For construction projects of all sizes, concrete mixing plants, also known as BSUs (Betonnyy Smesitel"nyy Uzel), are indispensable. These plants are necessary for reliably and efficiently producing large amounts of concrete. These plants provide a consistent supply of high-quality concrete, which is essential for construction projects like building roads, bridges, and skyscrapers.
Different raw materials, such as cement, sand, water, and aggregates, are measured precisely at a concrete mixing plant.
Component | Description |
Hopper | Stores and feeds aggregate materials |
Conveyor Belt | Transports materials within the plant |
Batching Machine | Weighs and measures the materials accurately |
Mixing Unit | Mixes the materials to form concrete |
Control System | Manages the operations of the plant |
Storage Silos | Holds cement and other powdery materials |
Water Supply | Adds the required amount of water to the mix |
- What are they intended for?
- Application areas
- Criteria for choosing a concrete mixing plant
- Classification
- By purpose
- By operating principle
- By equipment layout
- Examples of manufacturers
- Video on the topic
- Concrete mixing installation BSU 50.50
- Concrete mixing installation BSU-10
- Concrete mixing installation BSU-100 to 100 m.Cube/hour
- Concrete mixing installation (BSU) Gran-60D production of concretemash
- Concrete mixing installation BSU-20M
- Concrete mixing installation of BSU
What are they intended for?
Concrete mixing plants and workshops for the creation of precast reinforced concrete structures are installed in construction sites with varying capacities. They serve as movable on-site equipment for preparing building mixtures.
Latex polymer concrete, quick-hardening mixtures, low-flow and mobile solutions, compacted and self-compacted concrete, foam concrete, and soil stabilizing material are all made with concrete mixing equipment. To achieve this, when producing a product, concrete plants employ additives in the form of ash, slag, silica microparticles, and volcanic tuff.
The production of concrete in different grades is the primary goal of mortar and concrete plants. In this instance, mortar mixers are made to mix mixtures with a fine portion of fillers, like crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Concrete mixers can mix large-fraction compositions, in contrast to the previous model. They have a bladed double-cone drum attached. In addition, the mixture’s constituent parts do not slide along the container’s interior walls, ensuring a smooth pour and thorough mixing when gravity takes over.
Application areas
Concrete mixing plants have a wide range of applications because of the power indicators’ extensive functionality and variability.
- in the construction industry – for the production of concrete for laying foundations and walls, creating floor slabs;
- in the transport sector – for the preparation of material for the construction of bridges, dams, highways, airport runways, railways;
- in the mining industry;
- in the public utilities sector – for the preparation of a mixture for laying curbs, sidewalks, carrying out street repairs;
- in individual construction – for obtaining a cement mass according to your own recipe, supplying ready-mixed concrete, decorative mixture, shotcrete concrete.
For plants and concrete plants that operate for extended periods of time under heavy loads and volumes of work, a stationary mixing machine is utilized. Completing on-site special equipment needed for linear-pulling concreting work can be done with a mobile concrete mixer.
Criteria for choosing a concrete mixing plant
The primary selection criteria for a concrete mixer are:
- The amount of energy consumption during the mixing process.
- Reliability, quality and durability of the plant.
- Volume of the mixing tank.
- Cost of the equipment.
The necessary volumes of the final solution should be your main consideration when selecting a concrete mixing plant. A model with a particular capacity for the machine’s mixing drum is chosen based on this parameter. The most widely used concrete mixer models have a capacity of 125–130 liters. Such a plant can produce enough volumes of solution to guarantee that sizable construction sites are operational. To avoid engine overheating and premature failure, the mixer needs to have protection against engine overload.
High drive power machines are productive, allowing for faster construction and more efficient use of labor. The following benefits are available to concrete plants, regardless of manufacturer and configuration:
- quickly assembled design;
- modern engineering solutions;
- reliability;
- economical consumption of materials;
- quick payback;
- possibility of automation of the technological process.
Classification
Mixing units are categorized based on the standards by which the matching kind of apparatus is accessible:
- the possibility of moving the device involves dividing it into mobile, stationary, semi-stationary (collapsible);
- ambient temperature during operation — summer, winter, all-season;
- productivity — mini-units (10–25 m3/h), standard complexes (up to 400 m3/h);
- aggregate storage method for the mixture — horizontal, vertical, disc, trough, rotary, planetary, turbulent, single- and twin-shaft;
- operating principle – continuous, cyclic (staged);
- method of mixing components of the mixture — forced action, gravity, combined (hybrid), targeted pneumatic (gunite, pneumatic pumps);
- automation level — non-automated, semi-automated, automated;
- loading method — equipped with a skip hoist, a special dispenser or with manual loading;
- control type — manual, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic;
- productivity — industrial (medium, low power), household.
By purpose
At some locations, using a particular type of concrete mixing plant is advised based on the intended use. This criterion separates concrete and mortar plants based on whether they are intended for use at temporary construction sites or at stationary reinforced concrete plants. They can be applied to create dry mixes or solutions.
By operating principle
This criterion separates concrete mixing plants into two classes:
- cyclic equipment, where loading, mixing and feeding are carried out in stages, while a new portion is fed only after unloading the prepared mixture;
- continuous installations where loading, mixing and feeding are carried out continuously.
By equipment layout
The BSU is split into two categories by this parameter:
- Single-stage or high-rise devices with a single lifting of raw materials. The finished mixture is supplied by gravity under the influence of gravity. The concrete solution is prepared in four stages: receiving, dosing of raw material, mixing and feeding. Some installations provide for an additional stage of mechanochemical activation of cement.
- Two-stage or partner mechanisms, where the feedstock is lifted twice: initially into the flow meter, then after dosing into the mixers. A conveyor or skip hoist is used for this purpose. This type of machine requires high energy and labor costs, as well as large production areas.
Examples of manufacturers
Concrete-mortar production units can differ greatly from one another even though they are specific. Different models have different sets of options depending on the manufacturer.
A stationary unit with a 100 m3/h capacity from the German manufacturer Liebherr stands out for its excellent quality and effectiveness. However, such equipment needs to be completely disassembled and dismantled in order to be transported.
A large variety of mobile equipment with a 15 m3/h capacity is used by Russian units. This kind of concrete mixing unit has the benefit of being mobile without requiring total disassembly.
A low-power (10 m3/h) all-season unit that can run in any temperature is also available from FERRUM MIX (Russia). There is a model for use in the winter from this manufacturer. A unit like this, which can load raw materials vertically and has a 30-meter-per-hour capacity, can be connected to a steam generator or other heating source and offers extra body heat protection.
Chinese Komatsu models with a medium capacity (50 m3/h) that store raw materials vertically can be arranged to save a significant amount of space.
To produce large quantities of high-quality concrete for a variety of construction projects, a concrete mixing unit (BSU) is necessary. Its effectiveness and consistency guarantee that the concrete satisfies the particular needs of every job, which enhances the general success and security of construction projects.
The precise control over the mixing process is made possible by the automation and cutting-edge technology found in contemporary BSUs. Because of this accuracy, the production process is more economical and environmentally friendly while also saving time and labor.
Purchasing a concrete mixing plant can be very advantageous for
An indispensable facility in the construction sector, a concrete mixing unit (BSU) is built to reliably and efficiently produce large amounts of high-grade concrete. By precisely mixing cement, water, and aggregates in the right amounts, these plants expedite the mixing process and guarantee a consistent blend that satisfies building codes. Large-scale projects require BSUs because they provide the speed, dependability, and consistency that modern construction demands.