Concrete Pumps: Benefits and Safety Measures

The one aspect in the construction industry that cuts across the board is concrete. Building constructions, be they big skyscrapers that seemingly defy gravity to small buildings, all need concrete. This is where a concrete pump comes into play.

Introduction To Concrete Pumps

A concrete pump is generally the machine used in the construction industry to transfer liquid concrete to the site being worked on. There are three common types:

– Boom pump or also known as truck mounted pump. – Trailer, stationary or line pump. – Specialized usage pump.

To get us more acquainted with these machines, lets take a brief look at each type.

A Boom pump has a robotic arm that is mounted on the back of a truck. This arm is remote controlled and can pump concrete accurately to every corner of the construction site. It is usually used in very large sites because it can pump a lot of concrete in a very short time. It’s robotic arm is multipurpose meaning it can save you a lot of labor costs.

Trailer or stationary pumps on the other hand are mounted on trailers but instead of a robotic arm, they have either rubber or steel hoses that can manually be attached so as to pump the concrete. These hoses can be as many as needed to reach the appropriate portion of the site. They do not pump as high a concrete volume as the Boom pump so they are usually used for smaller sites like sidewalks or swimming pools.

Specialized usage pumps are not commonly used because they are made for specific jobs like tunneling and mining sites. They are often rail and skid mounted and are very expensive.

Benefits of Concrete Pumps in Infrastructure Development.

Concrete pumps are some of the most popular building construction equipment because of the following benefits they offer:

– They are used when you need concrete placed at the construction site much faster. – They are very reliable and you can be assured of very high quality concrete and work. – You can easily place concrete at the very difficult to reach ends of the construction site using the Boom Pump or even the Trailer Pump. – Helps cut down on the labor costs because using pumps generally needs less manpower as compared to any other concrete laying method. – When you use a Boom pump, your concrete pouring accuracy is near perfect. – Makes it possible to work faster due to fewer delays and less stoppages. This is mainly because the concrete is properly mixed, poured fast and accurately. – The pumps are just more convenient that any other method. You can reach far corners and it takes less time.

Important Safety Measures While Operating Concrete Pumps

– The concrete machine should be set up as instructed by the manufacturer. – Make sure the machines are well maintained and functioning properly. – Your MSDS’s, SWMS’s, logbooks, plant risk assessment and manuals should all be up to date. – You should have any workSafe registration that is needed for the equipment. – Make sure only licensed operators operate the machines. – Provide the necessary training and instructions to all workers involved in the construction site. – Make sure to provide the appropriate protective gear for your workers within the site who might be involved in the concrete pumping sector. – Make sure that all your workers are aware of the safe systems put in place and that they all use them. – Put up control measures to safe guard the public and anybody else around the concrete pumping sector.

Concrete batching is a necessary process in any construction related business, so are the safety measures which include fully understanding the machinery involved. The purpose here was to highlight the benefits of concrete pumping machines and also share a little bit on the different types there are as well as the necessary safety measures one should take when working with them.