A device for loading, mixing and delivering ingredients includes a measuring bucket pivotably mounted to the free ends of pickup arms pivotably mounted to a mixing vessel including a lid having a depressed basin with an opening formed therethrough. The mixing vessel and the measuring bucket are simultaneously moved with the measuring bucket in a loading position to fill with ingredients. The measuring bucket is moved relative to the mixing vessel from a transport position to an emptying position emptying the ingredients into the mixing vessel. A linkage is pivotably mounted between the pickup arms and the lid to simultaneously move the lid from a closed position to an open position as the measuring bucket moves from the transport position to the emptying position. The ingredients are mixed by mixing paddles inside the mixing vessel, and the mixed ingredients are released from the mixing vessel through an open gate.

A mixing apparatus having a processing area that exposes free falling dry materials to a high pressure hydration element and forms slurry with the a mixture of the dray materials and liquid.

The temperature of concrete can be monitored by a temperature probe. Typically, large volumes of concrete such as are typically carried in mixer trucks or mixed in industrial concrete production drums have a relatively stable, or slowly varying temperature, given the high thermal capacity of concrete. A sudden change in temperature can thus be attributed to an external event. A sudden addition of even a relatively small amount of water for instance, which has an even higher thermal capacity, can produce a notable sudden change in temperature. Examples where the detection of the addition of water can be particularly useful in the production and/or transport of concrete are provided herein. Moreover, if the temperature of the added water is known, and the quantity of concrete is also known, the sudden difference in temperature can be correlated to a volume of added water.

A ready-mixed composition and a pre-mix composition for the production of a concrete material containing sequestered carbon dioxide, a CO.sub.2-containing water used in such compositions, dry-batch and wet-batch processes for sequestering carbon dioxide in concrete material, general method and process for sequestering carbon dioxide in hardening concrete, system and ready-mixed truck to perform such processes and methods for the production of a ready-to-cure carbonated concrete. Compositions comprise a concrete mixture and a CO.sub.2-containing water. The CO.sub.2-containing water comprising water and at least one of blended CO.sub.2 gas bubbles, dissolved H.sub.2CO.sub.3, carbonate ions (CO.sub.3.sup.2), bicarbonate ions (HCO.sup.3?), nanosized alkaline earth metal carbonate and nanosized alkali metal carbonate particles. The concrete mixture comprises a cementitious material, aggregates and at least one CO.sub.2-sequestering chemical for accelerating a CO.sub.2 sequestration speed and maximizing the captured amount of the carbon dioxide.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a chute, and a controller. The mixer drum has an inner volume configured to hold a mixture for transportation and placement. The chute is configured to receive mixture exiting the mixer drum and direct the mixture. The controller is configured to receive a selected mode of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The selected mode of operation is selected from a set of multiple modes of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The controller is configured to adjust an operation of at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to cause at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to operate according to the selected mode of operation.

The temperature of concrete can be monitored by a temperature probe. Typically, large volumes of concrete such as are typically carried in mixer trucks or mixed in industrial concrete production drums have a relatively stable, or slowly varying temperature, given the high thermal capacity of concrete. A sudden change in temperature can thus be attributed to an external event. A sudden addition of even a relatively small amount of water for instance, which has an even higher thermal capacity, can produce a notable sudden change in temperature. Examples where the detection of the addition of water can be particularly useful in the production and/or transport of concrete are provided herein. Moreover, if the temperature of the added water is known, and the quantity of concrete is also known, the sudden difference in temperature can be correlated to a volume of added water.

A ready-mixed composition and a pre-mix composition for the production of a concrete material containing sequestered carbon dioxide, a CO.sub.2-containing water used in such compositions, dry-batch and wet-batch processes for sequestering carbon dioxide in concrete material, general method and process for sequestering carbon dioxide in hardening concrete, system and ready-mixed truck to perform such processes and methods for the production of a ready-to-cure carbonated concrete. Compositions comprise a concrete mixture and a CO.sub.2-containing water. The CO.sub.2-containing water comprising water and at least one of blended CO.sub.2 gas bubbles, dissolved H.sub.2CO.sub.3, carbonate ions (CO.sub.3.sup.2), bicarbonate ions (HCO.sup.3), nanosized alkaline earth metal carbonate and nanosized alkali metal carbonate particles. The concrete mixture comprises a cementitious material, aggregates and at least one CO.sub.2-sequestering chemical for accelerating a CO.sub.2 sequestration speed and maximizing the captured amount of the carbon dioxide.

The system for determining a status of a valve being mounted in a liquid supply line of a concrete mixer and being actuatable via an actuator generally has: an actuator accelerometer mounted to the actuator and being adapted to measure an actuator position associated with a position of the valve; a reference accelerometer mounted to the concrete mixer and being adapted to measure a reference position fixed relative to the concrete mixer, the actuator position and the reference position being measured while the concrete mixer is fixed relative to the ground; a computing device adapted to receive the actuator and reference positions, the computing device being adapted to determine the status of the valve based on the actuator position, the reference position and calibration position data; and to generate status of the valve indicative of the determined status of the valve.

The present invention allows for better control over strength in concrete mixes and mix designs, while minimizing the over-use of cement and promoting sustainability within the industry. Disclosed are novel method and system which employ a diagnostic delta data (DDD) curve, or, in other words, data that displays a curvilinear relationship when plotted on a visual graph, as obtained by considering the differences (e.g., subtractive differences or ratios) as between (i) target slump and target (or maximum) water content, and (ii) slump and water content values as determined using an automated slump monitoring system which measures slump and water content in the concrete mix during delivery. This DDD curve can then be compared to monitored delta slump and delta water content for later or other deliveries, such that adjustments can be made to the concrete mix or mix design, in a manner that encourages avoidance of cement over-dosing or over-prescription.