If you’ve been in construction for a while, you know concrete can be tricky. Order too much and you waste money. Order too little and you’re stuck with weak joints in your structure. Get the timing wrong and the concrete sets before you can use it properly.
Volumetric mixers solve these problems in a clever way. At Cardinalis Concrete, we use these machines to give our customers exactly what they need, when they need it. Let’s look at why this technology might be perfect for your next project.
What Is a Volumetric Mixer?
A volumetric mixer is basically a concrete plant on wheels. Instead of mixing concrete at a yard and then rushing it to your site, we bring all the ingredients separately and mix them right where you’re working.
The truck carries cement, sand, gravel, water, and any additives in separate compartments. When you’re ready, we mix exactly the amount you need, fresh on the spot. Think of it like having a bakery that makes your bread fresh instead of buying day-old loaves from the shop.
Fresh Concrete Every Time
This is the biggest advantage. Normal ready-mix concrete starts going off as soon as water hits the cement. By the time it gets to your site, you might only have an hour or two to work with it.
With volumetric mixing, your concrete is literally seconds old when it comes out of the truck. You get the full working time – usually three to four hours depending on the weather. This means less rushing, better placement, and stronger finished concrete.
Fresh concrete flows better, fills forms more completely, and gives you time to get the finish just right. It’s like the difference between working with soft butter straight from the counter versus trying to spread it straight from the fridge.
Get Exactly What You Need
Here’s where volumetric mixers really shine. You can order concrete by the wheelbarrow load if that’s what your job needs. No minimum orders, no waste, no ordering extra “just in case.”
Say you’re doing a small extension and you calculate you need 2.3 cubic metres. With normal ready-mix, you might have to order 3 cubic metres and waste the rest. With volumetric mixing, we make 2.3 cubic metres and stop. Simple as that.
For bigger jobs, you can start with one mix design and change it during the pour if needed. Maybe the first part needs standard concrete but the final section needs a different strength. No problem – we adjust the recipe on the truck.
Multiple Mixes from One Truck
This flexibility is brilliant for complex jobs. One truck can produce different concrete mixes throughout the day. Morning might be foundations needing one strength, afternoon could be paths needing a different mix entirely.
Traditional ready-mix trucks carry one type of concrete. If you need three different mixes, that’s three separate deliveries, three delivery charges, and careful timing to make sure you’re ready for each one.
With volumetric mixing, one truck handles the whole job. Different strengths, different colours, different additives – all from the same vehicle. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife instead of carrying separate tools.
No Waste, Lower Costs
Concrete waste costs you twice – once for the concrete you bought but didn’t use, and again for disposal fees. Most sites end up with some waste because ordering exact quantities is nearly impossible with traditional methods.
Volumetric mixers eliminate this waste. We make what you need and stop. If your measurements were slightly off, we adjust on the spot. No concrete goes in the skip, no money gets wasted.
Over the course of a project, these savings add up. Jobs that would normally waste 10-15% of their concrete often waste nothing at all with volumetric mixing.
Perfect for Awkward Jobs
Some projects are just difficult. Maybe you’re working in a busy town centre where concrete trucks can only visit at certain times. Perhaps you’re doing renovation work where you need small amounts spread over several days.
Volumetric mixers handle these situations brilliantly. We can arrive early, set up, and produce concrete throughout the day as you need it. No multiple deliveries, no storage problems, no concrete going off whilst you’re waiting to use it.
Remote sites benefit too. Instead of worrying about concrete setting during a long journey from the plant, we bring the plant to you.
Better Quality Control
When concrete comes from a central plant, you’re trusting that the batch was mixed properly and hasn’t been sitting around too long. With volumetric mixing, you can watch your concrete being made.
The mix proportions are controlled electronically, so they’re consistent every time. Water content is precise, which is crucial for strength. If there’s ever a question about the mix, we can adjust it before it goes into your forms.
This transparency gives you confidence in your concrete quality. You know exactly what went into the mix and when it was made.
Time Savings for Complex Projects
Traditional concrete delivery requires careful coordination. You need to be ready when the truck arrives because the concrete won’t wait. This puts pressure on your whole team and can create problems if other trades are running late.
Volumetric mixers give you breathing room. The truck arrives and waits until you’re ready. Need an extra hour to finish the steel fixing? No problem. Want to start the pour earlier because rain is forecast? We can do that too.
This flexibility reduces stress and often prevents costly delays.
Ideal for Small to Medium Jobs
Volumetric mixers are particularly good for jobs that fall into that awkward middle ground. Too big for mixing by hand, but not quite big enough to justify multiple ready-mix deliveries.
Garden walls, house extensions, small commercial slabs, repair work – these jobs often struggle with traditional concrete supply. Volumetric mixing gives you a professional solution that matches the scale of your project.
Weather Doesn’t Stop You
Hot weather makes concrete set faster. Cold weather slows it down. With normal ready-mix, you’re stuck with whatever the weather does to your concrete during transport.
Volumetric mixers let us adjust for weather conditions on site. Hot day? We can add retarders to slow the setting. Cold morning? We can use accelerators to help the concrete cure properly. The concrete gets mixed in current conditions, not the conditions from two hours ago at the plant.
Easy Access to Hard-to-Reach Areas
Volumetric mixer trucks are usually smaller than traditional concrete trucks. This means they can get into tighter spaces and navigate narrow site access better.
The mixing happens at low height too, so overhead obstacles that might stop a big ready-mix truck aren’t usually a problem. We can often get much closer to where you need the concrete, reducing your pumping or wheelbarrowing distance.
Perfect for Phased Pours
Some jobs need concrete in stages. Maybe you’re doing foundations one week and slabs the next. Or perhaps you’re working around other trades and can only pour certain sections at specific times.
With traditional supply, this means multiple deliveries, multiple delivery charges, and careful scheduling. With volumetric mixing, one truck can handle the whole project over time. We come back when you’re ready for the next phase.
Environmental Benefits
Volumetric mixing reduces waste, which is good for the environment. Less waste means fewer lorries taking unused concrete to disposal sites and less demand for new materials.
The trucks are also more efficient for smaller jobs. Instead of sending a big ready-mix truck half empty, we bring exactly what’s needed in a smaller vehicle.
When Volumetric Mixing Makes Sense
Volumetric mixers aren’t always the answer, but they’re perfect for many situations. Small to medium jobs, projects needing multiple mix designs, awkward access sites, and jobs where timing flexibility matters all benefit from this approach.
At Cardinalis Concrete, we help customers choose the right concrete supply method for their specific needs. Sometimes that’s traditional ready-mix for big, straightforward pours. But often, volumetric mixing provides a better solution.
If you’re tired of concrete waste, frustrated with inflexible delivery schedules, or working on projects that don’t fit the standard ready-mix model, volumetric mixers might be exactly what you need. They bring the concrete plant to your job, giving you fresh concrete, exact quantities, and the flexibility to work at your own pace.