Pushing the boundaries

Concrete is No Longer Just a Functional construction material and projects like the Phæno Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany (CE, September 2005) show that it is at the forefront of architectural aesthetics. But whatever the project, the logistics of getting the right amount of concrete to the right place at the right time can be vital to the success of the whole scheme.

To meet the changing and increasing demands of the construction industry, concrete pumping and placing equipment manufacturers are developing new machines. These advances not only make the complex construction schemes possible but the technology is also helping to deliver efficiency benefits for the rest of the sector too.

Putzmeister's latest launch is a compact truck mounted concrete pump which is designed specifically for use on sites with limited access, such as city centre redevelopments. The M 20-4 ZR features a four fold 'Z roll and fold' boom which, until now, has only been used on larger machines such as the Putzmeister M 24-4 ZR and M 31-5 ZR.

The M 20-4 ZR weighs in at 18 tonnes and is mounted on a 4,5 m long, 2,5 m wide two axle chassis. During operation the front supports fold out to a 3,4 m width – the same width as the truck with its doors open – and the rear supports do not extend beyond the width of the chassis.

When the boom is fully folded, the machine measures just under 3,9 m in height. But when the specially developed 125 mm diameter placing boom is fully extended it has a reach of 20 m and can be fed through windows or other openings. The core pump which Putzmeister recommends for use with the M 20-4 ZR is an aggregate pump with a 1400 mm stroke and 230 mm diameter delivery cylinder which offers delivery rates of up to 90 m³/h or pump pressure of 78 bar.

The launch of the M20-4 ZR follows on from the successful delivery of the first Putzmeister M42 truck based pumps to customers in Europe late last year. The M42 has a 42 m vertical reach five section 'Z roll and fold' boom which needs just 8,6 m of headroom to unfold, making it ideal for confined sites.

The 33 tonne M42 is mounted on four axles and is just 11,6 m long and 5,5 m wide. The machine can be used with the outriggers extended to 5,1 m at the front and 5,8 m at the rear but can be extended to 7,9 m, if there is sufficient room on site, to maximise stability.

Schwing's newest machines are also aimed at delivering maximum performance from a smaller footprint. The S 17 and S 21 truck mounted concrete pumps have been designed to suit a wide variety of applications from renovation through to tunnel construction but, according to Schwing, the narrow working width makes them ideal for city centre construction sites and concreting in restricted traffic areas.

The S 17 has a 17 m vertical reach, 100 mm diameter delivery pipe and does not need front outriggers as the truck's 2,2 m wide chassis provide sufficient stability. The standard S 21 truck has a 21 m vertical reach. Both the S 17 and S 21 are available in Vario versions which feature a permanently mounted box which are able to take a 100 m long, 65 mm diameter hose or an 80 or 100 mm diameter hose up to 36 m long. The machine can also be fitted with demountable 3 or 4 m charging boxes on the left hand side which enables contractors to continue work between concrete deliveries.

A new name to the European concrete pumping market is Zoomlion Powermole, a subsidiary of the Chinese construction equipment manufacturer Zoomlion Group. Zoomlion Powermole has been importing its equipment into the Middle East for the last 18 months and has sold over 50 truck mounted concrete pumps and placing booms in that time. The company has just gained CE certification for its concrete equipment clearing the way for distribution in Europe.

According to Zoomlion, it expects the range to prove popular as the equipment combines high European levels of quality with very competitive prices. The equipment is manufactured in China using components imported from European suppliers – its trucks are either Volvo or Mercedes chassis, and hydraulic components are supplied by Rexroth, Hawe and Bravini.

The vertical reach of the Zoomlion truck mounted pumps on offer in Europe range from 37 to 47 m. Placing booms are available in a variety of specifications including self climbing or inner climbing, manual or hydraulic, and in lengths from 10 to 38 m.

Italy-based Cifa launched four new truck mounted concrete pumps for the international market at last year's Samoter exhibition in Verona, Italy. The K31 XZ and K36 XZ are both upgraded models but the K41 XRZ and K48 XRZ are completely new machines.

The K41 XRZ and K48 XRZ have 41 and 48 m booms, respectively, which fold in five sections. During the design phase Cifa focused on reducing the overall weight of the trucks and creating better weight distribution to maximise the performance. The design of the booms and pipeline were also revised and now include larger radius elbows.

The upgraded K31 XZ has a 31 m, five section boom with a 125 mm diameter delivery pipe and has been designed to simplify maintenance operations. The machine now also shares more components with other Cifa truck mounted pumps which will improve the availability of spare parts.

The K36 XZ is an evolution of the K3X and K36 truck mounted concrete pumps and the changes enable the pump to be mounted on either a three or four axle chassis. The new model also has a redesigned 36 m four section boom and is fitted with a 125 mm diameter delivery pipe.

Sprayed Solutions

Cifa has also launched a new machine for the sprayed concrete market. The new Spritz System CSS3, which has been designated the Platinum Series, was unveiled at SAIE in Bologna, Italy in October last year. The new model is an upgrade version of the popular CSS2, which has sold more than 500 units around the world.

The CSS3 has three section 'Z' folding boom which can be extend to an operating height of 15,7 m and features a nozzle articulation control which can move through 270°. The machine is powered by a Deutz engine that has been selected to produce less noise and emissions during the pumping phase.

Multiquip's trailer based Mayco C-30HDN is a high performance concrete pump which is designed for shotcreting applications. The pump has a 19 m³/h output and an over sized inlet valve allows it to pump concrete containing aggregate up to 12,5 mm as well as stiff, low slump shotcrete mixes.

The C-30HDN, which replaces the C-30HD, is available with either a 46 hp (34 kW) liquid cooled Nissan petrol engine or a 39 hp (29 kW) Deutz diesel engine. The pump weighs 1,2 tonnes and is 3,8 m long, 0,97 m wide and 1,6 m high.