Ready-Mixed Concrete Consulting
CTLGroup’s concrete and cement-based materials experts offer a variety of services designed to maintain quality while avoiding common production errors. In addition to supporting plant operations, CTLGroup provides preconstruction services such as mixture design review, development, optimization, and troubleshooting during the course of construction, as well as post-construction representation such as onsite inspection, in-situ testing, and remedial practices consultation.
Services
- Materials testing and new product development
- Education and training
- Plant services and optimization: On-site batch plant configuration and troubleshooting, quality control evaluations, equipment performance inspection, plant audits, energy use audits, and environmental compliance testing
- Mixture proportion consulting and optimization: Review of concrete mixture proportions and specifications; low heat mass concrete mixture optimization; aggregate optimization and void space/particle packing analysis; mixture development for creep and shrinkage performance; sustainable concrete mixture development to reduce carbon footprint; fiber reinforced concrete (FRC); flowable, tremie & self-consolidating concrete (SCC); rapid setting or high early strength concrete; mixture development for durability/service life requirements or performance based specification assistance; mixture cost optimization
- Engineering and problem solving: Concrete precooling and thermal analysis; extended slump life/pumpability troubleshooting; setting time/early strength troubleshooting and maturity for early formwork removal; formwork pressure assessment; admixture and cementitious material interaction and fly ash troubleshooting
Common Material Tests Performed
- ASTM C311 — Sampling and Testing Fly Ash for use in Concrete
- ASTM C1202 — Rapid Cloride Ion Penetration (RCP)
- ASTM C1556 — Apparent Diffusion Coefficient
- ASTM C1585 — Water Absorption and Desorption
- ASTM C1567 — Potential ASR of Comb. of Aggregate and SCM
- ASTM C1702 — Heat of Hydration
Concrete and Cement-Based Materials Experts
Variability associated with batching at ready-mix plants can significantly affect the performance characteristics of the mixture as designed, i.e., compressive strength, plastic properties, specified performance etc., and can creates inventory control issues. The cost of remedial work typically ranges from 3 to 10 times the cost of initial concrete placement/construction work. Therefore, accurate batching is paramount to maintain and improve the production of ready-mix batch plants as it helps improve the quality of the supplied concrete, reduces the number of rejected loads, and provides consistent production. Ready-mix concrete operations are required to meet industry standards, i.e., ASTM C94, ACI 117, PCI, NRMCA and DOT. Efficient ready-mix concrete operations allow for cost-effective material inventory control and reduces material loss and waste.
Get in contact with a CTLGroup ready mix concrete expert by visiting www.ctlgroup.com/contact
