CIFA concrete pump truck- GIF

**Altair** · May 31, 2019, 09:16 AM

The CIFA Carbotec K60H is a 5-axle concrete pump truck with a 60-meter (197 ft) long boom. Of the six boom sections, three are made of steel, while the other three are made of carbon fiber.

Previously:

Concrete being pumped across construction site - GIF
Concrete mixer attachment for skid steer - GIF
Upside-down concrete curb creation - GIF

**Ralphxyz** · Jun 2, 2019, 10:57 AM

I always wondered how the clean the tubes when they are done with a pour? Just move to the side and dump?

Ralph

**drivermark** · Jun 2, 2019, 07:50 PM

They suck a wet nerf ball back thru the tubes and there is a hatch on the bottom of the hopper that can be removed to dump any mud that was sucked back thru the tubes. (some operators like to jack the boom straight up in the air when they do this, that is a sight to see with some of the bigger units)

**Tooler2** · Jun 6, 2019, 11:43 PM

How much concrete is wasted with clean out on a 60 meter pump?

**drivermark** · Jun 23, 2019, 10:26 AM

I don't think I ever backed a mixer up to a 60m but 45m pumps usually left about 3 or 4 wheelbarrows worth on the ground after cleaning out. However big the hopper is on a particular machine, the tubes will hold about 1/2-3/4 the amount that will fit in the hopper.
You need to have the hopper at least 1/4 full when pumping or else the pump can "blow back" which means the pressure from the pump can come back through the hopper and blow wet concrete all over the place at the hopper end and blow high velocity mud out at the end of the hose (which makes it really hard to hold on to and really pisses off the guy holding the end of the hose)
When the job is close to finished the pump operator will usually tell the mixer driver to let the hopper get low so the hopper will be able to hold the material in the pipes and hoses without over flowing the hopper. (which makes another big mess and will piss off pump operators)

**Tooler2** · Jun 23, 2019, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by drivermark

I don't think I ever backed a mixer up to a 60m but 45m pumps usually left about 3 or 4 wheelbarrows worth on the ground after cleaning out. However big the hopper is on a particular machine, the tubes will hold about 1/2-3/4 the amount that will fit in the hopper.
You need to have the hopper at least 1/4 full when pumping or else the pump can "blow back" which means the pressure from the pump can come back through the hopper and blow wet concrete all over the place at the hopper end and blow high velocity mud out at the end of the hose (which makes it really hard to hold on to and really pisses off the guy holding the end of the hose)
When the job is close to finished the pump operator will usually tell the mixer driver to let the hopper get low so the hopper will be able to hold the material in the pipes and hoses without over flowing the hopper. (which makes another big mess and will piss off pump operators)

But can the pump empty the pipe both up and down sides and deliver it to the hose end? If so, how?

**drivermark** · Jun 29, 2019, 08:05 PM

Not exactly sure what you're asking there Tooler.

**Tooler2** · Jun 29, 2019, 08:11 PM

I am asking if the pump can send all the concrete in the pipe (both up and down) to the form? How does it manage this? compressed air? The only time I used one on a friends job there was nearly a yard of waste and it was unusable because it was watered down too much. I was too busy to chat with the operator at the time!

**drivermark** · Jul 2, 2019, 12:56 AM

That there would depend on the pump and the skill of the operator. Some pump operators have little tricks and gadgets that they use to minimize the mess and clean up time. Others not so much.
With some of the big boom pumps they'll throw some plywood on the hopper grate and pump away until nothing will come out the end of the hose then I've seen line pump guys make a gigantic mess. But if the mixer driver and pump operators work together and communicate the mess can usually be minimized.
Hope that helps.

**Tooler2** · Jul 2, 2019, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by drivermark

That there would depend on the pump and the skill of the operator. Some pump operators have little tricks and gadgets that they use to minimize the mess and clean up time. Others not so much.
With some of the big boom pumps they'll throw some plywood on the hopper grate and pump away until nothing will come out the end of the hose then I've seen line pump guys make a gigantic mess. But if the mixer driver and pump operators work together and communicate the mess can usually be minimized.
Hope that helps.

I just want to know how the pump can send the last mix up the pipe with no new material going in?