Concrete pumps are most commonly used for transferring/conveying liquid mixed concrete from the containers to where it needs to be filled at the construction site. Given the increased need for raising productivity, safety and quality at construction projects including real estate and infrastructural projects, concrete pumps have become absolutely necessary at any construction site. In addition, the increasing labour costs and growing emphasis on minimum construction time has also given a boost to the demand and market share of concrete pumps.

Types of concrete pumps

1. Boom or Truck-mounted Pumps: These are most popular types of concrete pumps and are capable of pumping high volumes of concrete in a very short span of time. These are mounted on a truck and feature an articulating robotic arm called as the boom which is controlled by a remote. They are bigger in size and used on larger sites and for huge road and highway projects. Generally, these pumps have the capacity to pump large volumes of about 150m3/hour at distances of about 50m to 200m.

2. Trailer, Line or Stationary Pumps: These pumps use flexible or steel hoses attached to the outlet of the pump and linked together wherever the concrete needs to go. These pumps are mounted on a trailer and have a comparatively lower pumping rate. Thus, they are used for smaller jobs like preparing ground slabs or sidewalks.

Benefits offered by concrete pumps

1. Improves overall quality of concrete mixing: Using less water while making the concrete mixture, concrete pumps improve the quality of concrete mixing. Less water results in the material not suffering from various deformities including cracks and shrinks and this maintains its strength when the concrete is placed. Thus, concrete pumps can be used for creating high quality and long lasting projects with minimum maintenance required after completion. Generally, concrete pumps result in more stable end-product, which ensures project safety in the long run.

2. Reduces manpower, energy and over-head costs considerably: After the heavy construction equipment cost, it is the costly manpower which digs huge holes in the contractors’ pockets. Also, many times, it might get difficult to find the requisite number of workers at the job site. So, at a time, when the manpower costs are rising steadily, it only makes sense to opt for concrete pumps for concrete mixing and then relocating the mixture to the desired spots as against the manual method employing labour force. Typically, in the ordinary concrete transfer process, a lot of labour and time is involved, however, through concrete pumps, work becomes much easier as less handling is required since concrete can be placed directly at the desired location. Further, pumped concrete is easier to handle because the flow of concrete is directed to the exact spot of placement (where other methods deposit large piles of concrete that must be moved manually). Thus, concrete pumps can save a lot of manpower, energy and over-head costs. It is seen that a job that would take 5 men and 2.5 hours to pour would only take 3 men and 1 hour through concrete pumps. In fact, concrete pumps can result in saving of labour cost by 50 per cent.

3. Results in accuracy and precision: Concrete pumps lead to proper mixing of the concrete batch, thereby, leading to elimination of any waste. Also, the mixture is transferred to the required site professionally and precisely. For complex locations like high-rise buildings or insulated concrete form walls, concrete pumps can increase pouring accuracy. This accurate concrete pumping can effectively result in little or zero material wastage.

4. Increases speed and eliminate any project delays: By increasing the speed of work at any construction project, concrete pumps makes concrete pouring simple and fast as against the smaller equipment that have to moved around to different spots to finish off one pour and this consumes a lot of time and hampers the speed of the project. In fact, concrete pumps easily transfer concrete vertically and horizontally, thereby, ensuring that less time is wasted in construction sites and the project costs reduce considerably.

5. Lays concrete at inaccessible sites easily: Using concrete pump is more convenient than the old mix and pour methods as the boom arms can actually reach over the top of structures to place the concrete in locations where other types of equipment can’t reach. Thus, concrete pumps ensure that the concrete is placed easily at inaccessible sites. So, whether you want to pour concrete on top of a high rise building or in a foundation slab, concrete pumps can deliver concrete mix to almost any area without leaving spills and lumps on the way.

6. Increased daily production: Concrete pumps increase the daily production considerably as the concrete is placed more efficiently and the unloading time is reduced significantly regardless of the weather, job site condition or time of the day.

7. Makes back-filling easy: Concrete pumps perform the back-filling work also efficiently. With the concrete being poured directly, there is no need for re-handling or for special mixes for improved quality and this keeps the concrete within specifications.

8. Increases revenue: Concrete pumps not only result in savings in manpower by reallocating personnel to other duties but also in equipment and cycle times, resulting in increased productivity. The increased revenue thus earned can be reinvested in the business for buying more equipment and employing more labour as needed.

9. Complete projects in most adverse of terrains: Concrete pumps provide for easy and fast work commencement and conclusion even in the most adverse of terrains and regions. So, this makes it easy for the contractors to bid for any project regardless of the regional complications and terrain adversities that are associated with it.

10. No impact of weather conditions: Last but not the least, with concrete pumps, concrete placing is not at all affected by weather conditions. Concrete pumps allow a contractor to place floor slabs on upper floors before completing the concrete work on lower floors. This provides protection from weather when working on lower floors.

Thus, overall, concrete pumps are one of the most efficient and cost-effective equipment for concrete placement and definitely drive profitability for business. Usage of concrete pumps can increase productivity and reduce cost at any construction site, be it big or small. Particularly, placement of concrete in inaccessible areas on a large construction site calls for concrete pumps which can do the task most effectively. So to say, an uncluttered job site and superior end-results are hallmark of concrete pumps.

To sum up, concrete pumps makes a significant difference in terms of time savings, labour savings, increased profits, improved scheduling, reduced site preparation, employee satisfaction, enhanced quality control and concrete placing versatility, thereby, driving profitability for any business.