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General Introduction
Ready Mix Concrete is a specialized material in which the cement aggregate
and other ingredients are weighed at batch. Ready-mix concrete is concrete
that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe,
and then delivered to a work site, by truck mounted intransit mixers. This
results in a precise mixture, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be
developed and implemented on construction sites. The first ready-mix
factory was built in the 1930s, but the industry did not begin to expand
significantly until the 1980s, and it has continued to grow since then.
Ready-mix concrete is sometimes preferred over on-site concrete mixing
because of the precision of the mixture and reduced work site confusion.
However, using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces flexibility, both
in the supply chain and in the actual components of the concrete.
Ready-mix concrete is also referred as the customized concrete products for
commercial purpose. Ready-mix concrete, or RMC as it is popularly called,
refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for delivery to the
customer's construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened
state. Concrete itself is a mixture of Portland cement, water and aggregates
comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone. In traditional work sites, each
of these materials is procured separately and mixed in specified proportions
at site to make concrete. Read-mix concrete is bought and sold by volume usually expressed in cubic meters (cubic yards in the US). Ready-mix
concrete is manufactured under controlled operations and transported and
placed at site using sophisticated equipment and methods.
Storage Materials
Cement:- A cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens and can
bind other materials together. The word "cement" can be traced back to the
Roman term opus caementicium, used to describe masonry resembling
modern concrete that was made from crushed rock with burnt lime as binder.
The volcanic ash and pulverized brick supplements that were added to the
burnt lime, to obtain a hydraulic binder, were later referred to as cementum,
cimentum, cment, and cement.
Cements used in construction can be characterized as being either hydraulic
or non-hydraulic, depending upon the ability of the cement to set in the
presence of water.
Non-hydraulic cement will not set in wet conditions or underwater; rather, it
sets as it dries and reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. It can be attacked by
some aggressive chemicals after setting.
Hydraulic cements (e.g., Portland cement) set and become adhesive due to a
chemical reaction between the dry ingredients and water. The chemical
reaction results in mineral hydrates that are not very water-soluble and so are
quite durable in water and safe from chemical attack. This allows setting in
wet condition or underwater and further protects the hardened material from
chemical attack. The chemical process for hydraulic cement found by
ancient Romans used volcanic ash.
emerging users.
Decreasing share of construction cost in overall cost of the facility.
Increasing awareness on environmental factors and convenience.
Globalization adoption of best practices across the globe.
Bigger size of projects and Time is recognized as a cost factor.
RMC in India
In India RMC was first initially used in 1950 during the constrction of
dams like Bhakra Nangal, Koyna. At the construction site the transportation
of concrete is done either manually or mechanically using ropeways or
conveyor systems. RMC Readymix (India) is one of the largest ready-mixed
Merits of RMC
Speedy construction through continuous mechanized operations
leading to economy.
Lower labor and supervisory costs assured.
Multi- transportation of raw materials for concrete is eliminated.
Controlled W/C ratio.
Close quality control of batching reduces variability of the desired
Demerits of RMC
As the Ready Mixed Concrete is not available for placement
immediately after preparation of concrete mix, loss of workability
occurs. In addition, there are chances of setting of concrete if transit
time involved is more. Therefore, generally admixture like
plasticisers/ super plasticisers and retarders are used. Addition of
retarders may delay the setting time substantially which may cause
placement problems. In addition, it may also affect the strength of
concrete. Therefore, it is necessary that the admixtures i.e. plasticisers
and super plasticisers/ retarders used in Ready Mixed Concrete are
properly tested for their suitability with the concrete. In case loss of
strength is observed, the characteristic strength may have to be
enhanced so that after loss of strength, required characteristic strength
is available.
Because of large quantity of concrete available in short span, special
is manual
computerized system
Construction is double quick time
Raw materials are chosen after quality
check
Large quantity of material can be
checked
Repeated mixing is to be done for large
quantities in project
High Wastage of raw material
Mixing Process
There are three types of process of RMC
Transit Mixed Concrete:- In transit-mixed concrete, also called truck
mixed or dry-batched, all of the raw ingredients are charged directly in the
truck mixer. Most or all water is usually batched at the plant. The mixer
drum is turned at charging (fast) speed during the loading of the materials.
There are three options for truck mixed concrete:
Concrete mixed at the job site. While travelling to the job site the drum is
turned at agitating speed (slow speed). After arriving at the job site, the
concrete is completely mixed. The drum is then turned for 70 to 100
revolutions, or about five minutes, at mixing speed.
Concrete mixed in the yard. The drum is turned at high speed or 12-15 rpm
for 50 revolutions. This allows a quick check of the batch. The concrete is
then agitated slowly while driving to the job site.
Concrete mixed in transit. The drum is turned at medium speed or about 8
rpm for 70 revolutions while driving to the job site. The drum is then slowed
to agitating speed.
The tilting drum mixer is the most common American central mixing unit.
Many central-mix drums can accommodate up to 12 yd3 and can mix in
excess of 200 yd3 per hour. They are fast and efficient, but can be
maintenance-intensive since they include several moving parts that are
subjected to a heavy load.
Horizontal shaft mixers have a stationary shell and rotating central shaft
with blades or paddles. They have either one or two mixing shafts that
impart significantly higher horsepower in mixing than the typical drum
mixer. The intensity of the mixing action is somewhat greater than that of
the tilt drum mixer. This high energy is reported to produce higher strength
Shrink Mixed:- 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. Central mixing plants that include a stationary,
plant-mounted mixer are often actually used to shrink mix, or partially mix
the concrete. The amount of mixing that is needed in the truck mixer varies
in these applications 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.
Grade of Concrete
Grade of Concrete
M 10
3.5
M 15
M 20
4.0
M 25
Specified
Grade
M 30
5.0
M 35Mean of the group of 4 NonM 40Overlapping
M 45Consecutive Test results in
M 50N/sq.mm
(1)
M 15
(2)
(3)
N/sq.mm
above
N/sq.mm
Reference
http://www.pellresearch.com/us/ready-mix-concrete
manufacturing.html
R.S. Agarwal Concrete Technology
http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/howproduced.asp
http://elearning.vtu.ac.in/12/enotes/Adv_Conc_Stru/Unit5-RVR.pdf
http://www.nrmca.org/sustainability/RMCREF%20LEED%20Guide
%20Revised%2001-10.pdf