Archive article: This is an English translation of the source article dated 2020. Prices, promotions, statistics and specifications reflect the source period. Please contact us for a current quotation.

Concrete Batching Plants

A concrete batching plant manufactures ready-mix concrete for nearby construction sites. It can make concrete to customer specifications, whether for a terrace, foundation or garage driveway. We will examine how a batching plant operates and how to order concrete. 

Concrete Batching Plants

CONCRETE BATCHING PLANTS

Definitions of a Concrete Batching Plant

Concrete Batching Plant

A concrete batching plant manufactures ready-mix concrete for delivery by truck mixer.

The Concrete Batching Plant

A concrete batching plant manufactures ready-mix concrete for nearby construction sites. It can make concrete to customer specifications, whether for a terrace, foundation or garage driveway. We will examine how a batching plant operates and how to order concrete.

Concrete Batching Plant

A concrete batching plant manufactures large quantities of concrete quickly. What equipment does it contain, and how much should you expect to pay for plant-produced concrete?

What Is a Concrete Batching Plant?

 The plant stores concrete ingredients, including water, cement, aggregates and admixtures, in suitable containers, then produces a mix to each customer’s requirements. Plant-produced concrete is made in large quantities and to a high standard because the plant must comply with applicable specifications.

Plants Can Produce Different Types of Concrete

These include conventional, polished, exposed-aggregate, sandblasted, colored and asphalt concrete. However, not every plant produces every type, so check each supplier’s capabilities against your requirements.

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CONTACT: Mr. MOHAMED LAMINE — TEL: +90 549 325 66 60 (WhatsApp)

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How a Concrete Batching Plant Works

1. A concrete batching plant mainly comprises storage, mixing and transfer units.
•Storage: concrete ingredients such as sand, gravel and cement are kept in bins and silos.
•Mixing: the mixer blends large volumes of concrete mixture.
•Transfer from silos to the mixer: conveyor belts and automated systems move the materials.

2. The plant operates automatically. A control cabinet manages weighing, material transport, measurement of concrete moisture and fluidity, mixing and other stages. Each concrete type has a preset recipe and associated program. The operator starts the program corresponding to the customer’s concrete type and quantity. The production stages are as follows:
2.1. Aggregate preparation and transport: aggregates enter the mixer first. A skip transfers them from their silo to a dosing container. They may be screened at this stage to retain finer particles. Particle size varies with the concrete required; some projects need small gravel for a more refined natural appearance.

Once weighed and screened, the aggregates are placed directly in the mixer or in a holding hopper.
2.2. Transfer of the other concrete ingredients: The other ingredients are transported from their tanks to holding hoppers by conveyors or pumps, or discharged directly into the mixer after the aggregates, in this order: cement, water, then admixtures.
Preset programs ensure that each ingredient is supplied in the exact quantity required. Mixing water comes from water treatment reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Like the other concrete ingredients, it is supplied in an extremely precise quantity. Too much water reduces the concrete’s mechanical strength. Concrete Batching Plants
2.3. Mixing the concrete ingredients: Concrete is mixed for a set time depending on its type. Mixing time also depends on the quantity to be produced and varies with the mixer volume. Average output is estimated at 60 m³/h for a 1,000 l mixer.
Note: Sealed covers prevent dust from escaping during mixing.
2.4. Loading the concrete for transport: Once produced, the concrete is discharged into a truck mixer, a mixer pump truck or a conveyor truck, depending on site access. It is then ready for delivery! Concrete Batching Plants

The concrete must arrive at the site within one hour to maintain optimum consistency and strength. During transport, the truck mixer continuously agitates the mix to prevent it from hardening.
2.5. Returning concrete to the plant: When the truck returns, the residual concrete in its drum is removed while the mixer is cleaned in a dedicated area of the plant. The remaining water and concrete pass through several settling tanks until filtered water is obtained for subsequent recycling. 

Concrete batching plant components and equipment

A concrete batching plant is an installation designed to produce concrete in large quantities. It can be set up at a specific construction site, near a quarry, or permanently on the outskirts of an urban area. Concrete Batching Plants

A concrete batching plant mainly consists of: 

• The cement silo. Concrete batching plants mainly use Portland cement, which consists of 95% clinker.
• The aggregate silos for gravel and sand, which may be vertical or horizontal. Sand and gravel are transported from quarries by truck, train or ship. On arrival, they pass through a hopper before being conveyed into the storage silo.
• Admixture tanks. Each contains a different admixture: a setting accelerator, retarder, plasticizer, etc.
• Dosing tanks.
• The weighing system.
• The water supply and pumps for transferring liquids.
• The concrete mixing unit, or mixer.
Every component of the concrete batching plant has safety systems to prevent leaks and pollution of the ground or air. The cement silo has a dust filter to prevent atmospheric emissions. Admixture tanks are raised and installed inside sealed compartments certified as frost-free. Aggregates such as sand and gravel are first transferred to the dosing vessel through a silo or a skip, a feed bucket mounted on a lifting and tipping system. They are then weighed on a weighing conveyor and carried to the mixer by the feed conveyor. The other ingredients—cement, water and any admixtures—are added there. Material quantities and mixing times depend on the type of concrete required and the characteristics of its ingredients. After mixing, the concrete is loaded into a truck mixer or carried to the site by a concrete conveyor. Concrete Batching Plants

The plant is generally operated from a control cabinet, which mainly provides:
• Control of the material weighing systems;
• Measurement of aggregate moisture using moisture sensors;
• Water dosing according to the required fluidity.

Some models incorporate a vertical aggregate silo, reducing both the plant’s footprint and the noise generated by material handling. Increasingly, mixers are also fitted with sealed covers that prevent dust from escaping during mixing. This offers the dual benefit of improving concrete quality and protecting the environment.

The price of plant-produced concrete | What prices do batching plants charge?

Prices for plant-produced concrete vary greatly depending on many factors, including the characteristics of both the batching plant and your construction site. As a general rule, allow approximately 100 to 250 dollars per m³, depending on the following factors:

• Site access

Using a truck with a pump or conveyor incurs an additional charge.

• Order volume

The more concrete you order, the better the price you can obtain. Fixed costs, such as dispatching the truck mixer, are quickly spread across the larger volume.

• The area to be concreted

Some plants offer a lower price per m³ for large concrete orders. For example, the price per m² of an exposed-aggregate concrete slab is estimated at 90 dollars for an area of 25 m², compared with just 50 dollars if the slab exceeds 100 m². Concrete Batching Plants

• The type of concrete ordered

The cost varies greatly depending on the type of concrete ordered: colored, fiber-reinforced, pervious, water-repellent, etc.
For example, plant-produced fiber-reinforced concrete costs between 150 and 300 dollars per m³, compared with 160 to 190 dollars for exposed-aggregate concrete.
• The cost of gravel, sand and cement: This varies considerably from region to region and depends on proximity to an aggregate quarry or cement factory.

• Travel distance 

The farther away your site is, the higher the transport charges.
• Every project therefore has its own price! That is why you need to request a quotation to receive a price proposal!

The batching plant generally charges for transport to the site. The closer you are to the plant, the lower this cost will be. Note that if the plant is more than 45 minutes from your site, it will most likely decline delivery. Concrete must be poured as soon as possible after production, within one hour. Prices generally vary according to the technical solution chosen. To buy a concrete mixer, allow between €200 and €2,300 depending on whether it has an engine or an electric motor and on its volume capacity. Concrete Batching Plants

Can you order every type of concrete from a batching plant?

Depending on the materials available locally and market demand, plants therefore specialize in certain types of concrete rather than others.

How do you order concrete from a batching plant?

• When requesting a quotation for ready-mix concrete delivery, clearly specify the volume and type of concrete you want.
• Depending on availability, the batching plant can then quote a price and agree on a delivery date.

Advantages and disadvantages of a concrete batching plant

Concrete can be prepared on a small scale in a concrete mixer or industrially in a batching plant. In the latter case, it is delivered to the site by a truck mixer. The two production methods complement each other. Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of concrete delivered by truck mixer.

Advantages of a concrete batching plant

• Quality assurance: The plant complies with standards such as CE, NF and EN and supplies professional construction sites.

• It is essential for concrete with complex mix designs.

• Easy placement: Ready-mix concrete arrives ready to use; all you have to do is pour it into the formwork!

• The plant produces large volumes of concrete and therefore has bargaining power when purchasing raw materials. It produces concrete at a lower cost!

Disadvantages of a concrete batching plant

• Concrete delivery can be expensive for small quantities because transport costs are spread over a smaller volume.

• The truck must be able to access the site. Otherwise, an additional handling charge applies.

Here is a new detailed article about concrete machinery and batching plants: https://bit.ly/3GKkAh0