Ready mixed concrete

Ready mixed concrete (RMC) is a specialized material in which cement, aggregate,

and other ingredients are weigh batched at a plant in a central or truck mixer before
delivery to the construction site in a condition ready for placing by the customer. RMC is
manufactured at a place away from the construction site, the two locations being linked
by a transport operation. IS: 4296-2003 defines ready mix concrete as ‘concrete mixed
in a stationary mixer in a central batching and mixing plant or in a truck mixer and
supplied in a fresh condition to the purchaser either at site or into purchaser’s vehicle’.

The short life of fresh concrete, with only 2-3 hrs before it must be placed, results in
ready mixed concrete being a very much local delivery service, with rarely more than
30-60 min journey to the construction site. The need for supply of ready mixed concrete
to fit in with the customer’s construction program means that RMC has to be both a
product and a delivery service. This means that the ready mixed supplier is in two
separate businesses – firstly, processing materials and secondly, transporting product
with a very short life.

Historical growth of ready mixed concrete

Ready mixed concrete was first patented in germany in 1903, but means of
transporting was not sufficiently developed by then to enable the concept to be utilized
commercially. The first commercial delivery of ready mixed concrete was made in
baltimaore, USA in 1913 and the first revolving – drum type transit mixer, of a much
smaller capacity than those available today, was born in 1926. In 1920 and 1930, ready
mix concrete was introduced in some European countries.
Some early plants were of very small capacities. In 1931, a ready mix concrete plant
set up at what is now Heathrow airport, London, had 1.52 m3 capacity central mixer,
supplying six 1.33m3 capacity agitators with an output of 30.58 m3/h. aggregate were
stored in four compartments, each of 76.45m3 capacity. Cement was handled manually
in bags. Till the beginning of world war II,

Advantages of RMC

 Uniform and assured quality of concrete: since RMC is factory produced, the raw
material and production quality is better than conventional site mixed concrete.

 Durability of concrete: RMC can ensure correct w/c ratio to be maintained. Hence
the durability of RMC is consistent and better.

 Faster construction speed: in site mixed concrete, the contractor needs to

mobilize labour for mixing as well as placing. In RMC, fresh concrete is supplied
in a peaceable condition and can directly be placed by pumping. Hence a faster
construction speed can be achieved.

 Elimination of storage needs at the construction site: in case of site mixed

concrete, all raw materials such as aggregates, sand and cement have to be
 stored at the site. In urban situations and when the work is progressing close to
the highways, there is a problem of storage of raw materials affecting smooth
flow of traffic. In case of RMC, this problem is completely avoided as the storage
of materials takes place at the central plant.

 Easier admixture addition: In RMC, admixtures can be added in controlled

methods of releasing exact quantities needed. This is not possible in normal
concreting.

 Documentation of mix design: The contractor purchases fresh concrete from the
supplier of RMC, who is responsible not only for documentation but also for
maintaining records.

 Reduction in wastage of material: In RMC plants materials are stored in bulk and
used in bulk. Hence wastage that occurs in loose handling of cement, etc. Is
completely avoided.

 RMC is eco friendly: the production of RMC is done in an environmentally

assessed and licenced central plant. Hence, dust and noise pollution which is
envitable in concrete is avoided.

Disadvantages 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.
Some sites are just too far away, though this is usually a commercial rather than
technical issue.
• Generation of additional road traffic; furthermore, access roads, and site access
have to be able to carry the weight of the truck and load. Concrete is approx.
2.5tonne per m³. This problem can be overcome by utilizing so-called 'minimix'
companies, using smaller 4m³ capacity mixers able to access more restricted
sites.
• Concrete's limited time span between mixing and going-off means that readymix
should be placed within 90 minutes of batching at the plant.

 Components of RMC plant

 The RMC plants consists of

I) The RMC plant with auxiliary/supporting equipment ii) Transit mixers and iii)
Site equipment for handling concrete.

Ready mixed concrete plant

Generally an RMC plant of capacity 55-60 m3/h would meet the requirement of a
small town. Initially the plant could work on 8-10 hrs shift: with a growing market,
16-18h is feasible. Expanding operations can be made by an additional 55-60m3/h
RMC plant at the same site. The typical layout of an RMC plant is shown in fig 1

Process adopted for central ready mixed concrete plants

Centrally batched concrete is manufactured in plants and transported to various

sites. The cement silos feeds cement directly into the weigh hopper. This in turn
feeds the cement directly into the transit mix truck. Generally, the plant is capable of
manufacturing all types of concretes used by today’s construction industry. The
aggregates are accurately weighed by the front end loader into the weigh hopper
and then transferred directly into the truck by means of conveyor system. Bulk
admixtures drums are generally kept adjacent to the conveyor system. Another
option is to ‘live’ overhead storage. Storage can range from 100 to 1000 tonnes of
four to six different materials. This is used when a higher production rate of ready
mix concrete is required.

With the load-cell type weigh batch the digital scale display can easily be read by the
front-end operator. This is to ensure that a high degree of accuracy of the order of ±
10 kg is achieved during batching. A similar type of weigh batcher using the
traditional knife-edge lever scale system and an analogue scale read-out is also
effective, and can be easily maintained. This type of plant can be erected and
operated within 1-2h of it arriving on the site.

The cement weigh hopper valves and installed aerators ensure that an accurate,
even flow of cement is weighed before discharging it into the mixing bowl of the
truck. There are various admixtures that can enhance the performance of concrete.
These admixtures must be carefully measured for each batch. This is achieved by
using precision measuring devices. A full range of air entrainers, superplastizers,
retraders, water reducers and accelerators can easily handled with such devices
attached to the equipment. The controls for these activities are located in the
batching control room. The amount of instrumentation will depend upon the size,
desired performance, production rate and the degree of automation of the plant.

Whether the plants are situated at temporary sites for large civil construction projects
such as dams, airport runways, bridges, etc.. or loaded in permanent city sites, great
care should be taken to ensure that dust does not pollute the atmosphere. This is
important from enviormental protection consideration the plant with cement capacity
of 225 tonne and live aggregate storage of 300 tonne and a production rate of 60-70
m3/h using an automatic batching system is used normally in a city ste up. Trucks
are washed and cleaned prior to loading each time. The yard is generally designed
to conserve all water by directing spillover to ponds so that water can be reused.
Ready mix trucks coming back after delivery may have small concrete remaining in
their bowls. This is washed out and stored in specially designed containment ponds.
These ponds allow all solids to settle while water circulates through the ponding
system. Solid material cam be removed from the site and reused as a base course
or a fill. The water is used as mixing water for concrete production through the plant
after through testing. The water storage plant can have a capacity ranging from 40 to
80 m3, depending on plant size. The depth of ponds range from 1.5 to 2.5m.
 Classification of ready mixed concrete:
There are three principal categories of RMC.

1. Transit mixed or truck mixed concrete: in transit-mixed concrete, also

called truck-mixed or dry batched concrete, all of the raw ingredients are
charged directly in the truck mixer. Most of the water is usually batched at
the plant. The mixer drum is turned at charging (fast) speed during the
loading of the materials. There are three options for truck mixed concrete.
I) concrete mixed at the job site. ii) concrete mixed in the yard or central
central batching plant. iii) concrete mixed in transit.

2. shrink mixed concrete : concrete that is partially mixed in a stationary

plant – mounted mixer and then discharged into the drum of the truck
mixer for completion of the mixing is called shrink mixed concrete.
Generally about two minutes of mixing in truck drum at mixing speed, is
sufficient to completely mix shrink-mixed conrete.

Central mixed concrete: central mixed concrete batch plant include a stationary, plant-
mounted mixer that mixes the concrete before it is discharged into a truck mixer.
Central-mix plants are sometimes referred to as wet-batched or pre-mix plants. The
truck mixer is used primarily as an agitating haul unit at a central mix operation
Fig 1: schematic diagram of central ready mix plant

E
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L

E
F
H

I
O
D I

A C

A
A Aggregate delivery B Aggregate receiving hopper
C Aggregate storage D Conveyor belt
E Cementitious material storage F Weigh hopper
G Cement delivery H Mixer
I Admixtures J Ready mix truck with returned concrete
K Recycled water L Reclaimed aggregates
M Pump N Water storage
O Concrete loaded in ready-mix truck P Control Room

Batching, Mixing, Transporting, and Handling Concrete

The specification, production, and delivery of concrete are achieved in different ways. The
basic processes and common techniques are explained here. ASTM C 94 provides
standard specifications for the manufacture and delivery of freshly mixed concrete.

Three options for ordering or specifying concrete are described in ASTM C 94:

1. Option A is performance based. It requires the purchaser to specify the compressive

strength only, while the concrete producer selects the mixture proportions needed to obtain
the required compressive strength.

2. Option B is prescription based. The purchaser specifies mixture proportions, including

cement, water and admixture contents.

3. Option C is a mixed option. It requires the concrete producer to select the mix
proportions with the minimum allowable cement content and compressive strength
specified by the purchaser.

BATCHING

Batching is the process of measuring concrete mix ingredients by either mass or volume
and introducing them into the mixer. To produce concrete of uniform quality, the ingredients
must be measured accurately for each batch. Most specifications require that batching be
done by mass rather than by volume (ASTM C 94 or AASHTO M 157). Water and liquid
admixtures can be measured accurately by either volume or mass. Volumetric batching
(ASTM C 685 or AASHTO M 241) is used for concrete mixed in continuous mixers.
Specifications generally require that materials be measured for individual batches within the
following percentages of accuracy: cementitious material ±1%, aggregates ± 2%, water
±1%, and admixtures ± 3%. Equipment should be capable of measuring quantities within
these tolerances for the smallest batch regularly used as well as for larger batches. The
accuracy of scales and batching equipment should be checked periodically and adjusted
when necessary. Liquid chemical admixtures should be charged into the mixture as
aqueous solutions. The volume of liquid, if significant, should be subtracted from the
batched quantity of mixing water. Admixtures that cannot be added in solution can be either
batched by mass or volume as directed by the manufacturer. Admixture dispensers should
be checked frequently since errors in dispensing admixtures, particularly overdoses, can
lead to serious problems in both fresh and hardened concrete.

MIXING CONCRETE

All concrete should be mixed thoroughly until it is uniform in appearance, with all
ingredients evenly distributed. Mixers should not be loaded above their rated capacities and
should be operated at the mixing speed recommended by the manufacturer. Increased
output should be obtained by using a larger mixer or additional mixers, rather than by
speeding up or overloading the equipment on hand. If the blades of a mixer become worn
or coated with hardened concrete, mixing action will be less efficient. These conditions
should be corrected. If concrete has been adequately mixed, samples taken from different
portions of a batch will have essentially the same density, air content, slump, and coarse
aggregate content. Maximum allowable differences to evaluate mixing uniformity within a
batch of ready mixed concrete are given in ASTM C 94 (AASHTO M 157).

Structural low-density concrete can be mixed the same way as normal-density concrete
when the aggregates have less than 10% total absorption by mass or when the absorption
is less than 2% by mass during the first hour after immersion in water. For aggregates not
meeting these limits, mixing procedures are described in PCA (1986).

STATIONARY MIXING

Concrete is sometimes mixed at the jobsite in a stationary mixer or a paving mixer. Stationary
mixers include both onsite mixers and central mixers in ready mix plants. They are available in
sizes up to 9.0 m3 (12 yd3) and can be of the tilting or nontilting type or the open-top revolving
blade or paddle type. All types may be equipped with loading skips and some are equipped with a
swinging discharge chute. Many stationary mixers have timing devices, some of which can
be set for a given mixing time and locked so that the batch cannot be discharged until the
designated mixing time has elapsed.

Careful attention should be paid to the required mixing time. Many specifications require a
minimum mixing time of one minute plus 15 seconds for every cubic meter (yard), unless
mixer performance tests demonstrate that shorter periods are acceptable and will provide a
uniform concrete mixture. Short mixing times can result in non homogenous mixtures, poor
distribution of air voids (resulting in poor frost resistance), poor strength gain, and early
stiffening problems. The mixing period should be measured from the time all cement and
aggregates are in the mixer drum, provided all the water is added before one-fourth of the
mixing time has elapsed.

Under usual conditions, up to about 10% of the mixing water should be placed in the drum
before the solid materials are added. Water then should be added uniformly with the solid
materials; leaving about 10% to be added after all other materials are in the drum. When
heated water is used in cold weather; this order of charging may require some modification
to prevent possible rapid stiffening when hot water contacts the cement. In this case,
addition of the cementitious materials should be delayed until most of the aggregate and
water have intermingled in the drum. Where the mixer is charged directly from a batch
plant, the materials should be added simultaneously at such rates that the charging time is
about the same for all materials. If supplementary cementing materials are used, they
should be added after the cement. If retarding or water-reducing admixtures are used, they
should be added in the same sequence in the charging cycle each time. If not, significant
variations in the time of initial setting and percentage of entrained air may result. Addition of
the admixture should be completed not later than one minute after addition of water to the
cement has been completed or prior to the start of the last three-fourths of the mixing cycle,
whichever occurs first. If two or more admixtures are used in the same batch of concrete,
they should be added separately; this is intended to avoid any interaction that might
interfere with the efficiency of any of the admixtures and adversely affect the concrete
properties. In addition, the sequence in which they are added to the mix can be important
too.

TRANSPORTING AND HANDLING CONCRETE

Good advanced planning can help choose the appropriate handling method for an
application. Consider the following three occurrences that, should they occur during
handling and placing, could seriously affect the quality of the finished work:

Delays. The objective in planning any work schedule is to produce the fastest work with the
best labor force and the proper equipment for the work at hand. Machines for transporting
and handling concrete are being improved all the time. The greatest productivity will be
achieved if the work is planned to get the most out of personnel and equipment and if the
equipment is selected to reduce the delay time during concrete placement.

Early Stiffening and Drying Out. Concrete begins to stiffen as soon as the cementitious
materials and water are mixed, but the degree of stiffening that occurs in the first 30
minutes is not usually a problem; concrete that is kept agitated generally can be placed and
compacted within 11⁄2 hours after mixing unless hot concrete temperatures or high cement
contents speed up hydration excessively.
Planning should eliminate or minimize any variables that would allow the concrete to stiffen
to the extent that full consolidation is not achieved and finishing becomes difficult. Less
time is available during conditions that hasten the stiffening process, such as hot and dry
weather, use of accelerators, and use of heated concrete.

Segregation. Segregation is the tendency for coarse aggregate to separate from the sand
cement mortar. This results in part of the batch having too little coarse aggregate and the
remainder having too much. The former is likely to shrink more and crack and have poor
resistance to abrasion. The latter may be too harsh for full consolidation and finishing and
is a frequent cause of honeycombing. The method and equipment used to transport and
handle the concrete must not result in segregation of the concrete materials.
Shot Crete concreting or guinting

Shotcrete is mortar or very fine concrete deposited by jetting it with high velocity
(pneumatically projected or sprayed) on to a prepared surface. The system has different
properietory name sin different countries such as blast concrete, blowconcrete,
gunconcrete, jetcrete, nucrete, pneukrete etc. shotcrete offers advantages over
conventional concrete in a variety of new construction and repair works. Shotcrete is
frequently more economical than conventional concrete because of less form work
requirements, requiring only a small portable plant for manufacture and placement. It is
capable of excellent bonding with a number of materials and this may be an important
consideration.

Shotcrete has wide application in different constructions, such as thin over head vertical or
horizontal surfaces, particularly the curved or folded sections: canal, reservoir and tunnel
lining; swimming pools and other water retaining structures and prestressed tanks.
Shotcrete concrete is verey useful for the restortation and repair repair of concrete
structures, fire ddamaged structures and water proofing of walls.
Shotcrete has been successfully used in the stabilization of rock slopes and temporary
protection of freshly excavated rock surfaces. Its utility has been proved for protection
against long-term corrosion of piling, coal bunkers, oil tanks, steel building frames and
other structures, as well as in encasing structural steel for fire proofing.

Shotcrete was invented in the early 1900s by American taxidermist Carl Ackley, used to fill
plaster model of animals. He used the method of blowing dry material out of a hose with
compressed air, wetting it as it was released. This was later used to patch weak parts in old
buildings. In 1911, he was granted a patent for his inventions, the "cement gun", the
equipment used, and "gunite", the material that was produced. Until the 1950s when the
wet-mix process was devised, only the dry-mix process was used. In the 1960s, the
alternative method for gunning by the dry method was devised with the development of the
rotary gun, with an open hopper that could be fed continuously. Shotcrete is also a viable
means and method for placing structural concrete.

The nozzleman is the person controlling the nozzle that delivers the concrete to the
surface. The nozzle is controlled by hand on small jobs, for example the construction of
small swimming pools. On larger work the nozzle is held by mechanical arms and the
nozzleman controls the operation by a hand-held remote control.

Types of shotcreting concrete

There are two basic types of shotcreting process:

1. The dry mix method involves placing the dry ingredients into a hopper and then
conveying them pneumatically through a hose to the nozzle. The nozzleman controls
the addition of water at the nozzle. The water and the dry mixture is not completely
mixed, but is completed as the mixture hits the receiving surface. This requires a
skilled nozzle man, especially in the case of thick or heavily reinforced sections.
Advantages of the dry mix process are that the water content can be adjusted
instantaneously by the nozzleman, allowing more effective placement in overhead
and vertical applications without using accelerators. The dry mix process is useful in
repair applications when it is necessary to stop frequently, as the dry material is
easily discharged from the hose.

2. Wet-mix shotcrete involves pumping of a previously prepared concrete, typically

ready-mixed concrete, to the nozzle. Compressed air is introduced at the nozzle to
impel the mixture onto the receiving surface. The wet-gun procedure generally
produces less rebound, waste (when material falls to the floor), and dust compared
to the dry-mix procedure. The greatest advantage of the wet-mix process is that
larger volumes can be placed in less time.

Properties of shotcrete concrete

The properties of shotcrete are essentially the same as for conventional concrete of
same materials, proportions and void system. However, the following points should be
borne in mind.

1. in shotcrete concrete, generally, a small-maximum-size aggregate is ussee and

cement content is high. These should enhance durability in most cases.
2. whereas conventional concrete is consolidated by vibration, shotcrete is
consolidated by the impact of a high velocity jet impacting on the surface. This
process not only increases the cement content due to rebound but also brings about
different air void system affecting the durability of shotcrete.
3. The application procedures have a great effect on the in place properties of
shotcrete than the mix proportions.
.
A Aggregate delivery
B Aggregate receiving hopper
C Aggregate storage
D Conveyor belt
E Cementitious material storage
F Weigh hopper
G Cement delivery
H Mixer
I Admixtures
J Ready mix truck with returned concrete
K Recycled water
L Reclaimed aggregates
M Pump
N Water storage
O Concrete loaded in ready-mix truck
P Control Room