Ready Mixed Concrete

Definition of Ready Mixed Concrete

Ready mixed concrete refers to concrete that is batched for delivery from a central plant instead of being mixed on the job site. Each batch of ready mixed concrete is tailor-made according to the specifics of the contractor and is delivered to the contractor in a plastic condition, usually in the cylindrical trucks often known as "cement mixers." As early as 1909, the concrete was delivered to a building site by a shovel mixer using paddles rotated by the wheels of the car to mix the concrete. In 1916, a self-discharging motorized transponder, the pioneer of a modern ready-mixed concrete truck, was developed. The development of advanced ready-made trucks was blocked in the 1920s with low-quality motorized trucks. In the 1940s, the presence of heavier trucks and better engines allowed mixed concrete capacities to rise, which led to the development of ready-mixed concrete manufacturers in II. This allowed to meet the high demand for concrete caused by World War II. Ready-mixed concrete is particularly advantageous when small amounts of concrete or intermittent concrete are required. Ready mixed concrete is also ideal for large jobs where space is limited and where space is available for the mixing plant and aggregate stocks.

Three principal categories of ready mixed concrete:

Transit-mixed (also known as truck-mixed) concrete: Transit mix (also known as truck-mixed) concrete is collected in a central plant and completely mixed in transit in the truck. Often, concrete is partially mixed during the transition and mixing on site is completed. Transit-mixing keeps the water separate from cement and aggregates and allows the mixing of the concrete just before placing on site. This method avoids early hardening and spillage losses, resulting in possible delays in the transport or placement of the central mixture concrete. In addition, transit mixing allows the concrete to be moved away from the plant to the construction site.

Shrink-mixed concrete: "Shrink-mixed concrete" is used to increase the truck's load capacity and retain the advantages of transit-mixed concrete. In "shrink-mixed concrete", concrete is partially mixed at the plant to reduce or shrink the volume of the mixture and mixing is completed in transit or at the jobsite.