If you have an upcoming construction project you may be figuring out how you're going to get your products delivered to the site in order to begin the process. In particular, you may be wondering what type of concrete pump you will need and how you should choose the right one. What is involved in this process?

Different Types of Pump

If your project is involved, or you may need to work at greater height, then you will certainly need to pump concrete efficiently from its source to its destination. There are two different types of concrete pump available for transportation over distance, but both essentially work with a hopper and a sequence of pipelines, in order to transfer the solution from the mixer to the destination site.

Direct Action

With direct acting pumps the system essentially relies on gravity. This type of pump is the most commonplace and works through a combination of valves and pistons. The pump is placed underneath the hopper which receives the liquid concrete. The concrete will naturally flow down into the pump and this process will be augmented by a piston which is set horizontally at the bottom. The piston will work in concert with the valves, which will open and close in sequence and alternately. A specific pressure is therefore developed within the cylinder in order to initiate the movement.

It's important to ensure that the size of the pipe transporting the concrete is the same as the diameter of the cylinder, for most efficiency. This will avoid any potential blockages caused by larger pieces of aggregate. Different diameter pipes can be selected based on the type of aggregate needed for the job in question. The suction pipe size should be several times larger than the average size of aggregate that's been chosen.

When the pump is in action it will deliver two separate strokes in every sequence. The first stroke will open a valve and suck the concrete into the chamber, while the second motion will close that first valve but open the other, pushing the solution down the pipe to the work site.

Squeezing Action

An alternative to this set up is the squeeze pump. These are a bit more complex but have a sequence of rotating rollers. Rotating blades in the hopper push the aggregate around the rollers through a vacuum pumping chamber, and onwards to the delivery hose. The rollers are essentially squeezing the delivery pipe and therefore pushing the concrete on towards its destination.

How to Choose

When choosing a pump you will need to select your maximum ideal output of concrete on an hourly basis, together with the peak pressure required. This will determine the power of the pump itself and will be based on the distance that the concrete has to go, together with the ideal volume required to complete the job efficiently.

For more information, or to hire the job out to a professional, contact a concrete contractor.