How do asphalt and concrete go together? They are the salt and pepper of the road industry, the ying and yang of pavement, the pairing of the most important materials building our country every day. A growing number of asphalt contractors are looking at ways to access concrete more quickly for jobs like road maintenance and sidewalk/curb repairs.
Companies are enlisting the latest smart technology from the volumetric concrete industry to minimize risks while maximizing production and profitability. A volumetric concrete mixer allows an asphalt company to stop waiting for concrete, increase the efficiency of your labor force by getting jobs done quicker, lower your material costs, control the quality, bid on more projects and diversify your business.
In 2021, partners Jay Herzog and Brad Kaufman of BlackJack Paving in Fairburn, GA, were in search of a way to access concrete more quickly and easily for the company’s book of slab, sidewalk and curb work – a challenge not uncommon for asphalt contractors across the country due to high-demand.
“Many of our jobs require only a few yards of concrete and aren’t conducive to using barrel trucks from a cost and time perspective,” said Herzog. “We felt adding a volumetric concrete mixer to our fleet would make us more efficient, and possibly open the door to diversifying our business.”
After extensive research and review of equipment on the market, Herzog and Kaufman chose the Cemen Tech C60 volumetric concrete mixer equipped with ACCU-POUR™ – a solution that addresses both of BlackJack Paving’s goals.
Innovation at Work
A volumetric concrete mixer measures, mixes and dispenses a precise amount of concrete from a single unit. Sand, stone, cement powder, water and additives are each kept in its own bin to be mixed on-site and on-demand, eliminating the risks of too much or too little concrete, and hot loads – common culprits of loss of time and money.
“Delays, downtime and waste are common words in the concrete industry,” said Mark Rinehart, vice president of sales and marketing at Cemen Tech. “The precision and efficiency of our volumetric concrete mixers combined with the planning, tracking and reporting capabilities of ACCU-POUR eliminate those barriers, and puts full control of the project in the contractors’ hands.”
Using ACCU-POUR smart technology, management connects the office and their volumetric mixer fleet in real-time to review scheduling, completed jobs, material usage, total yards poured, customer information and any changes that might come up while the truck is in the field. Entering requested mix and quantity, directions to the jobsite, and other pertinent information allows a single operator to manage multiple jobs using the same equipment.
“Customers like that we are agile onsite and can pour what they need, which may not necessarily be what they ordered,” said Kaufman. “We like that we can deliver precision, reduce waste, be flexible to changing schedules, and keep everyone informed easily and efficiently through mobile technology.”
Mike Perez, owner of Diamond 8 Concrete out of Santa Rosa, TX agrees. “The versatility of the ACCU-POUR app allows me to check on my trucks and get a live feed of progression throughout the day. I check routes, materials and how much is being used,” said Mike Perez. “No matter where I am, with the press of a button I can review the schedule, move it around. If a truck is getting behind, a couple of clicks and we get back on schedule.”
Building Business
What started as one Cemen Tech C60 volumetric mixer in July 2021 has grown to three in BlackJack Paving’s fleet, with a fourth on the way. Plans call to schedule three trucks on jobs each day, with one dedicated to new or unplanned work. The goal: 90 yards a day and increased productivity previously lost due to dependency on barrel trucks.
“We have a lot of great customers. Having tools and technology on-hand enables us to devote resources to their projects, while also continuing to add new business,” said Herzog. “With ACCU-POUR, the management effort required is minimal, and we diversify by doing cement work for other contractors with projects needing a tight turnaround, or where it doesn’t make sense for a barrel truck.”
Demand has also led Diamond 8 Concrete to expand its fleet from one Cemen Tech C60 volumetric mixer to 10. “Almost immediately after buying our first truck, interest boomed,” said Lisa Perez, president of Diamond 8 Concrete. “Our initial purchase was made to meet our company’s demands. However, in utilizing the features and smart technology these trucks offer, our business has just continued to grow.”
Looking Forward
Cemen Tech developed ACCU-POUR three years ago after seeing a need for dispatch and productivity system for the volumetric mixer industry. Since then, the Iowa-based company has continued to enhance and perfect the smart technology.
In addition to supporting day-to-day business operations, ACCU-POUR syncs data on material use, total yards poured and other historical details by job, customer, and date. This information is saved to the cloud, where management can access and review it at any time. This helps to improve budgeting and ordering while identifying cost efficiencies.
“The technology in these trucks is the future, and a necessity to diversifying an asphalt contracting business,” said Herzog. “Our volumetric mixers with ACCU-POUR have helped us diversify and grow our company today and prepared us for continued success as we look forward.”
Kris Moorman has worked in construction manufacturing for over five years. Her background in technology, sustainability and the benefits both bring to the asphalt and construction industry, gives her insight into the ways firms can improve, diversify and build their business. Moorman is the marketing manager for Cemen Tech, which manufactures volumetric concrete mixers
