What are Concrete Batch Plants?

Colloquially known as concrete mixing plants, these are the places where concrete is manufactured. The process involved in creating concrete is called batching, hence the name, which is comprised of cement being mixed with coarse aggregate (graded crush) and fine aggregate (sand, particularly pit sand), as well as with water.

There are two main types of concrete batch plants, namely the ready-mix and central mix ones. Ready-mix plants involve the combination of all abovementioned ingredients, with the exception of water. Here, the so-called “dry” mixture will be loaded onto a ready mix or concrete transport truck and dispatched to the site where mixing is required. Afterwards, water will then be added to the dry mixture during the actual journey to the mixing site.

On the other hand, central mix plants are a bit of a contrast – in here, either all or some of the dry ingredients will be combined. Then, water will also be added while the mixture is still held in the central location. Afterwards, the now-wet mixture is transported to the subsequent mixing site.

Nowadays, it’s not all about traditional methods as computers are now prevalent and ever-present in batch plants. A vast majority of these plants are now equipped with an array of computers to guide the concrete processing, allowing for a faster, more accurate mixing of ingredients.