The simple answer to “how concrete pumps work” is, a concrete truck discharges its concrete into a hopper on the back of the pump truck. The hopper has a mesh grate the concrete falls through which prevents any large rocks or chunks from plugging the pump truck hoses. The hopper also has an auger that churns the concrete keeping it liquid and flowable.

Once the concrete is in the hopper, it gets sucked into a valve system in small intervals or strokes. As some of the concrete is being sucked into the valve, the concrete before it is being simultaneously pushed through the concrete pipe on the pump truck boom until it reaches the end of the concrete hose and placed where you need it.

Some concrete pump trucks have different types of valve systems, s-valves, ball-valves, but basically that’s how a concrete pump works. As long as the hopper stays full and there are no blockages in the concrete hoses, the process of pumping the concrete goes quite smoothly.

Having a good concrete pump truck operator is also very important. Their experience and wisdom is key to handling any problems that may occur, fixing them, and keeping the pour going.

To be a good concrete pump operator, it takes a very special person who has some great character traits. Operating a concrete pump truck requires a lot of responsibility to make sure everything goes smoothly.

A concrete pump operator’s job is very demanding, both mentally and physically. He or she has to be a leader, a self starter, and a self motivator. A pump truck operator has to get up very early in the morning to be at the job-site and all set-up before the concrete arrives.

Pumping two or three jobs in a day and working twelve to fourteen hours a day aren’t out of the ordinary when business is good. This means good concrete pump operators need to know how to do many things well.

What to look for in a good concrete pump truck operator:

1. A Good Truck Driver – Most of these pump trucks are very big, a good concrete pump driver has to be able to maneuver his pump truck in very confined areas.
2. Safety Awareness – Pump truck operators always have to be concerned about safety, if something goes wrong someone can get hurt very quickly. If a hose kinks or becomes plugged everyone needs to know what to do so nobody gets hurt.
3. Concrete knowledge – Good Pump operators have some knowledge about concrete mix designs. Which concrete mixes pump easier, Why a concrete mix is pumping hard today, what effect adding water to the mix has, what effect hot or cold temperatures have on concrete mixes, what effect adding accelerators to the concrete mix has, all things a pump operator should know.
4. Electrical & Hydraulics Experience – Being able to fix the mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems on the pump truck are a must. The newer pump trucks and concrete pumps are very technologically advanced and complex. If something breaks down, the concrete pump operator needs to know how to fix it fast. That concrete won’t stay in liquid form for very long!
5. Can Make Good Decisions Quickly – Deciding where to set up the pump truck, how to lay and hook up the concrete hoses, where to start the pour, how to complete the pour and how to proceed when a problem occurs are all decisions a concrete pumper need to be able to make.
6. Care When Cleaning Up – Cleaning out the pump truck and hoses on the job-site requires special attention. A pump operator that thoroughly cleans his truck and keeps the washout mess on the ground to a minimum, cares about what he is doing.

• About 2 billion tons of concrete is produced per year.
• The oldest piece of concrete on record is 12 million years old. Discovered in Israel in the 1960s, it’s a natural deposit created by oil shale combusting near limestone.
• Concrete was used by the Ancient Egyptians as infill material in the pyramids of the Giza Necropolis.
• Located in Rome, the Pantheon is the largest unreinforced (no metal frame) concrete dome in the world. It was built in 120 A.D.
• Thomas Edison held 49 patents relating to concrete and experimented with precast concrete houses and furniture.
• The first American concrete ship, a steamer named the S. S. Faith, was launched March 18, 1918. She cost $750,000 to build.