A concrete pump is a construction device designed to supply a mixture of mortar to a construction site. He takes the last into his bunker from the corresponding tanks. These are concrete mixers or tanks for storing liquid concrete. By a special branch, the unit can deliver the solution to a rather large height or to a far distance if delivery is carried out in a horizontal direction. It is also used where you need to pour concrete into large areas. For example, to fill the formwork of a future building, it would be necessary to carry the mortar with buckets for a long time if there were no stationary concrete pump. A photo of this device can be seen below.
There are not only stationary concrete pumps
This article deals specifically with stationary mechanisms. But a few words are worth saying that they are not the only devices designed for pumping concrete.
Concrete pumps (ABN) are devices transported on the chassis of most manufacturers of trucks. Such transported massive devices are advisable to use in cases where it is important to quickly deliver large quantities of solution and quickly redirect equipment to another place. Most often, mobile concrete pumps are used to create the foundation of buildings. In addition, such devices can be much more stationary, and therefore more powerful.
This is the end of the description of mobile concrete pumps in the framework of this article, we will move on to other devices.
Stationary
As mentioned above, in addition to mobile, there is a stationary concrete pump. Devices of this type are not designed for independent movement in urban roads.
In order to make it convenient to move such a pump within a construction site, it is usually equipped with a chassis. If necessary, the stationary mechanism is transported by trawl or by truck.
Such devices are often used during the construction of skyscrapers and simply tall buildings. An example is the world record for delivering concrete to heights using a pump installed by Putzmeister stationary concrete pumps. The height record was as much as 606 meters, which indicates functionality. Pumps of this type can also deliver concrete over long distances in the horizontal plane.
At the construction site, they choose a place where there is always access for automixers. This is necessary for timely unloading, because pauses in the operation of the device do not benefit him. A concrete water system is attached to the unit. In fact, it is interconnected by flexible wide pipes.
The action of the mechanism will cease to be perfect if it is not lubricated with a starting mixture. The work begins with this, and this is done all the time, without interruption. After all, if the solution thickens, a plug forms in the concrete conduit.
If the action requires long pauses, the mixture must be passed through it at least once every 15 minutes.
Structure
In order to perform timely correct maintenance of the unit, you need to know how the stationary concrete pump is arranged. Technical characteristics of different devices may vary, but their structure is approximately the same:
- Vibrator grille that protects the hopper.
- Hopper protection grid.
- Lubrication system.
- Shiber.
- Hopper with agitator.
- Gate cylinders.
- Feed cylinders.
- Cooling capacities.
- Drive cylinders.
Existing types of stationary devices
It doesn’t matter whether you choose a mobile concrete pump or a stationary concrete pump, the characteristics do not depend on the method of movement of the mechanism, but on the type of device.
Devices of the second type may have fundamental differences in their device. To know which pump to choose for a particular purpose, you need to know this difference.
The unit may be a piston. In such a system, concrete is routed through pipes using two pistons. There are also single-piston devices.
In shutter type pumps, the concrete supply system is hidden by the so-called shutters, which are located immediately in front of the concrete duct. In the gate devices, instead of the shutters, a gate assembly is installed.
Devices with a gate
A concrete pump (stationary or mobile, it does not matter) is a gate valve. The gate (damper) is the main mechanical part of the device. It can be made in the form of a swivel pipe, trunk, wedge.
The gate is always made strong and thick. Its surface should be smooth. Otherwise, irregularities will be reflected in concrete, because at high pressure, which happens in the mechanism, each unevenness leads to the appearance of the solution on the surface.
The gate must also be wear-resistant, otherwise it will quickly fail under such aggressive working conditions. It is not in rotary type concrete pumps.
Rotary
The rotor element is able to push the mixture, the density of which could not cope with a device of another type. Concrete moves through pipes guided by rollers in the rotor. The rollers exert pressure on the pump with sleeves that compress and expand. This difference makes the rotary apparatus so efficient.
The stationary rotary type gasoline pump is also characterized by relatively quiet engine operation.
In the case of solidification of the mixture inside the outlet, it is enough to turn on the engine rotation mode in the opposite direction.
Piston
Nowadays, two-piston units are used, single-piston systems are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Such pumps are equipped with a diesel or electric motor.
Stationary diesel concrete pump is able to provide a high concrete feed rate. Such a pump can transfer up to 60 liters of mixture to its destination per second.
For an hour of operation, a standard diesel concrete pump pumps about 60 cubic meters of mortar. In the horizontal plane, the mixture can be transmitted up to 300 meters away. The height available to the average diesel stationary pump is 70 m.
Two pistons are connected by a hydraulic drive cylinder.
The system can be not only hydraulic, but also electro-hydraulic, single-circuit and double-circuit. Each variety has advantages and disadvantages.
How to choose the right one?
How to choose a suitable concrete pump? A stationary unit can be equipped with a piston system of two types: mechanical or hydraulic. The choice depends on what goals are facing the buyer of the device.
The construction of each object requires an individual selection of construction equipment. The performance of stationary devices is determined by the principle of operation of the device and its brand. On average, it can vary from 15 to 85 cubic meters of delivered mortar per hour. The maximum height at which the stationary type concrete pumps are able to feed the mixture is 150 meters. Horizontal
concrete guided by a pump can travel up to 450 meters. In addition to the characteristics of the device itself, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of exhaust pipes, because the functionality of the entire solution supply system also depends on them.
So, we found out what a stationary concrete pump is. We hope the information provided will be useful to you.