A concrete conveyor is a piece of heavy machinery used to transport mixed concrete from a truck or other containment system to another location for pouring and curing. Sometimes the concrete conveyor is a part of a cement mixing truck, and the conveyor can be moved into position once the truck is parked. When the truck is in transport, the conveyor can be moved flush with the body of the vehicle for safety and aerodynamics. In other instances, the conveyor system is an independent unit that can be hauled into place by a towing vehicle.
Once in position, the concrete conveyor will allow workers to mix concrete in one location, and then transport that mixed concrete to another location quickly and easily so it can be poured in place. This is useful in situations in which the mixing equipment cannot be positioned close enough to a mold or other location in need of mixed concrete. The concrete conveyor is also useful in pouring very large sections of concrete: the conveyor can be positioned at the far end of the marked location, then moved as the concrete is poured over the large area.
The specific design of the concrete conveyor can vary, though most will feature a hopper of some sort in which the mixed concrete will be poured. This hopper will then release a measured amount of concrete at one time onto the conveyor belt, which will then transport the mixed material to the other end of the conveyor system. Once the concrete reaches the end of the conveyor system, it will fall through a funnel or tube that can be manipulated so a user can control where the concrete falls. The walls of the conveyor system will help prevent the mixed concrete from falling off the sides, thereby preventing concrete from curing where it should not otherwise be.
If the concrete conveyor is affixed to a cement mixing truck, the concrete will be fed into the hopper from the rotating mixing drum automatically. If the conveyor is an independent unit, concrete may need to be fed manually onto the conveyor by a worker with a shovel. The specific process will vary according to the size of the construction process and the amount of access space available for transporting equipment and concrete. The length of the conveyor itself can also vary significantly according to the size of the job.
By Dan Cavallari