Concrete

Given the ubiquity of concrete, one may think that producing concrete is a simple process. However, producing high-quality concrete requires a great deal of technical expertise and know-how of the specific properties required for each type of use. 

Although the basic contents may be the similar, each application requires a precise kind of concrete, from a hydroelectric dam to a supermarket parking lot, from underwater structures to colour varieties that combine structural and aesthetic properties. 

For this reason, an in-depth analysis must be made of any project involving our concrete to determine the precise requirements of the client and to provide the best possible solutions. 

Production Process

??Dosing
1

Dosing

1

Concrete is produced by mixing cement, aggregates (sand and gravel), water and additives. The most frequently used additive is a plasticizer which retards the setting of the concrete, permitting it to be delivered in time to our costumers. The components of the concrete are laboratory tested by sampling to ensure quality control, always in accordance with the technical standards in force and with internal operating procedures.

Dosing
Storage Storage Storage
2

Storage

2

After testing, all the raw materials are stored in the aggregates bays.

Storage
Mix Hopper
3

Mix Hopper

3

A wheel loader transports the material to the mix hopper, which loads the boxes for each of the aggregates via a transport system. An automatic system sends out an alarm whenever stock levels are low.

Mix Hopper
Loading point
4

Loading point

4

The raw materials are weighed in the aggregates box and transported to the loading point where they are loaded in the drum of the concrete mixer. At this point the water and additives are added, as is the cement, which falls from the silos located immediately above. The process is fully automated and is overseen from the control room.

Loading point
Control room
5
5

Control room

The control room oversees the production of the diverse types of concrete. The dosing of the product is the responsibility of a technology coordinator who inputs the data in the system before production. The inclusion of certain specifications in the concrete may require up to 28 days so that the product can be tested in the laboratory prior to being entered in the system.

The humidity of the sands is tested three times a day. This informs the system of the need to correct the quantity of the water for a particular batch. The control room is also responsible for processing orders and issuing invoices.

Control room
Cleaning area
6

Cleaning area

6

Once they have been loaded, the concrete mixers proceed to the cleaning area, where the concrete is mixed for approximately ten minutes.

Concrete Low
Exit
7
7

Exit

With the concrete mixed and ready for delivery, the mixer truck proceeds to the plant gate where a seal is applied. This provides the customer with the guarantee that the concrete has not been interfered with between the plant and the destination.

Exit
Laboratory
8

Laboratory

8

To guarantee quality we take a sample of the material, consisting of a molded cube collected by the driver on the construction site. These concrete cubes are sent to the laboratory, identified and stored in a wet chamber (or tank with water at a controlled temperature) until the prescribed date. Then, after 7 and 28 days, they are ruptured in automated presses in the laboratory. This process ensures the quality of the concrete produced.

Laboratory
  • 1Dosing
  • 2Storage
  • 3Mix Hopper
  • 4Loading point
  • 5Control room
  • 6Cleaning area
  • 7Exit
  • 8Laboratory