Concrete is so widely used in all types of constructions today. From large projects to small ones concrete is useful in all of them. Concrete is a highly versatile material and as such, it is quite useful in a wide variety of ways. As it is so widely used, it is also often wasted at construction sites. Some of the reasons behind this wastage are overordering, change in the requirement of concrete mix design, inaccurate delivery times etc. these are only a few reasons why it is wasted, there are so many more that contribute to this wastage. The making of cement is one of the most highly polluting industries on the planet. All of this can be reduced quite simply by reducing concrete wastage at construction sites. Volumetric Concrete is now proving to be one way in which this can be reduced or even stopped entirely.
How Does Concrete Get Go To Waste?
Concrete is made with a few very basic ingredients. Cement, sand and coarse aggregate which is usually crushed gravel, stone or rocks. All of this is simply mixed with water is enough to make a standard Volumetric Concrete mix. Often various admixtures can be added, or the composition of the ingredients of this mix can be altered to get different results. Admixtures are often added to change the properties of the mix to make it suitable for the construction requirements. For instance, admixtures are added to increase the strength of concrete, workability and even drying time. These admixtures should be added in precise measurements and are usually done in batch plants.
- Often once the mixture is made, it may happen that the construction requirements have changed. So the entire concrete that has been premixed goes to waste.
- Other than this all of the concrete that is required will need to be laid at once. If there is a delay in procuring additional concrete, the original concrete may begin to dry. And when more concrete is added to it it may not adhere very well.
- These are known as cold joints. Cold joints will weaken the entire structure. To avoid this, often extra concrete is ordered than is needed.
- And whatever may be left from it is entirely wasted as it cannot be used for any other purpose.
How Can This Waste Be Avoided By Volumetric Concrete?
Before answering this question, it is best to see what volumetric concrete is.
- It is a specialized truck with different compartments to hold the raw materials of concrete and water.
- It has a mixer space inside of it and a control panel outside.
- The measure of each ingredient and addition sequence can be manually controlled.
- It is also the most efficient method to add admixtures outside of a batch plant.
- The amount of total concrete created can be controlled in Volumetric Concrete trucks.
How this helps to reduce waste is by allowing special mixes to be mixed on-site. As the precise measure can be controlled, it reduced overproduction and the consequent waste of concrete. Moreover, when the precise required mix is not known, it can simply be mixed on-site. This reduces wastage due to differences in Volumetric Concrete mix design requirements.
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