Discover how far concrete pumps can reach! From boom pumps to line pumps , learn what factors affect pumping distance and how to choose the right equipment for your project. Maximize efficiency—read now!
In the construction industry, concrete pump is one of the common equipment, which is widely used in the concrete delivery work of large and medium-sized construction projects. According to the statistics of the International Concrete Institute (ACI), more than 85% of the world’s large-scale construction projects have adopted concrete pumping technology. This technology has revolutionized the traditional concrete construction method, which not only improves the construction efficiency, but also ensures the uniformity and denseness of concrete in the pouring process.
Pumping distance, as a core indicator of the performance of concrete pumps, has a direct impact on the design of construction programs and equipment selection. An accurate assessment of pumping distance can help engineers:
1.Reasonable planning of construction site layout
2.Optimization of equipment configuration
3.Control of construction costs
4.Ensure the quality of the project
Concrete pumping technology can be so widely used, mainly due to its three core advantages:
1.Significantly improves the construction efficiency, the use of pumping technology can be shortened to 2-3 hours
2.It breaks through the spatial limitations. It can realize hundreds of meters of horizontal distance or hundreds of meters of vertical height of the concrete conveying
3.It ensures the uniformity of the concrete quality and avoids the segregation problem that may arise from the traditional pouring method.
1.Trailer concrete pump is a portable equipment, which conveys concrete to the construction site through pumping pipeline. l It adopts independent power unit, diesel engine, and is designed to deliver concrete to the construction site.
2.It adopts independent power unit, diesel engine or electric motor drive
3.It uses double-cylinder hydraulic system to provide stable pumping pressure
4.The pipeline system can be flexibly configured according to the needs
5.The lubrication device ensures smooth pipeline conveying
The concrete mixer pump, as a kind of innovative equipment, adopts an integrated design.
1.The capacity of the mixing system is usually 6-9m³
2.The pressure of the pumping system is usually 7-10MPa
3.The adoption of a common power source improves the energy utilization rate
4.The compact structure adapts to the small construction sites, which is mainly oriented to the scenarios of rural construction and municipal engineering.
Boom pump is the most widely used large-scale concrete pumping equipment in the market, which is usually mounted on a truck.
1.Heavy-duty truck chassis provides mobility and stability for quick turnaround.
2.Boom system reduces the workload of piping, usually 3-5 sections hydraulic boom.
3.High-pressure pumping system, the working pressure is usually between 10-15MPa, which is suitable for complex space positioning pouring.
4.Intelligent control system, including remote monitoring, automatic leveling and other functions, easy to operate.
The pumping distance of trailer concrete pump is limited by the length of pipeline and the performance of concrete, which is generally between tens of meters and hundreds of meters. It is suitable for small to medium-sized construction projects, especially in occasions where ground pumping is required.
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Trailer Concrete Pump |
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| Horizontal Conveying Distance | 300-500 meters |
| Vertical Conveying Height | 100-150 meters |
The length of the pump truck’s boom determines its pumping distance, and the length of the common pump truck’s boom ranges from dozens of meters to hundreds of meters, and the pumping distance varies accordingly. It is very suitable for high-rise construction and can easily deliver concrete to high places or places far away from the construction site.
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Boom Pump |
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| Horizontal Conveying Distance | 150-200 meters |
| Vertical Conveying Height | 120-150 meters |
The pumping distance of this equipment depends on the performance of its pumping system and the concrete formula, which usually meets the general construction needs. It is suitable for smaller-scale construction projects, such as residential buildings and low-rise buildings.
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Concrete Mixer Pump |
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| Horizontal Conveying Distance | 100-300 meters |
| Vertical Conveying Height | 50-100 meters |
The fluidity of different types of concrete varies greatly. Concrete with high fluidity can be transported more easily through pipes, whereas concrete with higher viscosity may cause clogging or reduce pumping efficiency.
The optimum workability range should be 120-180mm. When the slump is lower than 80mm, the pumping resistance increases significantly; more than 200mm is prone to segregation. Measured data of a high-speed rail project shows that the pumping pressure can be reduced by 0.3-0.5MPa for every 20mm increase in slump.
– Maximum particle size should not exceed 1/3 of the diameter of the conveying pipe
– Needle and flake content needs to be controlled at 15% or less
– Gradation continuity affects the flow resistance
Diameter and length of the pumping pipeline directly affects the pumping distance. The longer and thinner the pipe, the greater the friction, the lower the fluidity of concrete, the pumping distance will be reduced.
– Pipe diameter selection: resistance of 125mm pipe increases about 40% than 150mm pipe
– Elbow influence: each 90° elbow is equivalent to 8-12m straight pipe resistance
– Pipe wall roughness: new pipe resistance is 15-20% lower than old pipe
The performance of the equipment, including the working efficiency and technical level of the pumping machine, directly affects the effect and distance of pumping. The length, angle and flexibility of the pumping truck’s boom determines the construction range it can cover; while the pressure, flow and stability of the pumping system directly affects the pumping speed and distance of concrete.
– Working pressure determines the theoretical pumping distance
– Flow stability affects the continuity of concrete flow
– Pressure fluctuation should be controlled within ±5%
Engine power needs to leave a margin, it is recommended that the actual power used should not be more than 85% of the rated power, in order to ensure the long-term stable operation.
The environment of the construction site will also have an impact on the pumping distance. Temperature, humidity and wind speed and other natural conditions will affect the fluidity of concrete and pumping; while the terrain, landforms and obstacles will affect the arrangement of the pumping pipeline and pumping efficiency.
– High temperature accelerates cement hydration and increases pumping resistance
– Low temperature may trigger freezing and damage the concrete structure
– Ideal working temperature range: 5-35℃
When pumping vertically upwards, an additional pressure of 0.7MPa is required for every 10m height. Measurements of a mountainous area project show that pumping at a height difference of 200m requires an additional system pressure of about 14MPa compared with horizontal conveying.
Improve the fluidity and pumpability of concrete by adjusting its slump, aggregate ratio and additive use.
– Water reducing rate of polycarboxylic acid system water reducing agent can reach 25-35%
– Compound use with retarder can prolong the workability retention time
– Adding air-entraining agent to improve anti-separation performance
– Fly ash: Improvement of compatibility and reduction of heat of hydration
– Mineral slag powder: Improvement of late-strength and reduction of shrinkage
– Silica fume: Increase of cohesion, suitable for high-pressure pumping
Selection of suitable pipeline diameter and material, optimization of pipeline Optimize piping by selecting appropriate pipe diameter and material, reducing elbows and long conveying distances.
– Polished inner wall treatment to reduce friction coefficient
– Adopt quick couplings to improve piping efficiency
– Develop new composite pipes
– Lubricate piping with mortar for the first pump
– Application of special piping lubricant
– Water-soluble mold releasing agent to assist
Reasonable arrangement of the construction schedule, avoiding the construction in bad weather; clearing obstacles on the construction site to ensure the unobstructed flow of pumping pipelines
Select high performance pumping system, increase pressure and distance. Select high-performance pumping system, increase pressure and flow rate; select suitable pumping equipment according to project requirements. For example, for high-rise building projects, it is more appropriate to choose boom pumps, while for projects with flat ground, trailer pumps are more efficient.
Regularly check and maintain the concrete pump, keep the equipment in good working condition, replace damaged parts and clean the pipeline in time to ensure its stable operation.
There are many safety hazards during long-distance pumping, such as pipe bursting and concrete leakage. Therefore, effective precautions must be taken to ensure construction safety.
– Set up a safe operation procedure system and multi-stage pressure protection device
– Establish a pressure-distance correspondence database and calibrate the pressure sensors regularly
– Set up one fixing point for every 3m of the straight pipe section, and at least two fixing points for each section of the vertical pipeline
– Ensure that the equipment operates stably, and check the pressure system regularly.
– Understand the environment of the construction site and avoid operating overly complex piping layouts.
– Adopt professional safety facilities such as pressure monitoring devices and equipment to prevent clogging.
With the development of science and technology, concrete pumping technology continues to progress. In the future, concrete pumps will be more intelligent and automated, and will be able to control the pumping distance and pressure more accurately, while the introduction of new materials and new processes will further improve the performance of concrete and pumping distance.
The pumping distance of concrete pumps is affected by a variety of factors. Understanding the pumping distance of concrete pumps, as well as the various factors affecting their pumping effect, can help engineers choose suitable pumping equipment. By optimizing the concrete formula, improve the pumping pipeline, enhance the performance of pumping equipment and improve the construction environment and other means, can effectively improve the pumping distance, to ensure the smooth completion of the project.
