Concrete Academy Day 2018 a Success!

On March 29, 2018, Bay-Lynx hosted our 4th annual Concrete Academy Day. Beginning at the Marquis Gardens in Ancaster, the morning and early afternoon was spent talking about detailed components of concrete (aggregate, water, cement) and the concrete industry.

Bay-Lynx’s own Sam Overduin talked about the components of concrete, their purpose and creating the right mix. Tom Palme, also of Bay-Lynx, talked about how to market your company when using a volumetric mixer as part of your fleet. Guest speakers included Bart Leupen of Sika, Angie Luis of McInnis Cement and Francis Mongeon of BASF Canada.

After the morning presentations and delicious meal provided by the Marquis Gardens, the group moved on to the Bay-Lynx head office where Mark Pennings of Bay-Lynx had prepared a volumetric mixer demonstration. The last part of the day was spent with everyone having a chance to review the mixer in detail and touring our the manufacturing facility. Many of our guests commented that they were impressed by the speed at which the mixer was able to produce the concrete.

There was alot of great content shared and equally great questions asked. Here are a few insights from the day.

Augers in Volumetric Mixers vs. Drum Mixers

A common question that came up was how a 9-foot auger can fully mix concrete at such a short distance. The reason this is a common question is because people are used to seeing big drums mixing an entire batch of concrete. The difference is that the volumetric mixer mixes only the concrete necessary. This allows the components of the concrete to be mixed in smaller sizes.

While the drums have to mix the entire 10 meters3, the volumetric mixers mix small amounts while being produced. The larger the batch that needs to be mixed, the more time it needs to be mixed. But when you are dealing with the exact same aggregates and are able to mix it in smaller portions, a 9 foot auger is able to mix the aggregates completely.

Choosing Your Aggregate is Key

Another interesting point brought up was the importance of having well graded concrete. Not only does this provide a stronger concrete, but it saves money by using less of the most costly component – cement.  The below illustration provides a visual to help you understand how to ensure your concrete aggregate is graded correctly:

grade example

Below each example is the amount of cement paste that the patters uses. You can see that the better graded the aggregate is, the less cement paste is being used without sacrificing strength. Choosing your aggregate is key. There are many factors to consider about when choosing an aggregate including size, shape and texture.

Everyone went home knowing more about the concrete they deal with on an everyday basis to enhance their on-site performance. Bay-Lynx looks forward to hosting the 5th annual Concrete Academy Day next year.