What is Concrete Pumping and How Does it Work?

When you’re undertaking a construction project, it’s crucial that you manage time correctly, and no labour or time is used up unnecessarily. Concrete pumping is a vital element of any project involving the material, as it moves the mix around far, far quicker than any human pushing a wheelbarrow could – no matter how fast you are!

Concrete pumping is the transporting of a freshly mixed batch of concrete to a specific location on a site. This might be to the back garden of a house, or pumping concrete used for foundations into the appropriate area of a housing development. Whenever a considerable amount of concrete is needed, it is best to opt for concrete pumping – it saves a lot of time and a lot of effort. A wheelbarrow might be cheaper, but once you’ve heaved two barrows of concrete from a lorry to where you need it to be, you’ll soon wish you had a concrete pump instead.

There are two common types of concrete pump: ground pumps (or line pumps) and boom pumps. They are used for different purposes and are more effective on different kinds of sites.

Ground Pumps

Where a ground pump is concerned, the concrete is fed into a pump that runs along the ground to the specific area where it’s needed. For example, if you need concrete for your garden but have a narrow alley down the side of your home, meaning the concrete lorry can’t access the back garden, the pump can fit through the narrow gap, transporting the concrete with minimal fuss.

Boom Pumps

A Boom Pump is used for areas that even a ground pump can’t reach. These pumps use a remote controlled, sometimes-extendable arm that can reach up and over houses and other obstructions – perfect for situations where concrete is needed on higher ground, such as the top floor of an apartment block.

The agility of the arm means that it can transport concrete safely and quickly to almost any location – live in the middle of a row of terraced houses and need concrete for your back garden patio? A boom pump can reach over your home, down into your garden and pump the concrete into place in a matter of minutes – no need for energy-sapping wheelbarrow trips. Our 28m boom pumps have been used on all manner of sites to make a potentially-time consuming task efficient and safe.

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The concrete is mixed in our trucks, which then dispense the mixture into a ‘hopper’ on the back of the truck – whilst in the hopper, the concrete is churned, keeping it flowing. The concrete is pulled from the hopper into the pump itself, where it is transported down the pump into the desired location. Once the process has finished, ‘reverse pumping’ may take place, which cleans out the hose after a pour.

Concrete pumping is the most efficient, effective and safe way to move concrete around a construction site. Total Concrete are experts in providing concrete pumping services to customers throughout Surrey and the surrounding areas. For more information, please get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to help.