Thursday, December 13, 2007

Ready-mix concrete

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1.6 cuM. transit mixer
1.6 cuM. transit mixer
small batching plant for local small deliveries
small batching plant for local small deliveries
7 cuM. transit mixer
7 cuM. transit mixer
The inside of a transit mixer uses a simple archimedes screw to mix and to lift the concrete to the delivery chute.
The inside of a transit mixer uses a simple archimedes screw to mix and to lift the concrete to the delivery chute.

Ready-mix concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered to a worksite, by truck mounted transit mixers . This results in a precise mixture, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites. The first ready-mix factory was built in the 1930s, but the industry did not begin to expand significantly until the 1960s, and it has continued to grow since then.

Ready-mix concrete is sometimes preferred over on-site concrete mixing because of the precision of the mixture and reduced worksite confusion. However, using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces flexibility, both in the supply chain and in the actual components of the concrete.

The leading ready-mix concrete supplier worldwide is the Mexican concrete and cement company Cemex, and their main competitor is France-based Lafarge. Ready Mixed Concrete, or RMC as it is popularly called, refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for delivery to the customer's construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened state. Concrete itself is a mixture of Portland cement, water and aggregates comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone. In traditional work sites, each of these materials is procured separately and mixed in specified proportions at site to make concrete. Ready Mixed Concrete is bought and sold by volume - usually expressed in cubic meters. RMC can be custom-made to suit different applications. Ready Mixed Concrete is manufactured under computer-controlled operations and transported and placed at site using sophisticated equipment and methods. RMC assures its customers numerous benefits.

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