A concrete pump is used to transfer liquid concrete by pumping. They come in a variety of sizes, but are generally large industrial machines used on construction sites to pour concrete into hard-to-reach areas where concrete mixers can’t reach, such as on top of buildings. They are designed to deliver concrete to these areas from a great distance as quickly and effectively as possible.
There are generally two types of pumps; a concrete boom pump and a line pump. Boom pumps are large machines with a boom arm that supports a length of rubber lined tubing through which the cement flows to where it is required on the construction site. Concrete boom pumps can pump concrete with a vertical reach of up to 65 meters and a horizontal reach of about 300 meters. The length of the boom determines how far the truck will be positioned from where the concrete will be pumped. This makes them especially useful for pouring concrete in multi-story buildings and other high-rise construction work.
A trailer-mounted concrete boom pump uses a knuckle boom or placing boom to pour concrete exactly where it is needed. The Chimera Trailer Boom Pump has a 14m 3-section folding boom which, with the addition of additional piping, can pump concrete to a vertical reach of 65m and a horizontal reach of 300m at a rate of 46m3 per hour. These boom pumps offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional truck-mounted pumps, which are more expensive to operate and can run into problems on jobs where there are access or weight restrictions. Boom pumps are used on most larger construction projects as they are capable of pumping at very high volumes and due to the labor saving nature of the placing boom. They are a revolutionary alternative to truck mounted concrete pumps.
Truck mounted concrete pumps are also available in a wide range of sizes with boom lengths from 21 to 66 meters and concrete flow rates up to 185m3/hour at pressures up to 80 bar. They have a 3, 4 or 5 section placing boom with the option of ‘z’ fold, ‘roll’ fold or ‘multi z’ fold opening, making them easy to maneuver and suitable for all types of jobs of concrete placement, even where space is restricted. Telescopic arms can be added to the concrete pumps to reach the most isolated spaces. Most of the pumps on the larger concrete pump trucks are operated by the truck’s engine in a power take-off (PTO) configuration. However, some pumps, especially on smaller concrete pump trucks, are powered by their own motor. Diesel engines are used for this type of heavy duty due to their economical yet powerful mechanical dynamics.
Concrete line pumps are used for smaller construction projects than boom pumps. They are portable and versatile units used to pump not only structural concrete, but also grout, wet screeds, mortar, aerated concrete and sludge. Line pumps typically use a ball valve type pumping system. They are used for structural concrete and shotcrete (concrete placed through a high pressure hose and compacted at the same time) where low volume performance is suitable. Some hydraulically powered models can pump structural concrete at rates in excess of 137 m3 per hour.
Line pumps typically pump concrete at lower volumes than boom pumps and are used for smaller volume concrete placement projects such as swimming pools, sidewalks, and concrete slabs and floor slabs for single-family homes.
