CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS

CE 579 GRADUATE SEMINAR

Prof. Dr. S. Semih TEZCAN

Uur KARAHAN 2010706030

Agenda
What is Concrete?
Classifications of Batch Plants

The Concrete Production Process at a Stationary Batch Plant

Environmental Objectives and Performance of Batch Plants

Batch Plant Certification
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WHAT IS CONCRETE?

Concrete is manufactured by mixing carefully controlled proportions of portland cement, coarse aggregates (gravel, crushed stone or slag), fine aggregates (sand) and water.
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BATCH PLANTS
Concrete batch plants are used in the preparation of ready mixed concrete. Such plants typically include a supply of cement, water, aggregates and admixtures. At the batch plant these mix ingredients are measured by either mass or volume and introduced in the mixer. To produce concrete of uniform quality, the ingredients must be measured accurately for each batch.
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CLASSIFICATION OF BATCH PLANTS

Classification By Mobility

Permanent Plants Ready mix concrete batch plants can be either permanent or portable. Permanent plants do their production from a central location and transport the concrete produced in transit truck mixers to the construction site. These plants operate from the same location for a relatively long period of time.
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Classification By Mobility
Portable Plants Portable plants as the name suggests are able to be relocated relatively easily. In general, they have a cement silo and an overhead bin for one or two aggregates. They typically move to the construction site in cases where the distance the trans-mixers have to travel is too far. These plants operate from the same location for a relatively long period of time.

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Classification By Mobility
High profile The traditional stack up plant is a tall plant that has aggregate and cement storage bins that feed into batchers or weigh hoppers by gravity. Low profile The aggregate weigh hoppers are near the ground with belts to elevate the aggregate to load the mixer. The aggregate material is stored on the ground.

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Classification by Mix
Central Mixing or Wet Batching The dry batch process differs from wet batching only in that the constituent materials are weighed and then discharged "dry" into the drum of the vehicle used to transport the mix. Water and any admixture are added simultaneously with the dry materials, and then the mixing process takes place in the transport vehicle.

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Classification by Mix

Central Mixing or Wet Batching

Mixing in the transit vehicle can be done in three ways: 1) Concrete mixed at the job site - While traveling to the job site the drum is turned at agitating speed (slow speed). 2) Concrete mixed in the yard - The drum is turned at high speed or 12-15 rpm for 50 revolutions. 3) Concrete mixed in transit - The drum is turned at medium speed or about 8 rpm for 70 revolutions while driving to the job site.
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Classification by Mix
Shrink Mixed Concrete Concrete that is partially mixed in a plant mixer and then discharged into the drum of the truck mixer for completion of the mixing is called shrink mixed concrete. The amount of mixing that is needed in the truck mixer varies and should be determined via mixer uniformity tests. Generally, about thirty turns in the truck drum, or about two minutes at mixing speed, is sufficient to completely mix shrink-mixed concrete.

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Classification by Mix
Slurry Mixing The slurry mixer is a relative newcomer to concrete mixing technology. It can be added onto a dry-batch plant and works by mixing cement and water that is then loaded as slurry into a truck mixer along with the aggregates. It is reported to benefit from high-energy mixing

Mobile Volumetric Mixer Mobile volumetric mixers are special trucks that batch by volume and continuously mix concrete as the dry concrete ingredients, water, and admixtures are continuously fed into a mixing trough which is typically composed of an auger system. The concrete is proportioned and mixed at the jobsite in the quantities needed.

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THE CONCRETE PRODUCTION PROCESS AT A STATIONARY BATCH PLANT

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THE CONCRETE PRODUCTION PROCESS AT A STATIONARY BATCH PLANT

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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Batch plant operators should be cognizant of the environmental impact of their plants. At a wellmanaged concrete production plant, the main areas of environmental significance are kept under constant review to ensure that local and national laws are being followed. External appearance: The aim here is to ensure that plant operations are landscaped and screened from the surrounding industrial, commercial, residential or rural community so that the impact on the local environment is reduced.
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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Plant, office buildings and staff facilities: All buildings, plant and machinery are to be maintained regularly and repaired as necessary. Office buildings are cleaned and cared for internally and have adequate toilet facilities for staff and visitors.

Traffic Control and Cleanliness: The aims here are to ensure that traffic will avoid sensitive areas, vehicles are maintained in a clean condition and that concrete spillage on public highways is avoided.

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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Dust Control: Batch plant operators must use appropriate technology to ensure that dust emissions are in line with local and national regulations. Where required, dust monitoring should be undertaken for environmental, health and safety purposes. Guidelines should be provided to staff on the procedures that must be followed to reduce dust production. The batch plant can also be retrofitted with filters and other equipment to reduce the amount of dust that escapes from both cement and aggregates in the batching process.

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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Noise and vibration: Batch plant operators should try to ensure that plant, vehicle noise and vibrations are kept to a minimum. This can be achieved through either plant design or the use of appropriate technology. Water management: Here the aims are to improve the quality of effluent discharge, reduce volumes of discharge, and restrict water usage and wastage. Procedures should be adopted for controlling the use and wastage of water at the plant.

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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Fuel, oil and admixture storage: The goal here should be preventing the pollution of surrounding surface and ground waters from accidental spillage of fuel, oil or admixtures from storage tanks either above or below grade. Routine inspections are to be made for leaks or spillage from these storage facilities. Waste management: The goal here is to introduce procedures and working practices which reduce the production of waste. In cases where waste production cannot be avoided, the plant operator should try to provide environmentally sound treatment and disposal methods or find markets for its use as a resource. 18

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ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF BATCH PLANTS

Communication: Employees should be fully aware of their responsibility to the environment. All employees should receive training to increase their awareness of their responsibility to the environment. They should also be encouraged to give high priority to site care and good housekeeping.

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BATCH PLANT CERTIFICATION

To achieve certification, a licensed professional engineer must inspect each plant for compliance with the requirements of a designated checklist. Certification goes beyond the workings of the actual plant, covering proper aggregate storage to avoid contamination, water for batching, admixtures, etc. Scale calibration is very important, and certification requires the scales to be accurate within 0.20% of scale capacity throughout the range of measurement. Certification also extends to record keeping and proper ticketing for each load.
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BATCH PLANT CERTIFICATION

Specifications for Ready Mixed Concrete: *all pertinent information must be on each load ticket, *such as the mix number, *the truck number, *the job address, *the name of the contractor or purchaser, *the time the truck was loaded, *the mix design being supplied with a description, etc.

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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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Boazii University

QUESTIONS & VISIONS

Civil Engineering Department

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