A vehicle system includes a controller configured to acquire environment data, acquire GPS data including information regarding characteristics of a route between an initial location of a vehicle and a destination for the vehicle, receive an initial property of drum contents within a mixing drum of the vehicle, receive a target property for the drum contents, operate a drum drive system of the vehicle at a first drive speed determined based on the initial property, the target property, the environment data, and the GPS data, receive a signal from a mixture sensor indicative of a current property of the drum contents at a current location of the vehicle different than the initial location, and adjust the first drive speed of the drum drive system to a second drive speed where the second drive speed is determined based on the target property, the current property, updated environment data, and updated GPS data.

A material delivery apparatus for delivering foam into a mixer of a ready-mix truck comprising an elongated bar, a support arm, a guide tube and a delivery tube is disclosed. There is a foam tube having one end mounted to the delivery tube and another end mounted to a foam generator. The delivery tube slides within the guide tube. There is a cable mounted to the delivery tube and to a motor reel on an opposite end. Included is a control panel communicatively coupled to the motor reel and the foam generator. The mixer of a ready-mix truck is aligned underneath the delivery tube. The controller is operated to control volume and rate at which foam is to be delivered by the foam generator. The delivery tube is positioned to accurately delivery the foam in the mixer to mix the foam with concrete to produce foam concrete.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, an additive admixture system, and a controller. The additive admixture system includes an air inlet valve, a fluid valve, an air valve, and a pump. The controller is configured to operate the additive admixture system to transition the additive admixture system between an additive addition mode, a drain mode, and a system clear mode. The controller transitions the additive admixture system into the additive addition mode and operates the pump until a desired amount of an additive is added to the mixer drum, transitions the additive admixture system into the drain mode for a predetermined amount of time in response to the desired amount of additive being added to the mixer drum, and transitions the additive admixture system into the system clear mode for a predetermined amount of time to clear stagnant fluid or built up mixture from the additive admixture system.

A mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a sensor, and a controller. The mixer drum is configured to rotate to mix a material within the mixer drum. The sensor is configured to obtain values of one or more properties of the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to receive the one or more properties of the material, and receive a user request to discharge the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to determine if the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material, and limit discharge of the material from the mixer drum in response to a determination that the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material.

Readings produced by an improved slump meter will be the consistent across a wide range of redi-mix units, regardless of the size of the load, make, model, age or condition of the redi-mix unit, therefore any mix consistency can be easily duplicated or created, by producing a common number for each mixer when running and empty, applying a conversion factor to raw hydraulic or electric motor work measurement data, and averaging and to stabilize the output reading on a refreshing period.

A vehicle includes an engine, an electric energy system, a drum configured to mix drum contents received therein, and a drum drive system coupled to the drum and the engine. The drum drive system includes a primary pump, an electric motor powered by the electric energy system, an auxiliary pump fluidly coupled to the mechanical pump and powered by the electric motor, and a drum motor fluidly coupled to the primary pump and the auxiliary pump and positioned to drive the drum to agitate the drum contents.

A vehicle includes a chassis, a drum, a load detection system, and a control system. The drum is coupled to the chassis and is configured to mix drum contents received therein. The load detection system is coupled to the chassis and includes a load sensor. The load sensor is positioned proximate to one of a forward end of the drum and a rear end of the drum. The load sensor is configured to determine a portion of a force applied by the drum to the chassis. The control system is communicably coupled to the load detection system and is configured to determine a longitudinal position of a concrete buildup in the drum based on the portion. The control system is also configured to generate at least one of a notification indicating the longitudinal position or a control signal based on the longitudinal position.

There is described a method for determining a volume of fresh concrete being discharged from a dmm during a discharge, the drum being rotatable and having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force the fresh concrete towards a discharge outlet of the drum. The method generally has discharging a volume of the fresh concrete from the drum by rotating the drum in the unloading direction for a given number of discharge rotations; obtaining discharge flow rate variation data indicative of a discharge flow rate varying as function of discharge rotations; and determining a discharged volume value indicative of the volume of fresh concrete being discharged from the drum of the mixer truck during said discharge based on the given number of discharge rotations and on the discharge flow rate variation data.

At least one embodiment relates to 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 vehicle includes an engine, a drum, a drum drive system, and a control system coupled to the engine and the drum drive system. The drum drive system includes a pump and a motor. The pump is mechanically coupled to the engine and configured to pump a fluid through a hydraulic system. The pump has a variable pump displacement. The motor is fluidly coupled to the pump by the hydraulic system and positioned to drive the drum to agitate the drum contents. The motor has a variable motor displacement. The control system is configured to receive pressure data indicative of a pressure of the fluid within the hydraulic system, reduce the variable motor displacement in response to the pressure of the fluid being less than a threshold system pressure, and reduce a speed of the engine based on the reduction of the variable motor displacement.