Glossary¶
A¶
Agitator — A rotating paddle inside the hopper that keeps concrete moving and prevents clogging at the pump intake.
B¶
Boom — The hydraulic articulating arm mounted on a pump truck that delivers concrete from the pump to the pour location. Boom lengths range from 28 to 70+ meters.
Boom Pump — A concrete pump mounted on a truck chassis with an articulating boom for placing concrete at height and distance.
C¶
Cutting Ring — A wear component at the interface between the pumping valve and the delivery system. Replaced every 10,000–20,000 cubic yards.
Concrete Pump — A machine that transfers liquid concrete from a hopper to the placement location using hydraulic pressure through a pipeline.
Cubic Yard — The standard unit of measurement for concrete volume in North America. One cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.
D¶
Delivery Line — The pipeline (boom pipe or ground line) through which concrete travels from the pump to the discharge point.
H¶
Hopper — The funnel-shaped receptacle on the pump that receives concrete from the ready-mix truck and feeds it into the pumping mechanism.
L¶
Line Pump — A trailer-mounted concrete pump that delivers concrete through ground-level hoses and pipes, without an articulating boom.
O¶
Outriggers — Hydraulic stabilizing legs that extend from the truck to provide a stable base during boom pump operation.
P¶
Pour — A single concrete placement operation at a job site.
Prime — The process of pumping a cement slurry or grout through the delivery lines before the main concrete pour, to lubricate the pipeline and prevent blockages.
PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) — The measure of pump output pressure. Higher PSI is required for longer distances, greater heights, and stiffer concrete mixes.
PTO (Power Take-Off) — A mechanical device that transfers engine power from the truck chassis to drive the hydraulic pump system.
Pumping Hours — The true measure of a concrete pump's usage, tracked by an hour meter that runs only when the pump is operating. More meaningful than odometer miles.
R¶
Ready-Mix — Concrete that is batched at a central plant and delivered to the job site in a mixing truck. The concrete pump operator receives ready-mix and places it.
Rock Valve — Schwing's proprietary pumping valve technology, designed to reduce wear and improve performance with aggregate-heavy mixes.
S¶
S-Tube / S-Valve — The primary pumping valve inside a concrete pump that alternates between two cylinders to create continuous concrete flow. A major wear component, replaced every 20,000–40,000 cubic yards.
Section 179 — A provision in the U.S. tax code that allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment in the year of acquisition, rather than depreciating it over time.
Slick Line — Smooth-bore steel pipe used in the boom delivery system. The interior surface wears over time from abrasive concrete aggregate.
T¶
T880 — Kenworth's Class 8 vocational truck model, widely used as a chassis for concrete pump mounting due to its heavy-duty frame, set-back axle design, and high GVWR rating.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) — The complete cost of owning and operating equipment over its useful life, including acquisition, maintenance, wear parts, fuel, insurance, and eventual disposition.
U¶
Utilization Rate — The percentage of available working hours that a pump is actually deployed on revenue-generating pours. A key profitability metric for pump operators.
W¶
Washout — The process of cleaning concrete residue from the pump, hopper, and delivery lines after each pour. Proper washout prevents concrete hardening in the system.
Wear Plates — Hardened steel plates inside the pump housing that form the sealing surface for the S-tube. Replaced as they erode from concrete abrasion.
Z¶
Z-Fold — A boom folding configuration where sections fold in a Z-pattern, allowing the boom to compact into a shorter length for transit and tight job site setups.