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Concrete Chipping

Regular Concrete Chipping Service Appointments Keep Your Trucks Moving

Routine maintenance in the form of a concrete chipping service is the best way to keep your ready mix drums healthy, your team able to get work done, and your drums free of caked-on concrete.

Every concrete pour results in some material being left behind inside your mixing drum. And, while that material may not be an issue initially, it accumulates over time — carrying costly problems along with it. By hiring a licensed team such as General Chipping for concrete chipping work every three months, you keep your drums clear, your customers happy and your crew prepared to take on whatever work lies ahead.

At General Chipping, our goal is to get your concrete chipping done quickly, thoroughly and with little to no downtime for your crew. With a wealth of experience chipping concrete, a coast-to-coast service area, 24/7 availability and regular OSHA safety training aimed at ensuring our crew is being safe and efficient, General Chipping keeps your operations ready to roll.

Why is it Important to Chip Concrete from Your Ready Mix Truck Drums?

Accumulated concrete can impact your drums, output and finances in a number of ways. Here are a few of the most common concerns that come into play.

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Dried Concrete Loads Your Drums Down with Excess Weight

Put simply, concrete is pretty heavy. When you allow too much dried material to accumulate inside your mixing drum, it can throw it off balance, slow down its spin and lead to budget-breaking repairs and replacements. In addition, lags or halts in your drum’s spin can also make it difficult to get all of your concrete’s ingredients blended as they should be..

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Mechanical Issues Can Stop Your Crew’s Work in its Tracks

In extreme circumstances, concrete buildup can halt a ready mix truck drum altogether. And when your crew can’t mix concrete, it can’t do its job. This particular issue can lead to a ripple effect, since failing to meet customer expectations on one occasion can have a negative impact on future business.

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Crowded Mixing Drums Make for Lower Carrying Capacity

It stands to reason that, the more dried material inside the drum, the less room there is for fresh concrete. And lower capacity means extra trips between your concrete plant and job sites, wasting precious time, subjecting your fleet to unnecessary wear and tear and guzzling up extra gas.

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Unwanted Pieces Make Their Way into Your Concrete Blends

The hardened concrete along your drum’s walls doesn’t always stay there. Sometimes bits and pieces will break off, falling into your wet material. This can lead to a lumpy finished product that doesn’t just serve as an eyesore, but can create structural concerns, as well.

How Do General Chipping’s Concrete Chipping Appointments Work?

At General Chipping, our concrete chippers work with your company’s schedule to ensure your appointments fall at a time that works for you. Most appointments take place during 12-hour overnight shifts, but we are glad to accommodate special requests. Here’s what a typical appointment to have crews chip concrete from your redi mix concrete trucks looks like.

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The General Chipping team travels to your location at a predetermined time, based on information you’ve provided our office staff. Appointments often begin at about 6 p.m.

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Following a brief warmup, our concrete chippers physically enter your redi mix concrete truck drums armed with handheld jackhammers, proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and a dedication to a job done right. They use the jackhammers to chip away at the hardened concrete which has formed along your drum’s walls.

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Chipped-out concrete is then ushered outside through your redi mix concrete drum’s openings and piled to facilitate easier hauling.

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At approximately 6 a.m., once drums are cleared and our concrete chippers have cleaned up the job site, it’s time to pack our belongings and hit the road for our next stop.

Please Note: At the same time certain crew members are working to chip concrete from your drums, others are likely taking care of central mixer and cement silo cleaning work. Although not required, we find most companies prefer to take care of all three services at once

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Why is it Important to Chip Concrete from Your Ready Mix Truck Drums?

As we’ve indicated, accumulated concrete can impact your drums, output and finances in a number of ways. Here are a few of the most common concerns that come into play.

Don’t Place Your People or Equipment at Risk

Confined spaces, flying debris and other hazards make concrete chipping incredibly dangerous work. As such, it should only be carried out by a licensed professional. When interviewing potential concrete chipping companies, we encourage asking for proof of insurance and proper licensure.

By taking this additional step at the start of your relationship, you don’t just help ensure your concrete chippers understand the safest way to go about the work. You’re also better protected from expensive replacement costs that could come into play if an uninsured company would damage your equipment.