Concrete mixing truck as a rheometer

Abstract

An increasing interest has emerged in correlating the output of the concrete mixing truck to values obtained by rotational rheometers. The output of the former has usually been the hydraulic pressure needed to turn the drum. In such research, experimental errors can be higher than usual, which makes it harder to obtain confident relationships. To better understand the physical characteristics of the truck's Theological values, the above analysis is made by a series of computer simulations (i.e. with CFD). From this, it is evident that the slope H of the truck's pressure values depends both on the plastic viscosity mu as well as on the yield stress tau(0). However, for the intercept G of the truck's values, it is mostly dependent on the yield stress tau(0). In addition to this, both values H and G depend on volume of concrete in the truck as well as on density.