Concrete is an artificial man-made material that uses the properties of natural aggregates and the binding strength of cement to produce structures of huge strengths. The concrete is in a plastic state when it is first formed, but can then harden till it reaches the desired strength. The initial plasticity allows concrete to be formed in any desired shape.
The Need for Concrete Batch Plants
The manufacture of concrete requires gravel and sand, the natural aggregates, to be mixed with cement and water in the right proportions. These proportions are determined by laboratories depending on the individual properties of all the materials being mixed. This makes it very important to ensure these proportions, a task that is made easy with the use of concrete batch plants. If you just need small amount of concrete, a mini batching plant can meet your needs without large investment.
Types of Batch Plants
A central mix concrete batch plant will combine all the ingredients including the water and is mainly used on large sites that have facilities that allow the concrete to be placed in position immediately. This is achieved by the use of cranes, conveying equipment and sometimes by pumps that can pump up this viscous mixture.
A ready mix plant combines all the ingredients, without the water. In most modern day batch plants, computers are used to judge the correct quantity of each item, by weighing them to give the required quantity. Most batches are generated to give definite quantities, which can be worked out once the physical properties of each item are known. In ready mix plants water is only added to the mixed concrete just before it is actually placed at site. Water reacts with cement and causes it to set within minutes, which is why the water is added at the last minute.
A stationary concrete batching plant is a type of batching plant which is capable to provide large scale concrete supplying constantly. It is usually not easy to move or transfer like the mobile/portable concrete plants.
The use of concrete batch plants has led to the ability of engineers to achieve complete control over quality and quantity and thus ensure speedy and technically sound completion of projects.