Methods, systems, and devices, are developed for in-situ placement of a concrete mix that can have the thixotropy to hold vertical dimension without containment, while maintaining pliability to be pumped into place and manipulated to a desired shape, and can be combined with concrete set accelerators, allowing subsequent layers of this concrete mix to be continuously stacked in place to build tall walls and such without the use of forms. Concrete without these special properties is pumped toward the point of placement where it is modified by injecting and mixing, into that line of pumped concrete, an admixture containing thixotropes, thickeners and/or set accelerators or other modifiers to provide these properties and other improvements. This method allows conventional plant batching with commonly available constituent materials for batching an economical concrete that is delivered to a jobsite and then is pumped most of the way to a point of placement.

A method of retrofitting an existing apparatus for forming concrete products, where the apparatus comprises an existing component located upstream of a product mold and adapted to deliver treated concrete to the product mold, adapts the existing component to treat fresh concrete to be delivered to the product mold by a new component with treated water infused with a concentration of carbon dioxide nanobubbles. The step of adapting comprises adding to the existing component a water delivery system that is configured to direct the treated water into the fresh concrete, where the water delivery system is provided with one or more liquid manifolds configured to dispense the treated water into the fresh concrete to form treated concrete.

A method of retrofitting an existing apparatus for forming concrete products, where the apparatus comprises an existing component located upstream of a product mold and adapted to deliver treated concrete to the product mold, adapts the existing component to treat fresh concrete to be delivered to the product mold by a new component with treated water infused with a concentration of carbon dioxide nanobubbles. The step of adapting comprises adding to the existing component a water delivery system that is configured to direct the treated water into the fresh concrete, where the water delivery system is provided with one or more liquid manifolds configured to dispense the treated water into the fresh concrete to form treated concrete.

A gypsum slurry mixer output canister is provided, including a canister housing having an upper end, an opposite lower end and defining a canister interior, a cover secured to the upper end, a slurry inlet in operational relationship to the upper end, a spiral block associated with the upper end, and having a helical flow surface depending into the interior. A flow distributor is secured to the lower end and is in fluid communication with the interior, and a slurry outlet is defined by the lower canister housing end.

Systems and methods related to preparing foamed cement for laboratory analysis are provided. A prepared cement slurry is placed in a cement reservoir cell configured to pressurize the cement slurry contained within the cement reservoir cell to a capture pressure. After pressurization, the cement slurry and a compressed gas are introduced into a foam generator. Foamed cement generated in the foam generator is introduced from the tee into a foam capture cell where it can cure prior to analysis.

Systems and methods related to preparing foamed cement for laboratory analysis are provided. A prepared cement slurry is placed in a cement reservoir cell configured to pressurize the cement slurry contained within the cement reservoir cell to a capture pressure. After pressurization, the cement slurry and a compressed gas are introduced into a foam generator. Foamed cement generated in the foam generator is introduced from the tee into a foam capture cell where it can cure prior to analysis.

Disclosed is a method and system for blending a foam modifier with foaming agent on-line, e.g., as may be particularly useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

Disclosed is a method and system for blending a foam modifier with foaming agent on-line, e.g., as may be particularly useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C.sub.6-C.sub.16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

Systems and methods related to preparing foamed cement for laboratory analysis are provided. A prepared cement slurry is placed in a cement reservoir cell configured to pressurize the cement slurry contained within the cement reservoir cell to a capture pressure. After pressurization, the cement slurry and a compressed gas are introduced into a foam generator. Foamed cement generated in the foam generator is introduced from the tee into a foam capture cell where it can cure prior to analysis.

Systems and methods related to preparing foamed cement for laboratory analysis are provided. A prepared cement slurry is placed in a cement reservoir cell configured to pressurize the cement slurry contained within the cement reservoir cell to a capture pressure. After pressurization, the cement slurry and a compressed gas are introduced into a foam generator. Foamed cement generated in the foam generator is introduced from the tee into a foam capture cell where it can cure prior to analysis.