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.

An apparatus for delivering a wet concrete mix to a product mold, where the apparatus comprises a hopper configured to retain a fresh concrete mix, a source of treated water having a concentration of nanobubbles of a gas at least double a natural concentration of nanobubbles of the gas within a natural state of the water, a water transport coupling the source of treated water with the hopper, a valve interposed within the water transport for selectively releasing the treated water into the hopper, and a mixer in communication with the hopper for mixing the treated water with the fresh concrete mix to yield an infused wet concrete.

The probe can include a base and a resistance member extending from the base and onto which a resistance pressure is imparted by a rheological substance when the resistance member is submerged and moved therein. Rheological properties can be obtained using values indicative of the resistance pressure both in a low speed range and in a high speed range.

A Mortar Delivery System is described. The Mortar Delivery System provides precise control of the delivery and application of mortar in addition to the mixing and tempering of mortar. Such control eliminates the use of a hand trowel in brick, block and stone laying applications. Sensing and control are integrated with the Mortar Delivery System to make it an important element of a robotic brick laying system. The Mortar Delivery System contains sensors to measure mortar viscosity and workability, mortar flow rate, and mortar nozzle pressure. The data from the Mortar Delivery System sensors can be used to change the rotational speed of the shear blades, change the amount of water being used for mixing or tempering, and change the delivery speed of the mortar. Such changes result in precise control of mortar that is in turn suitable for automated or semi-automated building processes.

This invention presents a system and method for the real-time, autonomous quality control of raw materials used in concrete production. The system can detect changes in material properties, issue alerts, and autonomously adjust the concrete mixture to compensate for those changes. The system comprises a network of sensors, including cameras, ultrasonic sensors, spectrometers, and temperature sensors, strategically positioned at various points in the concrete production process. An AI-based control system analyzes real-time data from these sensors to determine properties of the raw materials, such as water content, density, particle size distribution, impurities, temperature, and color. The AI system autonomously generates alerts and adjusts the concrete mixture in response to detected deviations from desired specifications, ensuring consistent concrete quality and reducing reliance on manual intervention. This proactive approach optimizes concrete production by improving consistency, reducing the risk of failures due to substandard raw materials, and increasing efficiency.

The invention provides methods and compositions for increasing stiffness or rate of stiffening of concrete mixes by carbonation of the mix, preferably while viscosity remains at a level suitable for the intended use of the concrete mix.

A measuring device is embedded in a section of concrete at a location at a construction site, the measuring device being adapted to obtain a measurement of a first characteristic of the section of concrete and transmit the measurement via wireless transmission. The first characteristic may include temperature, humidity, conductivity, impedance, salinity, etc. A local wireless gateway receives the measurement data and transmits the data to a processor. Alternatively, an airborne drone flying above the construction site receives the measurement data and transmits the data to the processor. The processor generates a predicted second characteristic of the section of concrete based on the measurement data. For example, the second characteristic may include strength, slump, age, maturity, etc., of the concrete.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a curable binder composition with an additive manufacturing process, the method including the steps of: producing the curable binder composition in the setting state, preferably by mixing the constituents of the curable binder composition in a mixing unit, conveying the curable binder composition in the setting state via a supply line to a printing head movable in at least one spatial direction, applying the curable binder composition in the setting state by means of the printing head, wherein the curable binder composition is preferably applied layer-by-layer, to form the three-dimensional object, determining a pressure drop over a length section of the supply line with at least two pressure measuring device(s), optionally, determining a flow rate of the curable binder composition in the supply line, optionally determining a temperature of the curable binder composition in the supply line.

A system features an acoustic sensor configured to mount on a wall of a mixing drum, sense an acoustic characteristic of a mixture of a slurry, including concrete, contained in a mixing drum when rotating, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic characteristic sensed; and a signal processor configured to receive the acoustic sensor signaling, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a slump characteristic of the mixture of concrete contained in the mixing drum, based upon the signaling received.

The invention provides compositions and methods directed to carbonation of a cement mix during mixing. The carbonation may be controlled by one or more feedback mechanisms to adjust carbon dioxide delivery based on one or more characteristics of the mix or other aspects of the mixing operation.