Best Practices for Concrete Placement in Construction

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world due to its ease of installation and ability to bear extremely heavy loads. It is one of the few materials that can stand constant exposure to water without deterioration. But, the proper concrete placement in construction is crucial for structural integrity, safety, and aesthetics. 
Here, we explore the nuances of efficient concrete placement that uses modern concrete equipment, such as the Deslauriers Tremie Hopper, to overcome concrete placement challenges. When it comes to construction material handling, concrete placement demands efficiency because extended delays between batching and discharge can lead to a significant loss of concrete workability and project quality. 

It is both time and the chemical reaction between water and cement that starts the curing process, or concrete hardening. While a number of different physical and environmental properties can affect the final, hardened concrete mass, it reduces wasted time during concrete pouring and placement that will make a project run smoothly and have a final surface or structure that is of the highest quality. 
A lack of efficiency during the concrete pour stage can cause material segregation, which can lead to cracks, weakened areas, and reduced load-bearing capacity. Each of these concrete pour deficiencies can cause significant safety considerations because each can lead to a structural failure. 
The most efficient concrete placement will limit the time used in putting and reduce the amount of time required for rehandling. Some common challenges during concrete placement in construction include:

• Environmental conditions - hot or cold weather, low or high humidity can all result in reduced strength, shrinkage, or cracking
• Site accessibility - limited space or physical obstructions can limit cement truck access and negatively affect productivity.
• Material properties - extended concrete placement times can influence aggregate properties such as workability, flow, and cohesiveness. 

Construction industry best practices include proven principles, such as proper planning for site access and having the right equipment capable of quickly handling and placing the concrete. The entire concrete pour should be executed with a team approach to improve placement outcomes. The following 3 considerations will contribute to efficient building methods:

1. Preserving concrete quality such as slump, air content, water/cement ratio, and homogeneity.
2. Reducing placement time by avoiding the separation of mortar and aggregate between the mixer and final pour
3. Choosing the right equipment to maintain sufficient placement capacity

Consider the Deslauriers Tremie Hopper, designed to address the most challenging field problems concerning construction material handling, including capacity, durability, and maintenance. 

The  Deslauriers Tremie Hopper is designed with a large capacity (36" square) hopper and the ability to increase the 8" discharge opening to 12". The flexibility of the discharge opening can significantly improve placement outcomes and help overcome productivity delays. It is constructed of a heavy-duty polyethylene hopper with a steel-reinforced frame to support larger loads that demand heavier equipment. Project efficiency is further enhanced by this easy-to-clean material, making even hardened concrete readily removable by hose-down. 

The Tremie Hopper's technical specifications include many features that benefit concrete placement. Concrete pours require reinforced construction tools with the durability and strength to meet rigorous job site demands. Productivity is enhanced and costs reduced with a larger capacity hopper. 

Consider these features of the Deslauriers Tremie Hopper: 

Large Capacity Hopper Design—The large-capacity 36” square hopper can support significantly greater concrete volumes, allowing for faster placement in less time. The Tremie has been designed with hopper walls that are not only smooth but also at the right angle to facilitate material flow. These design considerations will reduce clean-up time due to concrete caking and wall build-up. 
Flexible Discharge Opening - The Tremie is designed with an 8” discharge opening, but we've made it easy to increase discharge rates by easily cutting the opening to 12". The ability to control flow with a more extensive discharge opening means greater field productivity and shortened project timelines. 
Heavy Duty Construction - This hopper has been designed with a heavy-duty polyethylene material to handle rugged concrete pouring techniques and larger volumes of material flow per discharge. As a concrete feeding system, the hopper is reinforced with a steel frame to prevent sagging or buckling under weight. 
Available Reinforced Exit Hole - To further increase the life-cycle and durability of the Tremie hopper, it can be custom-fitted with a stabilizing steel reinforcement ring around the exit hole. The concrete discharge hole's additional strength adds to the hopper's overall cohesiveness when transferring coarse aggregate or concrete mixtures. 

There are correct and incorrect methods of handling and transporting mixed concrete. The Deslauriers Tremie makes it easy to vertically fill the hopper and discharge mixtures correctly and efficiently. You can avoid loss of slump during transport and handling, which contributes to a higher-quality finished project.  

Using modern equipment can help a construction company take on larger projects while meeting deadlines to the customer's satisfaction. Today, construction best practices include using reinforced construction tools like the Tremie hopper to overcome concrete placement challenges. 

The transporting and handling of concrete also imposes additional hazards for workers and the public, especially when moving a mixture vertically, horizontally, or over long distances. The Tremie Hopper safely handles large quantities of concrete at a faster pace when compared to other methods of material transfer. 

Transporting concrete into hard to access spaces is made easier by the portability and smaller footprint of the Tremie. Time efficiency is critical for maintaining the quality of your concrete mixture because it reduces the possibility of material segregation or loss of slump. The Tremie allows contractors to deliver the same quality concrete pour as concrete coming directly from the concrete mixer, while also making it possible to access confined or hard-to-reach places. 

The Tremie can help overcome bad weather conditions, difficult-to-access locations, site terrain, or distance to the concrete placement site while also maintaining the properties of the concrete mix. Your teams can accurately place concrete faster with the industrial-grade Tremie hopper. Not only can the Tremie handle extremely heavy concrete loads, it can also increase project speed with the customizable discharge opening. 

Our design teams engineer the best reinforced construction tools, specifically built for concrete. These include the Tremie Hopper and Tremie Pipes that are used to gather concrete into a pile or to place concrete into reinforcing steel cages. All of our Tremie products are guaranteed to withstand harsh weather conditions, adding significant service life to your operations. 
 Don't wait to upgrade your concrete construction tools to more modern and efficient equipment. Explore the benefits of the heavy-duty, polyethylene Tremie Hopper for your concrete placement project by visiting the Deslauriers, Inc. website. We manufacture a large selection of concrete forming and placing tools to make your concrete foundations, concrete surfaces, or concrete structural projects run smoother and faster.