This document discusses various methods for transporting concrete, including their advantages and limitations. It describes 10 common transportation methods: mortar pan, wheelbarrow, truck mixer and dumpers, crane and bucket, belt conveyors, chutes, skip and hoist, transit mixer, pumps and pipelines, and helicopter. Pumps and pipelines are highlighted as a popular method for transporting concrete over long distances up to 400 meters in height and 2000 meters horizontally. Key factors in ensuring concrete maintains its homogeneity during transportation include minimizing vibration, exposure to sun/air, and segregation of aggregates.

1. KAS-2012 1
TRANSPORTATION OF
CONCRETE
K A Shah
B.Sc.(Civil Engg.) MSc.(Environment Engg.)
Ex-GM-MNC
Guest Faculty- CTE

2. KAS-2012 2
TRANSPORTATION OF CONCRETE
Precaution in concrete transportation:
 Homogeneity of conc. Mass is maintained
 Movement of hand trolly or truck on rough
road surface makes vibrations
 This results in deposition of heavy
aggregates at bottom of truck
 Water & cement slurry comes on top.

3. KAS-2012 3
METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION
1. Mortar Pan
2. Wheel barrow
3. Truck Mixer & dumpers
4. Crane, Bucket & rope way
5. Belt conveyors
6. Chutes
7. Skip & hoist
8. Transit Mixer
9. Pump & pipeline
10. Helicopter

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MORTAR PAN
 Common method in India
 More labour required
 Segregation of concrete is less
 Greater surface area of concrete is
exposed to sun, concrete dries.

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WHEEL BARROW
 When transportation of concrete is at
ground level.
 Movement of wheel on rough road
surface, segregates concrete.
 Some wheel barrows have pneumatic
wheel to reduce vibration

6. KAS-2012 6
CRANE
 Used for transporting concrete above
ground level.
 For high rise buildings.
 Cranes are fast
 Can move horizontally & vertically
 Concrete in skip discharge from bottom
 In bucket concrete is discharged by tilting.

7. KAS-2012 7
CONCRETE TRANSPORT BY CRANE-
VIDEO
Pouring Concrete-Cement Truck-Crane-Construction Excavation Site.flv

8. KAS-2012 8
BUCKET & ROPEWAY
Use for construction in:
 Valley
 Bridge pier in river
 Dam
Advantage:
Concrete is not exposed to sun or air & no
loss of water.

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ROPEWAY-VIDEO
Package

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Truck Mixer & dumpers
 Used for large concrete works.
 Can travel any part of site.
 Dumpers - 2-3 M3
Capacity
 Trucks – 4 M3
Capacity
 Bottom surface of truck is kept wet
 Top of truck is covered to prevent
evaporation

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BELT CONVEYOR-VIDEO
Package

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BELT CONVEYORS
 Limited use in construction
Advantages:
 Can transport large volume
 Very quick
 Can go where access is limited
Disadvantages :
 On steep slope concrete segregates.
 Exposed to sun for long time.

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CHUTE
 For transporting from ground level to lower
level. (basement etc).
 Used where labour can not reach due to
less space in trench etc.
 Made of metal
 Slope should not be < 1 vertical : 2.5
horizontal.

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SKIP & HOIST -VIDEO
Package

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SKIP & HOIST
 Labour can go upto 3rd or 4th floors.
 So skip is used for transport vertically up
(in multistory building).
 Skip travels on vertical rail.
 Skip can discharge manually or
automatically.

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TRANSIT MIXER

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TRANSIT MIXER
 Used for long distance travel in RMC plant.
 Concrete is continuously agitated in truck drum
(2 – 6 rpm).
 Also transported mix in dry condition and water
is added on reaching the destination.
 Wet Mix in truck must reach site in 1- 1.5 hours.
 Pumps are also fitted on truck mixer to
discharge concrete.

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PUMPS & PIPELINE
 Most popular method
 Reliable & good quality pumps are used.
 Mostly operated by diesel.
 Concrete is placed in collecting hopper.
 Rotating blades in hopper pushes concrete
towards pipe.
 Vacume in hose pipe (600 mm Hg)
 Rotating rollers in pump chambers squeeze the
concrete in pipe and flow of concrete is started.
 Concrete is discharged from other end of hose
pipe.
 Concrete can be pumped upto 400 m height and
2000 m distance.

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SECTION OF PUMP

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PIPELINE
Pipeline should :
 Have correct diameter as per pump
pressure. (generally 125 mm)
 Have sufficient thickness
 Good couplings
 Poor pipeline can cause blockage.

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PIPELINE
 Thumb rule : For 30 M3
/hr concrete and
200 m length, dia should be 100 mm.
 Length > 500 m then dia = 150 mm.
 Dia = 3 to 4 times the size of aggregate
 Leaky pipe & coupling result in escape of
water /air & finally block the concrete.
 Vertical pipe should good otherwise
difficult to change at height.
 Pump is kept at distance from building
about 15 % of vertical length.

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CONCRETE FLOW IN PIPE

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PUMPABLE CONCRETE
 Concrete which can be pushed through a pipeline is
called pumpable concrete.
 Friction between pipe wall and concrete is less.
 Concrete flows in the form of plug which is separated
from pipe wall by a thin layer of lubricating cement paste.
 Flow resistant must be < pump pressure.
 If the concrete is more wet then water comes out of mix
which makes more resistance to flow.
 Stiff and also very wet concrete is not pumpable.

24. KAS-2012 24
Design of pumpable concrete
 Concrete Mix is so designed that all material remain
together.
 Mix must make redial movement of grout to maintain
lubricating paste.
 Mix should be deformed at bends
 Cement & fine particles (0.25 mm size) are important for
good flow.
 350 to 400 Kg/ M3
of fine particles are necessary for flow.
 Slump of pumpable concrete is above 75 mm.

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PROBLEMS IN PUMPING
 Blockage in pipe
 Pipe should be cleaned after each day
operation
 Blockage can be cleaned by forward-
backward pumping.
 Tapping pipe with hammer
 Clean pipe with rod or sponge ball pushed
by compressed air.

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THANKS