What is a concrete pump? It is a tool used to transfer liquefied concrete by pumping. There are two types of concrete pumps.

One type is in boom trucks and they are self-contained units consisting of a truck and frame, and the pump itself. It derives its name because a remote controlled robotic arm called a boom to position it with precision. Boom trucks are primarily used for concrete on everything from slabs and mid-rise buildings to large commercial and industrial projects. They can range from single-axle truck-mounted pumps designed for increased maneuverability, capable of working in small spaces and cost-effectively, to very large six-axle platforms used for their powerful pumps and very long reach in high-rise buildings. and other large-scale projects.

Due to their reach, boom trucks are often parked in the same location the entire time the concrete is being poured. This allows ready-mix concrete trucks to dump their loads directly into the pumps’ hopper at a central location and helps create more efficient traffic flow on the jobsite.

The second type of concrete pump is usually mounted on a truck and is called a truck mounted concrete pump or placed on a trailer and is usually referred to as a line pump or trailer mounted concrete pump.

Line pumps are extremely versatile portable units typically used to pump not only structural concrete, but also grout, wet screeds, mortar, shotcrete, aerated concrete and slurries. Concrete pump manufacturers have a variety of line pumps to meet different needs.

Line pumps generally use ball valve pumps. While the smaller models are also known as slurry pumps, many can be used for structural concrete and shotcrete where low volume is needed. Another application is the repair of underwater concrete, the filling of fabric forms, the placement of concrete in heavily reinforced sections, and the construction of tie beams for masonry walls. Some of the hydraulically powered models have pumped structural concrete at rates in excess of 150 cubic yards per hour.
The cost of ball valve pumps is relatively inexpensive and there are few parts to wear out. Due to its simple design, the pump is easy to clean and maintain. The units are usually small and easy to maneuver, and the hoses are easy to handle.

This pump requires steel or rubber concrete placement hoses that are manually connected to the outlet of the machine. Those hoses are attached to each other and conduct the specific requirements that need to be poured and placed. They typically pump concrete at lower volumes than boom pumps and are used for lower volume concrete pouring applications such as swimming pools, single-family home concrete sidewalks and slabs, and most floor slabs.

Another type are skid-mounted and rail-mounted concrete pumps, but these are not common and are only used on specialized jobsites such as mines and tunnels. Concrete pumps are hardly ever noticed by people, but they play a vital role in our life.