ABSTRACT
One advantage of using special placing equipment, such as a concrete pump, is that the crane is released for more labour intensive jobs which should not be interrupted, such as steel fixing and form work erection. Another advantage is that of quality assurance. A pump can handle a lot of concrete in a short space of time, requiring a great deal of concentration on the part of the concrete producers, who know that if the concrete is not consistent, with the correct cement content, it may be rejected by the pump operator. The pump operator, in turn, helps towards assurance of good uniform concrete, as he quickly acquires an expertise in judging the properties of concrete and does not want a bad load to overstrain his pump, cause extra wear or even create a blockage. It goes without saying that the contract for the supply of concrete should include a clause that the concrete can be satisfactorily handled by the pump to be used, although disputes have arisen where people have made unrelated contracts with a readymix supplier and a pump hirer, leaving one blaming the other for the concrete not going through the pump. The contractor will get a better job if he can get his sub-contractors to work together.
