Waiting for a concrete delivery? Such delays are not welcome on construction sites, where efficiency is essential. But fresh concrete on-demand … in large and smaller volumes? That’s more like it. This urgency is why the number of “concrete filling stations” is growing. Long-established company BEREUTER AG is getting into the business with self-collectors – and installing an Ammann CBT 60 Elba Concrete-Mixing Plant that is equipped for contact-free dispensing.
A “concrete filling station” can represent a whole new way of working on large and small construction sites, one-day jobs or even trades such as gardening and landscaping. These contact-free stations can supply high-quality concrete without long wait times.
The systems are currently being operated by pioneers, but the potential is huge. Instead of stockpiling gravel and cement on every construction site, and mixing it by hand, varied high-quality concrete types can be ordered and loaded in just a few steps.
One trailblazer in this flexible supply concept is BEREUTER AG – a Swiss-based family business that has been operating for 350 years. With this idea, managing director Jens Neidhart is heading towards the future in the company’s anniversary year of 2021, and he appears confident. “Our customers are really in need of this business model,” he says.
Neidhart became interested in the Ammann Group through his partnership with construction machine dealer Avesco. After a short consultation, all agreed that the Ammann CBT 60 Elba Concrete-Mixing Plant is the perfect solution.
The plant was favoured because of its flexible, foundation-free assembly; compact dimensions; and productivity. Six aggregate components, including recycled materials, enable a wide product range. All it takes is an additional module in the as1 Control System for the mix and dispensing process to start at the loading point.
In May 2021, Ammann began setup of the CBT 60 Elba, delivered in a special folding mechanism. A bucket elevator proved to be a space-saving alternative to the belt conveyor at the location.
Efficient use of resources, and an overall focus on sustainability, are a matter of course for ISO 14001-certified BEREUTER AG. A recycled water system is located on the site. Dust emissions and noise are minimised.
BEREUTER’s new concrete filling station began service on 1 July, 2021. Since then, the team has accepted orders for small and large volumes of fresh concrete between 0.25 m3 and 1 m3 per batch. Orders are placed by phone, e-mail or made on-site.
A traffic light system controls access to the concrete dispensary. If the light is green, the driver can approach for loading. Light barriers help them position their lorry so that the concrete is loaded correctly. At the control station, the order is verified via a QR code on the delivery note and the mixing process starts. In just minutes, the concrete is dispensed and on its way to the construction site.
Customers like more than the fast loading and convenient ordering: The quality is excellent, too. The 1 m3 single-shaft compulsory mixer from Ammann is equipped with a two-zone counter-flow mixing plant, guaranteeing excellent homogenisation of the mix. Its consistency is controlled and checked by the as1 and can be monitored via the integrated mixer camera. The housing protects the plant from temperature fluctuations.
The plant features 156 m3 of storage of the most common gravel sizes. With six chambers in the linear batcher, the BEREUTER concrete team has maximum flexibility to address customer needs and produce different types of concrete from primary and recycled materials. Metering on the weighing belt is very precise and low-wear, performed via feed valves attached to the silo discharge.
With the startup phase behind them, customers appear to be completely satisfied with their CBT 60 Elba. “Fill her up, please!” jokes directing manager Neidhart. “We’ve filled a niche with this business idea! At the press of a button, self-collectors can quickly purchase simple types of concrete themselves at our concrete filling station, without long wait times.”
