Concrete Plant Operation: A Step-By-Step Guide

Ready Mix Concrete is an aggregate composed of cement, water, sand, and stone mixed together at a factory according to an established recipe before being delivered directly to work sites by truck-mounted transit mixers. Ready Mixed Concrete can be found used extensively throughout construction projects for bridges, buildings, highways, sewerage systems, etc.

Ready mix concrete (RMC) is a widely-used building material composed of cement, water, sand, and stone mixed together and manufactured at a factory according to an established recipe before being transported directly to work sites by truck-mounted transit mixers for pouring. RMC can then be poured directly into forms or molds on site for construction projects like bridges, buildings, highways or sewerage systems, etc.

1. Concrete plants produce concrete by batching and mixing cement, water, aggregate, and admixtures together in precise proportions using weigh hoppers to measure out each component for each mix being created before sending these precise amounts directly into a mixer for thorough mixing.

After being prepared in batches, wet concrete mix is transported back to its batch plant where it will be loaded onto trucks for shipment to job sites. While transporting, its contents undergo a chemical reaction known as hydration where cement and water come together to form an adhesive binder paste which hardens to form concrete’s strong yet resilient composition.

2. In order to produce concrete, plant operators must manage all aspects of its production including batching of materials, mixing process, and final delivery of final product.

An operator of a concrete plant must oversee all stages of operation – the batching of raw materials, mixing process, and delivery of finished concrete – from measuring out ingredients correctly in proportions through monitoring to ensure all ingredients have been combined thoroughly and mixed thoroughly into concrete mixture. Delivery must also be coordinated with construction sites so as to deliver timely quantities on schedule.

3. To begin the batching process, all materials entering the plant are stopped before any residual concrete can be cleaned off by “stripping”.

Beginning the batching process begins by suspending all incoming materials. Next, the plant is “stripped” of any residual concrete using various processes including mixing vessel cleaning, gates/chute flushing out with water flushes, and emptying. Aggregate bins must also be emptied so their aggregate can be conveyed out from within the batching plant before all residual water can be safely drained off to make room for its next batch of concrete production. Finally, any excess water is extracted so as to be ready for the next batching cycle of concrete production.

4. Once again, all materials required are batched and loaded into the mixer for mixing.

Once all necessary materials have been assembled and loaded into the mixer, the next step should be batching concrete. Each ingredient’s quantity depends upon your recipe; once added to the mix it’s time to fill your mold or forms and load your concrete!

Loading concrete can be performed either manually or using a conveyor belt system. When loading it by hand, care must be taken not to overexert yourself as concrete can be heavy; also be sure that an even distribution is achieved so as to produce quality results in your finished product. Once loaded, and compacted using either hand tampers or power trowels so as to remove air pockets within its composition – both methods work equally effectively!

Once the concrete has been compacted, the next step is finishing it to your desired look using either floats or trowels, depending on how the finish should look. Once complete, allow ample time for curing; depending on weather and the type of concrete being used this process could last from hours to several days.

5. Turn on the mixer, mix for the specified period, and enjoy!

Once turned on, materials will be mixed for the specified time in a mixer using an operator-owned stopwatch to keep track of mixing time as well as inspect the slump of the concrete mix periodically. After reaching that milestone time period has elapsed, the mixer is then turned off and concrete ready for delivery can be discharged into its proper location.

6. Once mixed, concrete will then be loaded onto a delivery vehicle and taken directly to its final location for use on site. When done, its discharge into this delivery vehicle ensures delivery without incident.

7. After completion, the plant operator conducts an in-depth post-delivery inspection to guarantee both quality of concrete produced as well as the efficient delivery process.

Plant operators then perform post-delivery inspections to guarantee both the quality of concrete delivered as well as that the delivery process was conducted according to plan. They begin by verifying load weight to make sure it’s correct before checking the slump and air content of concrete to confirm they fall within acceptable parameters.

Operating an efficient concrete plant is integral to any construction project’s success, so by following the steps outlined here operators can ensure their plant runs efficiently and avoid common missteps while realizing their goals for construction projects.