A concrete pump is a must-have piece of equipment used in large-scale building projects. It is the most effective option for transferring the liquid-based concrete to a construction site. In certain build projects, the versatility of laying the concrete via a pump is the only acceptable method of placing the solid foundation. Plus, the speed and ease of using the pump mean it is the most cost-effective option. This piece of machinery is split into three main categories, which includes the specialized, stationary, or truck mounted pump.
Here is an overview of the three main types of concrete pumps:
Truck Mounted
The truck mounted system has the pump attached to the rear section of a truck and operates the placement of the concrete via a remote-controlled robotic arm. The ability to pump a large volume of concrete in a short time means this is the preferred system for large-scale building projects. Plus, the articulating robotic arm makes it easier to give precise control in the pouring of the liquid concrete. Trucks have the ability to store up to 100 meters of pipeline and a variety of accessories to make it possible to work in all types of environments.
Stationary
The stationary pump is a separate unit and has a trailer like setup and needs a vehicle to tow the pump to the construction site. It uses rubber or steel hoses to apply the liquid concrete to the preferred location. The hose system is manually mounted to the pump and can accept hose extensions to ensure the length of hose is enough to reach the precise area of deployment. The flow rate is a lot slower compared to the truck mounted setup and therefore a preferred system for the small site applications. For instance, it is great to use for concrete slabs, sidewalks, or swimming pools.
Specialized usage
The intention of the specialized usage pump is when the work takes place in the most difficult environments, such as those related to the tunnels or mines. Other specialized machinery includes the rail mounted and skid mounted pumps, but these are less common because of the high usage costs.
Overall, the concrete pump is put to use on large-scale projects and provides the fastest application of concrete and cuts back on over-head costs, energy, and manpower. The fast and efficient nature of placing the concrete means it is not impacted by weather conditions and easy to place at the difficult or inaccessible sites.