isle of Portland, off the English coast, where deposits of the mineral components used in modern concrete were first found and chemically isolated. By , Thomas Edison was experimenting with building pre-cast concrete houses in Union, N.J. Most of those houses are still standing and being used. Then there are the famed Hoover and Grand Coulee dams, built in , that stand among the wonders of the world.
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While concrete comes in bewildering array of types, one thing is certain -- it's heavy. A large batch of concrete can weigh more than 30,000 pounds (13,608 kilograms), not counting the weight of the truck itself, anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds (4,536 to 13,608 kilograms). For a truck to haul that weight, it has to be powerful. And to get that load over the rough terrain of a construction site, the truck has to be tough.
The trucks come in three separate parts -- engine, frame and mixer. Most truck companies provide the engine and frame, with amenities ranging from sleeper cab to computer navigation. The mixer, or volumetric plant, is added on at a later time. The mix-and-match approach to building trucks is aimed at giving a company -- spending anywhere from $30,000 to more than $100,000 -- a new truck built to order. Each company has specific wants and needs and requires a truck tailored to those. For example, some may need a truck with a heavier engine and a lighter drum, which could be removed at a later time and turned into a trash hauler with a few modifications.
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Most truck engines range from 250 to 300 horsepower, depending on the application. Some companies offer engines with more than 400 horsepower. Horsepower is a measure of power, an engine's "oomph," in other words. The "oomph" is usually supplied by a diesel engine, most commonly manufactured by Cummins or Caterpillar. Diesel engines produce more torque at lower engine RPM than a similar gas engine, making them ideal for low-speed, high-power applications like towing or hauling. Diesels are also preferred for their longevity -- many can go for a million miles (1,609,000 kilometers) or more with routine maintenance -- as well as their ruggedness.
Unlike gas engines, diesel engines operate using compression ignition and require a heavy engine block to withstand the tremendous forces at play inside them. That same compression ignition means the engine function with a higher compression ratio within the cylinders, thereby producing more power. That power is translated to torque, or rotational power, through special gearing in the transmission -- mixers have anywhere from 7 to 18 gears and can be manual or automatic, and differentials.
Most concrete trucks produce anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 foot-pounds of torque. What this means, in layman's terms, is a concrete truck will never beat a street car at a quarter-mile race, but it will be able to break through the concrete crash barrier at the end without a blip in engine RPM and keep going.
Gas engines develop torque at higher RPM than diesel engines. Anyone who has ever towed a boat or trailer behind a gas-powered vehicle has experienced the need to press the gas pedal to make it up a hill. Diesel engines, because of their design, actually produce better torque at lower revolutions per minute. So slowing on a hill actually provides more torque.
But even a truck with the most power and torque can't control a 60,000-plus-pound load with ease. That's where the truck's axles come in, and these play a larger role than simply keeping the wheels and tires in their correct places.
Most of the newer trucks are equipped with live axles. Live axles are generally non-drive axles and are equipped with air brakes. Those brakes can be used to help steer the truck. There are usually at least three axles behind the cab, though some larger volumetric mixers can have up to six. Some of those axles are lifted and lowered to help distribute the weight of the truck and load.
The defining factor in truck type is a given state's bridge laws. Each state puts bridge crossing weight restrictions on construction vehicles. Contractors who break those laws face fines and penalties, and each state has different legal requirements, including many that require a bridge axle, or an extra axle off the back of the truck used to further distribute weight when making crossings.
Mixing with Pop CultureThe rumbling and grumbling of mixer trucks, with the seeming magic of pouring cement, has led the machine to play a role in several children's shows and become popular toys. Perhaps the most notable mixer truck is Tumbler, a yellow and green truck featured on the "Bob the Builder" series. Patrick, another transit mixer, made a brief appearance in the "Thomas and Friends" videos, based on the Thomas the Tank Engine character, claiming he was the most important piece of equipment at the construction site. The machines learn they all need to work together to get the job done and one isn't more important than the other.
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All mixers leverage power,torque and weight distribution to get the concrete to the site, but getting it out of the truck is where you'll see differences in truck designs.
Most of the mixer fleet, especially older batch model trucks, uses a simple tip-and-pour method to get the concrete out of the mixer. A chute attaches to a port and the concrete oozes (or pours, depending on its consistency) out of the mixer to the project. Usually, the driver of the truck operates the machinery and aims the chute. Many transit mixers are coupled to a hydraulic lift bed that can tip up the drum, similar to a dump truck, if needed.
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Other trucks, many of them volumetric and the newer transit mixers, use a pump to move the concrete from the truck to the project. The pumps, usually reciprocating piston pumps, can be mounted on the front or the rear of the truck. Having the pump in front allows the driver to maneuver to a section of the work site and direct the concrete from inside the cab. The controls can be mechanical, electro-mechanical, hydraulic or purely electronic. Newer trucks are employing more on-board computers to monitor pumps and other components of the mixers.
Before the concrete is pumped or poured, a number of simpler machines act in concert to keep the concrete from setting, and even mix the concrete at the site. Some of the older portions of the fleet, like early mixers, used paddles to stir the concrete and keep it from "settling out," or separating into its component pieces. This technology has been largely replaced by the use of augers and fins. Inside a traditional batch mixer is a concentric series of fins with a slight corkscrew pattern. The direction of the drum's spin squishes the wet concrete into the back of the mixer. When the mixer arrives at the site, the driver reverses the direction of the machine to push it out of the mixer to the chute. From there, gravity does the rest.
Volumetric mixers use augers to move concrete. These are similar to the blades in the batch mixer but smaller. Inside the mixer, an operator feeds data into the mixer and several augers feed aggregate and cement together. Water is added to the mix and larger augers blend the components.
Archimedes' ScrewThe Greek mathematician, engineer and inventor Archimedes is credited with inventing a pump that used a long, helical screw rotating inside an enclosed tube to lift water from a source to where it was wanted. The screw pump is essentially an inclined plane, one of the simple machines, curled around a central axis. This idea led to the development of augers to move dry ingredients, and the fins set in a corkscrew shape to direct liquids. These machines are used extensively in the processing and mixing of concrete at plants and in volumetric mixers, as well as in traditional transit mixers.
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"Breaking up is hard to do" is more than a song lyric to concrete-truck owners. The simple truth of the matter is, once the last of the concrete trickles out of the drum or dribbles out of the pump, the truck isn't empty. A small amount of concrete always remains inside the truck, especially in drum mixers. You can wash the truck out, run water through the drum while it rotates and even pressure-wash the inside. But some concrete is always left. And it dries. The next trip a little more is left. And it dries. Over time, this becomes a problem, reducing the volume of the mixer and its capacity.
Several companies offer pre-treatments, chemical and acid baths and high-pressure washes for drums and interiors. But eventually, the concrete will build to a point where the only viable alternative is mechanical removal. Many smaller companies handle this on their own, sending in a worker with a jackhammer to chip out the hardened concrete. This job, largely unknown outside of the construction field, got its 15 minutes of fame during an episode of the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" series, which sent host Mike Rowe to work with Jim's Chipping Service, one of the few companies specializing in cleaning hardened concrete.These highly specialized vehicles are essential to the construction business and it doesn't look like they're going away any time soon. But what will cement mixers look like in the future? Read on to find out.
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These highly specialized vehicles are essential to the construction business and it doesn't look like they're going away any time soon. But what will cement mixers look like in the future? Read on to find out.
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