What is a Concrete Batching Plant?

Have you wondered how construction companies manage to source concrete to build skyscrapers and houses so efficiently? The answer is a concrete batching plant. These powerhouses of concrete production safely store and mix concrete for construction projects to use anywhere in the world.

We’re Lontto, an industry-leading supplier of block- and brick-making machines for your business. We’ve created a guide to help you understand what a concrete batching plant is, the different types of plants, and which you should choose for your next contract or home.

Key Takeaways

• There are multiple types of concrete batching plants, including stationary, mobile, central mix, and ready-mix plants.
• Concrete batching plants comprise several components including aggregate bins, conveyors, weighing hoppers, and more that are managed using a control system.
• While factors like a high initial investment can deter consumers, concrete batch plants offer benefits like high production, long-term savings, and high-quality concrete.
• Your choice of concrete batching plant should reflect the demands and constraints of your construction project.

What are the Different Types of Concrete Batching Plants?

Companies have a large degree of flexibility on what kind of concrete factory they want to invest in. The main types of plants include stationary, mobile, central mix, or ready-mix concrete plants.

Stationary Plants

Stationary concrete batching plants are designed to meet the demands of construction projects that require a high production capacity. You’ll likely see stationary plants used to construct skyscrapers and other large construction jobs, although at varying production capacities. A stationary plant can produce high-quality concrete at a rate of anywhere from 30 to 200m³ per hour.

Mobile Plants

A mobile batch plant offers an easily transportable and flexible solution that can produce concrete for out-the-way jobs or projects at multiple locations. Companies often rent or buy mobile concrete plants when they need to work on a short-term basis, so a mobile concrete batching plant meets the smaller demand these projects require. As a result, they don’t match the production capacity of the stationary batching process.

While they produce less, mobile plants take less time to set up, have a lower initial investment, and remove the need for long waits while the concrete is transported to the site.

Central Mix Plants

Also called wet-batch or wet-mix plants, central mix plants mix all ingredients in one location (dry ingredients and water). While the production of concrete can be slower than ready-mix concrete plants, the end result will often be very high-quality concrete if it’s mixed at the plant rather than in a truck. The concrete mix is then transferred from the plant to a hopper that deposits the mix into a truck, which takes it to the construction site.

Central mix plants allow for more flexibility and come at a higher initial cost than ready-mix plants; however, it’s worth noting that the overall quality of both ready-mix and central mix concrete primarily relies on how the concrete is handled and transported, along with the quality of the materials. If used and prepared correctly, both techniques can yield excellent concrete.

Ready-Mix Plants

A ready-mix batch plant is one of the most common types of concrete mixer plants since they are cost-effective, time-saving, and efficient. Instead of mixing all the ingredients (cement, water, aggregates, chemical admixtures) at the batching plant, the dry ingredients are mixed together in exact ratios and then poured into a cement truck. In the truck, water is added, and the concrete is mixed en route to the job site.

These are sometimes used interchangeably with dry-mix plants and precast concrete. Ready-mix concrete plants are often cheaper than central mix plants. Your ready-mix concrete will be very robust and long-lasting as it is produced under strict guidelines using only the highest quality ingredients.

However, using transport to mix your concrete, even if it's at a mixing yard or inside a drum, can potentially produce a lower quality concrete than a central mix concrete plant. Managing the dispatching of your trucks is also critical for batch plant managers, as it can affect concrete quality and project timelines.

What are the Main Components of a Concrete Batching Plant?

A concrete batch plant or batching plant is made up of various key components, including:

• Aggregate bins
• Conveyor belt
• Cement silo
• Supplementary cementitious material (SCM) bin
• Weighing hopper
• Control system
• Twin-shaft mixer

Benefits and Drawbacks of Concrete Batching Plants

Which Type of Concrete Batching Plant Should You Choose?

The type of concrete batching plant you choose should reflect the requirements of your construction needs. If you have multiple projects that all need a batch of concrete, opting for a more flexible option like a mobile concrete plant will be the most beneficial. Likewise, if your batching plant is close to the construction site you are working on, then choosing a wet-mix or central mix concrete product will offer you the highest quality concrete.

Lontto offers high-quality and efficient brick- and block-making machines for every construction need. Our range of manual, semi-automatic, and automatic concrete block machines comes with installation and training provided. Get machine pricing and a free quote within 24 hours (1 working day) today.

Concrete Batching Plant FAQs

How long does it take to install a Concrete Batching Plant?

It can take between 3 and 8 days to install a small concrete batching plant, although this can vary based on the type of concrete batching plant work required to install it. A pre-installed batching plant that is tested at a factory such as Lontto will reduce the time to install your block-making machine significantly.

What is concrete made from?

Concrete is made using largely cement aggregates like sand and gravel that are mixed with SCMs like fly ash and admixture. These ingredients are mixed together at a specific ratio, then water is added, and the wet mix concrete is taken to the construction site for brickwork.

If you liked this, you might also be interested in Clay Bricks vs Concrete Bricks, and What is a Dry Batch Concrete Plant?

Back to Top: What is a Concrete Batching Plant?