Patent ID: 8764273
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: B28C,B29C,C04B

Abstract:
1. A mixing apparatus for monitoring and adjusting slump and air content in a cementitious mix, comprising: (a) a concrete mixer drum for containing a concrete mix comprising hydratable cement, aggregates, and water for hydrating said cement, the concrete mix having a total volume, when mixed uniformly within the concrete mixer drum, of 1.0 to 15.0 cubic yards; (b) a computer processing unit and computer-processing unit-accessible memory, the computer processing unit programmed for inputting and storing into the computer processing unit-accessible memory concrete performance ranges relative to: (c) the computer processing unit being further programmed for mixing a concrete mix contained in the concrete mixer drum and for obtaining at least one slump value in current time and at least one air content value in current time; (d) the computer processing unit being further programmed for comparing the at least one slump value in current time against the slump target or slump target range and the at least one air content value in current time against the target air content or target air content range until detection of a non-conformance event, wherein the at least one slump value in current time does not conform with the target slump or target slump range and/or the at least one air content value in current time does not conform with the target air content or target air content range; and (e) the computer processing unit being further programmed for introducing into the concrete mix contained in said concrete mixer drum, one of at least two compositionally different additives comprising: the computer processing unit being further programmed for introducing of the at least one chemical admixture for modifying air content in the concrete mix and/or at least one cement dispersant being achieved by computer processor unit-controlled valve system in accordance with the computer processor unit-accessed memory, the aforementioned memory having at least four sets of data correlations comprising the effect of: (i) the cement dispersant on slump of the concrete mix; (ii) the at least one chemical admixture for modifying air content in the concrete mix on air content; (iii) the at least one chemical admixture for modifying air content in the concrete mix on the slump of the concrete mix; and (iv) the cement dispersant on air content of the concrete mix.