Concrete pumping is used when concrete must be delivered to a remote site or it must be delivered quickly. There are two commonly used types of equipment used for concrete pumping in Cardiff; a boom pump and a line pump. The type of pump that is employed depends to a great extent on the job location and the volume of concrete required.
How do they work?
Concrete pumping in Cardiff starts with the arrival of the mixer truck on site, concrete is discharged into a hopper. As concrete must be constantly agitated to stop it from setting up prematurely the hopper contains an agitator to keep the concrete flowing into the pump cylinders.
The piston pump that drives the liquid concrete through the delivery tubes is similar in operation to a two cylinder reciprocating engine. One cylinder draws the concrete from the hopper on the return stroke while the other cylinder pushes the concrete on its forward stroke. The pistons located in each cylinder operate in opposite directions; this ensures that there is a constant pressure exerted on the concrete so the concrete can be pumped in an uninterrupted flow. The pistons are hydraulically powered and the system includes a valve which directs concrete from each cylinder into a single discharge line.
There are two types of pumps used for concrete pumping in Cardiff, the main differences between the two is the manner in which the pump is mounted and the delivery system.
A boom pump is quite common; it is basically a pump as described mounted on a truck. These types of pumps are ideal for large projects where foundations are being poured and walls of high rise structures are being constructed. These pumps can deliver very large volumes of concrete over quite long distances; they can deliver in either a horizontal or vertical direction. As a result of their ability to be manipulated in such a way that the concrete is delivered precisely where it is needed, the use of a boom pump saves considerable time and labour expense. Click here to know more.
A line pump on the other hand is normally mounted on a trailer. Concrete is delivered to large hoses, either flexible rubber or rigid steel sections. The delivery hose is connected directly to the pump. Concrete can be delivered a long distance using this type of concrete pumping in Cardiff as the hose can be extended to 60 metres or more. This type of pump is favoured by contractors involved in smaller projects such as pouring a slab for a house or pouring a concrete walk or driveway.
Concrete pumping in Cardiff is an ideal way of delivering high volumes of concrete to remote locations. Concrete pumping service is available from South Wales Concrete Pumping.