Ready-mix concrete is concrete batched and mixed at an off-site location (a central batching plant) and brought to your site "ready to use." This type of concrete differs from regular concrete, which is batched and mixed on the job site.

If you are working on a project that requires on-demand delivery of concrete mix to your site, a ready-mix concrete supplier will ensure no time is lost waiting for the delivery of materials. But which type of ready-mix concrete is right for your needs? Not all ready-mix concrete is created equal.

Three main options exist for ready-mix concrete, as highlighted below.

Central-Mixed Concrete

All the primary ingredients (including water) required to manufacture concrete are batched and thoroughly mixed in a stationary mixer at a central plant site. Once the desired concrete mix consistency is achieved, the concrete is transferred to the transit truck. 

The truck has a mixing drum that serves as an agitator to help maintain the concrete mix consistency during transit. Non-agitating units may also be used to deliver concrete from the plant site if short distances are involved.

Transit-Mixed Concrete

As the name suggests, this kind of ready-mix concrete is usually manufactured in a truck mixer instead of a plant mixer. While some or all of the ingredients required to manufacture concrete are loaded into the truck at the plant, the mixing process occurs while driving to the job site.

Transit-mixed concrete works well for job sites located too far away from the plant site, as ingredients can be loaded dry and water introduced only when it is deemed necessary. This gives concrete users greater control over the quality of the concrete they receive.

Shrink-Mixed Concrete 

This type of ready-mix concrete combines aspects of central-mixed and transit-mixed concrete in that the concrete is lightly mixed in a plant mixer and then transferred to a truck mixer, where the remainder of the mixing process is completed as the mixer truck travels to the worksite.

How much pre-transit mixing is required depends on the distance to be covered when delivering concrete to you. The shorter the distance, the more mixing will have to be done at the plant site.

With the various options available for ready-mix concrete, you can be confused about which concrete type is right for your construction needs. Talk to the companies near you that supply this product to determine what you need for your specific project.