The present invention provides a method and system for detecting hardened concrete buildup in a mixer drum which is substantially devoid of plastic concrete. An exemplary method involves monitoring the hydraulic pressure required to rotate the drum through at least two successive rotations at constant speed, using a hydraulic pressure sensor on hydraulic charge side, discharge side, or preferably both sides of the hydraulic motor which turns the mixer drum; and detecting when the pressure/time data curve indicates eccentric behavior of the mixer drum, whereby an alarm or other indication is provided to confirm that the hardened concrete buildup in the truck is not acceptable. The buildup detection method and system of the present invention does not require the use of an automated slump monitoring system, but can be implemented in combination with such systems with favorable results and advantages.

Described are a method and system for coordinating the delivery and placement of concrete loads at a job site, and more particularly to adjusting a set time value or value range of the concrete loads, thereby to facilitate finishing or other concrete placement activities. In exemplary embodiments, the adjustments can be made based on an assessment of previously placed concrete loads. The set time values or value ranges of the concrete can be monitored and adjusted to achieve desired properties during installation and/or in its hardened state.

A concrete mixing truck includes a chassis, a front axle and a rear axle coupled to the chassis, a lift axle coupled to the chassis and including a tractive element, a lift actuator coupled to the lift axle, a mixing drum rotatably coupled to the chassis, a fill level sensor coupled to the mixing drum and configured to provide a signal indicative of a fill level of a material within the mixing drum, and a controller. The lift axle is selectively repositionable between a lowered position in which the tractive element engages a support surface and a raised position. The controller is operatively coupled to the lift actuator and the fill level sensor and configured to control the lift actuator to reposition the lift axle into the lowered position in response to the fill level exceeding a threshold fill level.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a chassis, a cab coupled to the chassis, a drum assembly coupled to the chassis, and a module coupled to the chassis and positioned rearward of the drum assembly. The module includes a prime mover, a cooling system, and a hood. The hood has a first end positioned proximate the drum assembly, an opposing second end positioned proximate a rear end of the chassis, and a top surface. The hood defines an internal cavity within which the prime mover and the cooling system are disposed. The first end defines an inlet airflow cavity. The inlet airflow cavity has a bottom surface and an air inlet positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface. The air inlet connects the inlet airflow cavity to the internal cavity.

Method and system to measure and monitor the grey water content in a rotating concrete mixer drum mixer truck using a sensor attached to the interior of the concrete mixer drum. By measuring the grey water content before a batching process takes place, the batched water (and cement content and admixture type and content) can be modified in order to maintain expected performance of the batched load in terms of both strength and rheology, or more simply, some or all of the grey water can be discharged from the concrete mixer drum before batching.

A vehicle includes a rolling chassis structure and a working component coupled to the rolling chassis structure. The rolling chassis structure includes a chassis, a non-working component, and a control interface. The non-working component is coupled to the chassis and is configured to facilitate transit operations for the rolling chassis structure. The control interface is disposed in a cab area of the chassis. The control interface is communicably coupled to the non-working component and is configured to control operation of the non-working component. The working component is configured to move relative to the chassis and is communicably coupled to the control interface. The control interface is configured to control movement of the working component.

A vehicle includes a chassis, a non-working component, a working component, a control interface module, and a control interface. The non-working component is coupled to the chassis and configured to facilitate transit operations for the vehicle. The working component is coupled to the chassis and configured to move relative to the chassis. The control interface module is communicably coupled to the working component and the non-working component. The control interface is communicably coupled to the control interface module and configured to control operations of the working component and the non-working component.

A vehicle, includes a control interface module, a rolling chassis structure, a working component, and a control interface. The rolling chassis structure includes a chassis and a non-working component. The non-working component is coupled to the chassis and configured to facilitate transit operations for the rolling chassis structure. The non-working component is communicably coupled to the control interface module. The working component is coupled to the rolling chassis structure and is configured to move relative to the chassis. The working component is communicably coupled to the control interface module. The control interface is communicably coupled to the control interface module and configured to receive one or more user commands. The control interface is configured to control an operation of at least one of the working component and the non-working component in response to the one or more user commands

Described are a method and system for initiating a majority percentage of chemical admixture dosage into a delivered concrete load preferably just before arrival of the concrete delivery truck at the delivery pour site, such that a maximized slump (or slump flow, or other slump characteristic) increase occurs just before discharge/pour. The invention employs a concrete slump management system having a processor that is programed to consider time of pour (discharge) and stored data that includes dosage response (change of slump characteristic) of the concrete mix due to past additions in the same type of concrete mix, and thus maximizes pre-pour increase in slump characteristic while minimizing or avoiding the risk of overshooting the slump target as well as limiting the time required for adjusting concrete to attain the target slump value at the jobsite.

A method for mixing concrete constituents that generally has a step of rotating a drum having a probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the concrete constituents being mixed inside the drum; a step of receiving a first set of pressure values indicative of pressure exerted on the probe by the concrete constituents, the pressure values of the first set being taken at different circumferential positions of the probe during a single rotation of the drum; a step of determining a deviation of the pressure values of the first set from reference data; and a step of reducing a rotation speed of the drum upon determining that the deviation is lower than a threshold value.