The key to a successful concrete pump pour is to manage the pour from ordering the pump and concrete, organising the site and supervising the pumping operation. Some guidelines are set out below to assist with planning a pump pour.
When ordering a pump please give the following information:
- Company name
- Contact name and telephone number
- Full site address including postcode if known
- Date and time for the pump, allow approximately 1 hour for the pump operator to set up the pump
- Size of pump required
- Company order number where required
- Volume and type of concrete including any admixtures, additions, fibres etc.
- Brief description of the pour e.g. footing, external slab, bridge deck etc.
- Any other special requirements pipeline, second man etc.
To ensure a safe and efficient pump pour, please supply:
- A level area of hard standing, with no overhead obstructions, on which to set up the pump
- Clear access to the pump for the truck mixers
- Cement to grout the pipeline – 1 x 25 kg bags per 10 metres of pipeline
- Somewhere to deposit excess grout
- A good pump mix concrete of S3, S4 or S5 consistence. Your ready mixed concrete supplier will advise
- A competent concreting gang to lay the concrete
- A suitable place for the operator to wash the pump out at the end of the job. At least 1/3 cubic metre of concrete will be left in the pump after the pumping operation on a boom pump, much less on a line pump
- A good supply of water will help the operator, though the pump does carry its own supply
The sequence of a typical pump pour:
The pump will arrive and the operator will liaise with the contractor before setting up the pump, pipeline (if required) and preparing the grout
The concrete mixer truck will arrive and back onto the pump
The pump operator will then grout the line and commence pumping. It is good site practise to pump excess grout to waste, not into the pour
The concrete will be placed into position using the boom where possible. Where ground-line is used, the concreting gang will need to move the pipeline around as the pour progresses
Cautionary note: Concrete is pumped at high pressure. All personnel should be made aware of the risks and dangers associated with end hose usage
When the truck mixer has discharged its load, the mixer chutes will be cleaned before the mixer leaves. The chutes should not be washed into the hopper as this could cause a blockage and affect the quality of the concrete.
The next mixer will then arrive, back on to the pump and discharge its load
At the end of the pour, the pump operator will clean all the concrete from the pump and pipeline. This operation will take approximately one hour, more if the job involves a long pipeline
The pump operator will then put the boom back into its travel position and load all the ancillary equipment onto the pump
The job sheet will then be prepared for the contractor to sign
