Batching Plant

I. Introduction

Batching plant, defined.

A batching plant (batch plant, concrete plant or concrete batching plant) is an assemblage of
equipment that combines various ingredients to form concrete.

Typical plants are used for ready mix, civil infrastructure, and precast applications.

It may either be a dry mix or wet mix concrete plant.

There are two main types of concrete plants: Dry mix plants and Wet mix plants, and also plants
that contain both a transit mix side and a central mix side while utilizing common material
storage points. A concrete plant can have a variety of parts and accessories, including: mixers
(either tilt drum or horizontal or in some cases both), cement batchers, aggregate batchers,
conveyors, radial stackers, aggregate bins, cement bins, heaters, chillers, cement silos, batch
plant controls, and dust collectors.

The heart of the concrete batching plant is the mixer, and there are many types of mixers such as
Tilt Drum, Pan, Planetary, Single Shaft and Twin shaft mixer. The twin shaft mixer can ensure an
even mixture of concrete through the use of high horsepower motors, while the tilt mixer offers a
consistent mix with much less maintenance labor and cost.[1] In North America, the predominant
central mixer type is a tilt drum style, while in Europe a Twin Shaft is more prevalent. A Pan or
Planetary mixer is more common at a precast plant. Aggregate bins have 2 to 6 compartments for
storage of various sand and aggregate (rocks, gravel, etc.) sizes, while cement silos are typically
one or two compartments, but at times up to 4 compartments in a single silo. Conveyors are
typically between 24-48 inches wide and carry aggregate from the ground hopper to the aggregate
bin, as well as from the aggregate batcher to the charge chute.

OPERATING A BATCHING PLANT

Modern concrete batch plants (both Wet mix and Dry mix) employ computer aided control to assist
in fast and accurate measurement of input constituents or ingredients. With concrete performance
so dependent on accurate water measurement, systems often use digital scales for cementitious
materials and aggregates, and moisture probes to measure aggregate water content as it enters the
aggregate batcher to automatically compensate for the mix design water/cement ratio target. Many
producers find moisture probes work well only in sand, and with marginal results on larger sized
aggregate.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Municipalities, especially in urban or residential areas, have been concerned at the pollution by
concrete batching plants. The absence of suitable dust collection and filter systems in cement silos
or at the truck loading point is the major source of particulate matter emission in the air. The
loading point is a large emission point for dust pollution, so many concrete producers utilize central
dust collectors to contain this dust. Notably, many transit mix (dry loading) plants create
significantly more dust pollution than central mix plants due to the nature of the batching process.
A final source of concern for many municipalities is the presence of extensive water runoff and
reuse for water spilled on a producer's sites.

II. Contracting management service

Managing contracts can be time-consuming and frustrating for small business owners. You've got
to comply with details in your contracts that can severely impact your work. Deadlines, payment
schedules and legal compliance issues must be recognized and appropriately addressed to fulfill
your obligations. Using a third-party management service may cut into your profits, but it also may
prove to be worth the investment in the final analysis.

Time
You can save a considerable amount of time by hiring out the management of your various
contracts, time that can best be utilized running your business and soliciting new accounts. Many
contracts, especially those you receive from government entities, require extensive time to make
regular reports, keep up with the different deadlines and honor all the work you've agreed to
provide.

Costs
You can realize cost savings by using a management company to service your contracts.
Specialized software to track your contract obligations can be costly. Without it, you may miss
important deadlines or affect performance with overlapping workloads. By centralizing your
computer files with an outside agency, you can best utilize your resources to fulfill your
obligations. Contract managers can keep you updated on important deadlines and payment
schedules when they link to your own communications systems. Finally, you save administrative
costs incurred when your employees must deal with change-orders, payment schedules and
reporting requirements.

Missed Opportunities
A contract manager maintains your records so that you have easy access to the data and can make
accurate business projections. Negotiations are based on real-time projections that take into
account the current status of your workload and obligations so that you don't miss any opportunities
because you didn't have an accurate view of your company's position. By automating your contract
processes, you always know where you stand on your ongoing contracts so that your crews stay
busy and productive.

Relationships
You don't have to worry about harming relationships with your clients when they trust you can
fulfill your contract obligations. Relationships become strained and lead to fewer work orders
when you miss deadlines and spend excessively over your agreed-on budgets. A contract manager
is always available to your client when changes need to be made, further enhancing your image as
a reliable and responsive service provider. With various supervisors and team leaders providing
progress reports, the information is turned into a consistent reporting format that provides another
layer of comfort and understanding for your contract clients.

III. Costing (SEE ATTACHMENTS- put some explanation)

A. Fixed Cost
B. Variable Cost
C. Materials

IV. Projected Production per month

V. Projected Revenue
VI. Projected Expenses
VII. Projected Income
VIII. Return on Investment
IX. Marketability
A. Advantages of having a plant near the site
A concrete batching plant is a valuable asset to any construction site. Thanks to
advances in concrete production equipment, many major construction projects are
equipped with an on-site batching plant. With the presence of a batch plant, a
construction site will benefit from a constant supply of bespoke mixes of high
quality concrete. This means that construction projects can be completed sooner, as
workers never have to wait for concrete to be delivered to site. A steady supply of
concrete is key to ensuring your construction site is as productive as possible. This
then enables you to meet all your construction deadlines, while getting the most out
of your workforce and any hired equipment. Relying on a concrete supplier to
deliver concrete to your site can result in delays. In addition to getting your concrete
at a higher cost, you run the risk of delays caused by traffic or breakdowns. With
your own onsite concrete batching plant, you can ensure that your concrete is mixed
to the exact specifications and quantities required. A continual supple of concrete
and flexible production will result in construction projects being more efficient.
With a portable batching plant, construction managers are able to disassemble the
plant in a short period of time, before moving it to the next site. This is a great
advantage because being able to produce your own concrete can cut down your
costs, increasing your profit margin. A mobile batching plant reduces transport
costs by minimizing the distance needed to move concrete to where it is required,
thereby driving your costs down and keeping onsite disruptions to a minimum. In
the past many contractors chose centralized batching plants to ensure consistent
concrete mixes. However, thanks to advanced technology, mobile batching plants
can meet the quality levels previously only achievable at centralized plants.

B. Control over permits and other regulatory agencies

X. CONCLUSION
Given a tangible contract management function to effectively manage obligations, having a
management contract would help you save time and effort while enjoying the benefits of
having a business.

Once you have a management contract, you will be able to properly monitor and oversee the
implementation of your business, without the hassle of the daily monitoring and looking into
the activities in the plant.

All these while being protected under the provisions of the contractual agreement.