INTRODUCTION

Ready-mix concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered to a work site, by truck mounted transit mixers . This results in a precise mixture, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites. The first ready-mix factory was built in the 193 s, but the industry did not begin to expand significantly until the 19! s, and it has continued to grow since then. "eady-mix concrete is sometimes preferred over on-site concrete mixing because of the precision of the mixture and reduced work site confusion. #owever, using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces flexibility, both in the supply chain and in the actual components of the concrete. The leading ready-mix concrete supplier worldwide is the $exican concrete company %emex& its main competitor is 'rance-based (afarge "eady $ixed %oncrete is also referred as the customi)ed concrete products for commercial purpose. the "eady-mix %oncrete %ompany offer different concrete according to user*s mix design or industrial standard. The "eady mixed concrete company is re+uired to e+uip themselves with up-to-date e+uipments, such as transit mixer, concrete pump, and %oncrete ,atching -lant, which needs visuali)ed production management software and also -(% controller. "eady $ixed %oncrete, or "$% as it is popularly called, refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for delivery to the customer*s construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened state. %oncrete itself is a mixture of -ortland cement, water and aggregates comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone. .n traditional work sites, each of these materials is procured separately and mixed in specified proportions at site to make concrete. "eady $ixed %oncrete is bought and sold by volume - usually expressed in cubic meters. "$% can be custommade to suit different applications. "eady $ixed %oncrete is manufactured under computercontrolled operations and transported and placed at site using sophisticated e+uipment and methods. "$% assures its customers numerous benefits.

Production of Ready Mixed Concrete

A. Transit Mixed (or "truck-mixed") Concrete .n transit-mixed concrete, also called truck mixed or dry-batched, all of the raw ingredients are charged directly in the truck mixer. $ost or all water is usually batched at the plant. The mixer drum is turned at charging /fast0 speed during the loading of the materials. There are three options for truck mixed concrete1

Concrete mixed at the job site. 2hile travelling to the 3ob site the drum is turned at agitating speed /slow speed0. 4fter arriving at the 3ob site, the concrete is completely mixed. The drum is then turned for 5 to 1 mixing speed. revolutions, or about five minutes, at

Concrete mixed in the yard. The drum is turned at high speed or 16-17 rpm for 7 revolutions. This allows a +uick check of the batch. The concrete is then agitated slowly while driving to the 3ob site.

Concrete mixed in transit. The drum is turned at medium speed or about 8 rpm for 5 revolutions while driving to the 3ob site. The drum is then slowed to agitating speed. /$ore information on ready mixed concrete trucks can be found in the 9elivery section.0

B. Shrink Mixed %oncrete that is partially mixed in a !ant mixer and then discharged into the drum of the truck mixer for completion of the mixing is called shrink mixed concrete. %entral mixing plants that include a stationary, plant-mounted mixer are often actually used to shrink mix, or partially mix the concrete. The amount of mixing that is needed in the truck mixer varies in these applications and should be determined via mixer uniformity tests. :enerally, about thirty turns in

the truck drum, or about two minutes at mixing speed, is sufficient to completely mix shrinkmixed concrete.

C. Central Mixed Concrete %entral-mixing concrete batch !ants include a stationary, !ant-mounted mixer that mixes the concrete before it is discharged into a truck mixer. %entral-mix plants are sometimes referred to as wet batch or pre-mix plants. The truck mixer is used primarily as an agitating haul unit at a central mix operation. 9ump trucks or other non-agitating units are sometimes be used for low slump and mass concrete pours supplied by central mix plants. 4bout 6 ; of the concrete plants in the <= use a central mixer. -rincipal advantages include1

'aster production capability than a transit-mix plant .mproved concrete +uality control and consistency and "educed wear on the truck mixer drums.

There are several types of plant mixers, including1

Tilt drum mixer #ori)ontal shaft paddle mixer 9ual shaft paddle mixer -an mixer =lurry mixer

The tilting drum mixer is the most common 4merican central mixing unit. $any central-mix drums can accommodate up to 16 yd3 and can mix in excess of 6 sub3ected to a heavy load. yd3 per hour. They are fast and efficient, but can be maintenance-intensive since they include several moving parts that are

#ori)ontal shaft mixers have a stationary shell and rotating central shaft with blades or paddles. They have either one or two mixing shafts that impart significantly higher horsepower in mixing than the typical drum mixer. The intensity of the mixing action is somewhat greater than that of the tilt drum mixer. This high energy is reported to produce higher strength concrete via to thoroughly blending the ingredients and more uniformly coating the aggregate particles with cement paste. ,ecause of the horsepower re+uired to mix and the short mixing cycle re+uired to complete mixing, many of these mixers are > or 7 yd3 units and two batches may be needed to load a standard truck or agitator. -an mixers are generally lower capacity mixers at about > to 7 yd3 and are used at precast concrete plants. "!urry Mixin# The slurry mixer is a relative newcomer to concrete mixing technology. .t can be added onto a dry-batch plant and works by mixing cement and water that is then loaded as slurry into a truck mixer along with the aggregates. .t is reported to benefit from high-energy mixing. 4nother advantage is that the slurry mixer reduces the amount of cement dust that escapes into the air. $Mix Mobi!es$ - Mobi!e %o!umetric Pro ortionin# P!ants ?$ix $obile? are truck-mounted, volumetric batching and continuous mixing units. These ?plants-on-wheels? often supply small-volume or specialty pours and offer the convenience of freshly mixed concrete in fairly precise +uantities. The unit consists of a truck with bins of sand, coarse aggregate, cement, water, and admixtures. The aggregate bins have longitudinal belts at the bottom of the sand, and as well as coarse aggregate bins that drag the aggregate to separate ad3ustable gates at the rear of the bin. The speed of the belts is connected to a feeder in a cement bin, and all three materials drop down into a mixer. 'low meters control the introduction of water and admixtures. P!ant "ty!es& etc. %oncrete batch plants come in a variety of styles and configurations designed to accommodate a variety of markets, technical and environmental considerations.

Portab!e P!ants .n general, they have a cement silo and an overhead bin for sand or one or two coarse aggregates. Permanent P!ants The plant operates from same location for a relatively long period of time. (arge +uantities of materials of greater variety are stored at the plant. The plant will tend to have larger overhead storage and may have two lanes to permit batching two trucks at the same time. -lants may be also classified as

'i#h rofi!e - The traditional stack up plant is a tall plant that has aggregate and cement storage bins that feed into batchers or weigh hoppers by gravity.

(o) rofi!e - The aggregate weigh hoppers are near the ground with belts to elevate the aggregate to load the mixer.

De!i*ery of Ready Mixed Concrete The Truck Mixer

2hile ready mixed concrete can be delivered to the point of placement in a variety of ways, the overwhelming ma3ority of it is brought to the construction site in truckmounted, rotating drum mixers. Truck mixers have a revolving drum with the axis inclined to the hori)ontal. .nside the shell of the mixer drum are a pair of blades or fins that wrap in a helical /spiral0 configuration from the head to the opening of the drum. This configuration enables the concrete to mix when the drum spins in one direction and causes it to discharge when the direction is reversed.

To load, or charge, raw materials from a transit mix plant or centrally mixed concrete into the truck, the drum must be turned very fast in the charging direction. 4fter the concrete is loaded and mixed, it is normally hauled to the 3ob site with the drum turning at a speed of less than 6 rpm.

=ince its inception in the mid-196 *s, the traditional truck-mixer has discharged concrete at the rear of the truck. 'ront discharge units, however, are rapidly becoming more popular with contractors. The driver of the front discharge truck can drive directly onto

the site and can mechanically control the positioning of the discharge chute without the help of contractor personnel. %urrently, because of weight laws, the typical truck mixer is a 9 to 11 yd3 unit. The drums are designed with a rated maximum capacity of !3; of the gross drum volume as a mixer and 8 ; of the drum volume as an agitator. :enerally, ready mixed concrete producers, load their trucks with a +uantity at or near the rated mixer capacity. 'resh concrete is a perishable product that may undergo slump loss depending on temperature, time to the delivery point on the 3ob site, and other factors.

2ater should not to be added to the mix unless the slump is less than that which is specified. .f water is added, it should be added all at once and the drum of the truck mixer should be turned minimum of 3 revolutions, or about two minutes, at mixing speed.

The 4=T$ % 9>, =pecification for "eady $ixed %oncrete, indicates that the concrete shall be discharged on the 3ob site within 9 minutes and before 3 conditions permit. revolutions after water was added to the cement. The purchaser may waive this re+uirement, when

.n certain situations, air-entraining, water reducing, set-retarding or high-range water reducing admixtures may need to be added to concrete prior to discharge to compensate for loss of air, high temperatures or long delivery times. The ready mixed concrete producer will assist the purchaser in such circumstances.

Ins ection and Testin# of Ready Mixed Concrete %oncrete is a manufactured product. =pecific control tests and evaluations are re+uired during the manufacturing process to produce predictable high-+uality concrete. The customer may want to verify that concrete meets specifications. =ome of the important properties of concrete that are measured by basic +uality control tests are strength, temperature, slump, air content, and unit weight. .n general concrete is tested at a fre+uency of 1 in 17 cubic yards. @ach test helps to determine the +uality of concrete and it should be performed in accordance

with 4merican =ociety for Testing and $aterials /4=T$0 standards. 4 certified 4%. %oncrete 'ield Testing Technician A :rade ., must make the tests. 2hen there are no formal 3ob specifications, such as with a homeowner or small contractor, it is important for the concrete producer to agree to furnish concrete in accordance with 4=T$ % 9> or at least certain critical sections of 4=T$ % 9>. This reference should also be included on the delivery ticket. 4=T$ % 9> includes a number of things that should be a part of any agreement between the producer and a purchaser. =ome of them are1 1. 9efine the basis of purchase, cubic yards, and how it is measured. 6. 9efine acceptable material specifications and acceptable industry practice and tolerances. 3. 9efine strength testing procedures and acceptance criteria. >. =et laboratory personnel +ualifications. The testing laboratory must comply with 4=T$ % 1 55, which is re+uired in 4=T$ % 9>. "eady-mixed concrete is often remixed once it arrives at the 3obsite to ensure that the proper slump is obtained. #owever, concrete that has been remixed tends to set more rapidly than concrete mixed only once. $aterials, such as water and some varieties of admixtures, are often added to the concrete at the 3obsite after it has been batched to ensure that the specified properties are attained before placement. "ta#e +, Production "aw materials, sand, gravel and cement are transported to the concrete plant by truck. %ertain materials, such as inert aggregates, are typically stored outdoors in stockpiles. $oisturesensitive materials, such as cement and flyash, may be stored in high-capacity silos. 4s the materials are needed, they are transported by conveyor to large storage bins at the top of the block plant. The ready mixed concrete producer may independently select the material proportions to provide the performance you need or may receive instructions through the 3ob specifications, such as minimum cement content, air content, slump, maximum si)e of aggregate, strength, and
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others. The "$% producer is the expert in selecting the proportions based on previously developed guidelines and experience. "egardless of the source of instructions, there are established methods for selecting the proportions for concrete for each batch. The Standard Practice for Selecting Proportions for Normal, Heavyweight, and Mass Concrete (ACI !!"!#$!% published by the 4merican %oncrete .nstitute %ommittee 611 is often referenced for selecting concrete proportions. #ere are the basics of a good concrete mix1

%ement and water combine chemically to bind the sand and aggregate together. 'ly ash or other cementitious materials, which enhance concrete properties may supplement some of the cement. The key to +uality concrete is to use the least amount of water that can result in a mixture that can be easily placed, consolidated and finished.

'ine and coarse aggregates make up about 5 ; of the concrete volume and impart volume stability to the concrete. %oncrete aggregates are re+uired to meet appropriate specifications and in general should be clean, strong and durable.

4dmixtures, are generally products used in relatively small +uantities to improve the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. They are used to modify the rate of setting and strength development of concrete, especially during hot and cold weather. The most common is an air-entraining agent that develops millions of tiny air bubbles in concrete, which imparts durability to concrete in free)ing and thawing exposure. 2ater reducing admixtures enable concrete to be placed at the re+uired consistency while minimi)ing the water used in the mixture, thereby increasing strength and improving durability. 4 variety of fibers are incorporated in concrete to control cracking or improve abrasion and impact resistance.

"ta#e -, .atchin# / Mixin# 4t the start of production, dry materials from the upper storage bins are discharged into the plant*s stationary central mixer. The proportion of materials in the mix is custom-designed to meet the specifications for each pro3ect. -roportioning is controlled by computer to ensure
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+uality control. The customer typically works with the ready-mixed concrete producer to determine characteristics such as aggregate si)e, slump, air content, and strength based on the intended use. Typical composition by volume is about 1 -17; cement, ! -57; aggregates, and 17-6 ; water. @ntrained air bubbles may also account for 7-8;. <sing less water generally results in a higher +uality concrete. "ta#e 0, Trans ortation 4fter mixing is complete, the mixture is discharged into a truck-mounted, rotating drum mixer. "otating-drum truck mixers typically have a capacity of 9-11 cubic yards and discharge the concrete from the rear. ,ecause slump loss can occur during transit, it is re+uired that the concrete be discharged on the 3ob site within 9 minutes or before 3 revolutions after the addition of water to the cement. 4dmixtures may be added to the concrete mix in situations of extreme temperature or long delivery times. Types of admixtures include air-entraining agents, water-reducing agents, and set-retarding agents. Behicle maintenance is extremely important for ensuring safe and efficient transport of concrete products. %oncrete plants typically include a full service garage to maintain their fleet of trucks. 1d*anta#es of Ready mix Concrete o*er "ite mix Concrete

4 centralised concrete batching plant can serve a wide area. The plants are located in areas )oned for industrial use, and yet the delivery trucks can service residential districts or inner cities.

,etter +uality concrete is produced. @limination of storage space for basic materials at site. @limination of procurement C hiring of plant and machinery 2astage of basic materials is avoided. (abor associated with production of concrete is eliminated. Time re+uired is greatly reduced. Doise and dust pollution at site is reduced.
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"educe cost.

Disad*anta#es of Ready-Mix Concrete

The materials are batched at a central plant, and the mixing begins at that plant, so the traveling time from the plant to the site is critical over longer distances. =ome sites are 3ust too far away, though this is usually a commercial rather than technical issue.

:eneration of additional road traffic& furthermore, access roads, and site access have to be able to carry the weight of the truck and load. %oncrete is approx. 6.7tonne per mE. This problem can be overcome by utili)ing so-called *minimix* companies, using smaller >mE capacity mixers able to access more restricted sites.

%oncrete*s limited timespan between mixing and going-off means that readymix should be placed within 9 minutes of batching at the plant.

$odern additives modify precisely that timespan however, the amount of additive added to the mix is very important.

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CONC(U"ION
$ore workable concrete can be produced. %oncrete can be easily transported to long distances through the transit truck. ,etter +uality concrete can be produced by this process. 2astage of materials is avoided..t is very cost effective method.

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