The invention relates to a computer-aided method and a device for controlling a concrete mixing plant for the production of ready-mixed concrete (1) or mixed concrete, which is mixed at least from the components cement (6a; 6b) and aggregates (8a, 8b, 8c) with the addition of water (9) in a motor-driven mixer unit (3), wherein at least the required mixing time (t.sub.M) of the mixer unit (3) is calculated before the start of the mixing process by means of an electronic prognosis unit (10), which calculates the current moisture (F), measured by means of at least one moisture sensor (11), of at least the aggregates (8a, 8b, 8c) to be added and the temperature measured by means of at least one temperature sensor (12;13;14) or thermal imaging camera, in order to determine the required mixing time (t.sub.M) of the mixer unit (3) on the basis of a predetermined concrete formulation (18), taking into account the various measured values determined by the sensors.

Exemplary methods and systems of the invention minimize errors in the manufacture or management of aggregate-containing construction materials such as concrete. Aggregates used for making concrete are stored or weighed in dry bulk bin type hoppers, and conveyed from these hoppers into mixer drums which batching or mix the concrete. The hoppers or conveyor belts may contain sensor probes for measuring moisture levels in the aggregate. These sensor probes require calibration from time to time, but time and expense are required for proper calibration, leading to habitually erroneous moisture level data used in the industry on a daily basis. The present inventors believe that the smallest inaccuracies in aggregate moisture level readings can have profound effects on the properties of the resultant concrete product. To confront this long suffered problem, the present inventors surprisingly discovered that the inaccuracy of these aggregate moisture sensors, as used for evaluating the aggregate as a dry bulk material, can be detected and even addressed through the use of slump monitoring systems during delivery to evaluate the concrete slurry mix prepared from the aggregates.

Aspects involve estimating transitions in properties of a concrete mixture prior to batching and during transport of the mixture from a first location, such as a concrete batch plant, to a second location, such as a job site and controlling a mixture of ingredients for concrete in response. A tool may execute a method for estimating an initial temperature at batching and a change in temperature of the concrete mixture during transport due to the exothermic reaction of the mixture, percentages and types of ingredients of the mixture, and/or environmental factors along a transit route. A control system at the concrete batching plant may control one or more components of the concrete batch plant in response to the estimated temperature change, such as a dispenser of an ingredient of the mixture and/or a heating or cooling mechanism to adjust the temperature of an ingredient of the concrete mixture.

Described are a method and system for minimizing errors in the manufacture or management of aggregate-containing construction materials such as concrete. Aggregates used for making concrete are stored or weighed in dry bulk bin type hoppers, and conveyed from these hoppers into mixer drums which batching or mix the concrete. The hoppers or conveyor belts may contain sensor probes for measuring moisture levels in the aggregate. These sensor probes require calibration from time to time, but time and expense are required for proper calibration, leading to habitually erroneous moisture level data used in the industry on a daily basis. The present inventors believe that the smallest inaccuracies in aggregate moisture level readings can have profound effects on the properties of the resultant concrete product. To confront this long suffered problem, the present inventors surprisingly discovered that the inaccuracy of these aggregate moisture sensors, as used for evaluating the aggregate as a dry bulk material, can be detected and even addressed through the use of slump monitoring systems to evaluate the concrete slurry mix prepared from the aggregates.

Aspects involve estimating transitions in properties of a concrete mixture prior to batching and during transport of the mixture from a first location, such as a concrete batch plant, to a second location, such as a job site and controlling a mixture of ingredients for concrete in response. A tool may execute a method for estimating an initial temperature at batching and a change in temperature of the concrete mixture during transport due to the exothermic reaction of the mixture, percentages and types of ingredients of the mixture, and/or environmental factors along a transit route. A control system at the concrete batching plant may control one or more components of the concrete batch plant in response to the estimated temperature change, such as a dispenser of an ingredient of the mixture and/or a heating or cooling mechanism to adjust the temperature of an ingredient of the concrete mixture.

Described are a method and system for minimizing errors in the manufacture or management of aggregate-containing construction materials such as concrete. Aggregates used for making concrete are stored or weighed in dry bulk bin type hoppers, and conveyed from these hoppers into mixer drums which batching or mix the concrete. The hoppers or conveyor belts may contain sensor probes for measuring moisture levels in the aggregate. These sensor probes require calibration from time to time, but time and expense are required for proper calibration, leading to habitually erroneous moisture level data used in the industry on a daily basis. The present inventors believe that the smallest inaccuracies in aggregate moisture level readings can have profound effects on the properties of the resultant concrete product. To confront this problem, the present inventors discovered that the inaccuracy of these aggregate moisture sensors, as used for evaluating the aggregate as a dry bulk material, can be detected and even addressed through the use of slump monitoring systems to evaluate the concrete slurry mix prepared from the aggregates.

A method and system for calibrating moisture sensors in a concrete production plant are disclosed. The moisture sensor is in communication with a computer database through a transceiver. The moisture sensor records numerous readings of moisture for aggregate used in concrete production, which are stored in the database. Separately, a manual sample of aggregate taken from the production line is determined to have a moisture content, which is the baseline for calibrating the sensor. This record is also entered into the database. The moisture sensor reading and the manual sample record are compared for multiple iterative readings to determine whether a sensor requires further calibration.

A mixing and adjusting method for foundry sand includes calculating a total supplied water amount until a compactability (CB) value of mixed sand becomes larger than a lower limit value of a target CB value range, determining the total supplied water amount as a predetermined amount of water associated with an electric resistance of the foundry sand, and determining a ratio of a variation in the CB value corresponding to an additionally supplied water amount from the additionally supplied water amount during an additional water pouring and the CB value of the mixed sand.

A method and system for calibrating moisture sensors in a concrete production plant are disclosed. The moisture sensor is in communication with a computer database through a transceiver. The moisture sensor records numerous readings of moisture for aggregate used in concrete production, which are stored in the database. Separately, a manual sample of aggregate taken from the production line is determined to have a moisture content, which is the baseline for calibrating the sensor. This record is also entered into the database. The moisture sensor reading and the manual sample record are compared for multiple iterative readings to determine whether a sensor requires further calibration.

Described herein are novel construction materials and construction material compositions, processes, and equipment for manufacturing press-formed biocement and bioconcrete products and construction materials. In some embodiments, the methods include combining aggregate particles with a first measured dose of at least one biological organism or enzyme and a first measured dose of cementation reagents in a first mixer, mixing the contents of the first mixer and reacting the first measured dose of the cementation reagents in the presence of the first measured dose of the at least one biological organism or enzyme to form a biocement which binds to the surfaces of the aggregate particles, thereby increasing the size of the particles to yield a biocement coated aggregate.