Types
of concrete pumps:
¶
Boom pumps or
Truck
Mounted Pumps: The
first type of concrete pump is attached to a truck. It is
known as a truck-mounted boom pump because it uses a remote-controlled
articulating robotic arm (called a boom) to place concrete with
pinpoint
accuracy.
Boom
pumps are used on most of the larger construction projects for concrete
pumping as
they are capable of pumping at very high volumes and because of the
labor
saving nature of the robotic arm.
 |
| Truck
Mounted Concrete Pump (Putzmeister: M 20-4) |
¶
Trailer pumps
or line
pumps or Stationary Pumps
: The second main type of concrete pump is mounted on a
trailer, and it is commonly referred to as a trailer pump or line pump
or
Stationary pump.
|
This
pump requires steel or rubber concrete placing
hoses to
be manually attached to the outlet of the machine. Those hoses are
linked
together and lead to wherever the concrete needs to be placed.
Trailer
pumps
normally pump concrete at lower volumes than boom pumps and are used
for
smaller volume concrete pumping applications such as swimming
pools,
sidewalks,
and single family home concrete slabs.
|
|
| Truck
Mounted Concrete Pump (Schwing SP 500) |
Boom
pump or Stationary pump...which one to use?
Boom
pumps are used on most of the larger construction projects as they are
capable
of concrete pumping at very high volumes and because of the labor
saving nature
of the
robotic arm.
Trailer
pumps normally pump concrete at lower volumes than boom pumps and are
used for
smaller volume concrete placing applications such as swimming pools,
sidewalks,
and single family home concrete slabs.
¶
Specialized
usage
pumps:
There are also skid-mounted and rail mounted concrete pumps, but these
are
uncommon and only used on concrete pumping in specialized jobsites such
as mines and
tunnels.
|
| Sika®
PM 500: The highly mechanised sprayed concrete system for use in
tunnels of
average to large cross section |
Advantages
of using concrete pumps:
- Concrete
can be placed at a faster rate compared to other methods of placement.
- Concrete
can be placed easily at locations which are otherwise difficult to
access.
- Less
handling required since concrete can be placed directly at the desired
location.
- Concrete
pumping saves man power and energy requirements.
- Concrete
placement is not affected by weather conditions.
- Easier
to ensure quality control.
The
decision
to adopt concrete pumping as a placement method is a techno-economic
one; determined primarily by volume of job, required pouring rate, site
accessibility, availability
of manpower
& availability/hiring rate of
concrete pump.
