How Dry Batch Works
The dry batch cellular concrete generation method is called dry batch because the cement is delivered to the site dry. It comes in bulk tankers, which are usually around twenty five to thirty tons per load. In some places, such as Michigan, fifty ton loads are common.
The cement is blown out of the cement trailers once it arrives onsite. Sometimes, an onsite storage silo is set up, and the cement trucks blow into the silo. CJGeo uses horizontal silos, which are commonly known as cement pigs. They hold around one hundred and fifty tons of cement.
The cement is ultimately blown into a cement bin integrated into CJGeo’s dry batch plants. It stays in the onboard bin for a few minutes before it’s transferred by auger into the colloidal mixer integrated into the plant. The mixer is on scales. Because the mixer is on scales, the cement bin can be filled and drawn down at the same time.
What Dry Batch Is Best For
The dry batch cellular concrete generation method is really well suited for:
High Quality
The CJGeo’s colloidal mixing dry batch process generates significantly higher compressive strengths than the wet or truck batch methods. Some cellular concrete contractors use low energy dry mix batching, which generally makes material that’s a bit better than through the ready mix supply chain, but definitely not as good as colloidally-mixed paste.
Large Pours
Dry batch generation tends to be the most economical method for making cellular concrete at scale. Once a placement requires more than a few hundred cubic yards, wet batch and truck batch methods can’t touch the productivity or cost of dry batch.
Remote Pours
Because the dry batch cellular concrete generation method mixes cement with water on demand, there’s no waste or risk associated with long hauls in ready mix trucks. For remote locations, multiple days of material can be stored onsite for weeks at a time in pigs without going bad. It’s also much more predictable to ship dry cement than try to put a load of ready mix slurry to sleep with hydration control admixtures for hours.
CJGeo’s Dry Batch Capacity
CJGeo owns three dry batch plants capable of producing a total of about 500 cubic yards per hour. To support these plants, CJGeo also owns multiple cement pigs, and bulk cement transportation trucks.
Speak With An Expert
Have a question about the dry batch cellular concrete generation method? Give us a shout or shoot us a text. Click the state marker for the location of the project for contact info for the appropriate rep.
