The key purpose behind concrete chipping services is to keep the drums of your ready mix trucks free of caked-on concrete that can add unwanted weight, throw off the drum’s balance and lower carrying capacity, too. And each concrete pour your crew takes on contributes to buildup. At General Chipping, we like to explain things in terms of
a water bottle flipped onto its side. Although that bottle will be mostly empty once you’ve finished the water, there are always a few droplets left behind. The same thing happens with your redi mix trucks. Even with precise planning, every concrete pour leaves some residue inside your truck drum. That material might not be a big deal at the start, but it accumulates over time. And that
leads to costly issues like those we mentioned previously — and can go as far as to
impact your concrete blends, too. Concrete chipping services are the easiest way to stop such issues before they become full-on trouble. Experts in our field recommend
booking concrete chipping appointments every three months.
You might be surprised to learn that traditional concrete chipping appointments aren’t focused solely on your ready mix truck drums. Because the goal is to keep your drums, cement storage silos and central mixers healthy and working well together, most companies offer services for all three at once. In other words, your appointment will most likely include
ready mix drum chipping,
cement silo cleaning and
central mixer cleaning services. Here’s a brief overview of what goes into such work:
- Concrete Chipping: Using handheld jackhammers, crews physically enter your ready-mix truck drums to remove hardened material that has dried along the walls. This improves your carrying capacity and helps ward off mechanical issues which can lead to costly slowdowns, repairs and replacements.
- Silo Cleaning: Members of your chosen company’s silo cleaning crew are lowered down into your cement storage silos. Once inside, they remove clumps and clogs that slow the release of your cement — and can hold up your projects. Those clogs are ushered out the bottom of the silo.
NOTE: Excess moisture often results in clumps and clogs inside your cement silos. As such, silo cleaning services are especially important in areas that see heightened humidity levels.
- Central Mixer Cleaning: Similar to concrete chipping services, central mixer cleaning involves crew members reaching inside your team’s mixer to remove hardened material from drum walls. This results in a healthier mixer capable of holding more material than before.
Of course, each concrete chipping company has its own way of doing business. You’ll want to find a company that you feel confident will treat your valuable fleet and equipment with care — and is proficient in the work, as well.
Here are some tips to help guide your decision:
- Find a Concrete Chipping Company That’s Known to Do Good Work: You know the idea that word of mouth is the best form of advertising? There’s a lot to that. Oftentimes one company’s experience with a concrete chipping crew is indicative of how the crew regularly works. We recommend reaching out to friends and colleagues in the industry regarding past concrete chipping appointments. Which companies have they hired? What was the experience like? What would they do differently? Would they hire them again? Of course, if you’d like to take things a step further, you can look for online review and Better Business Bureau (BBB) rankings — or even ask the company for testimonials or references.
- Find a Concrete Chipping Company That’s Flexible: Since no other company operates exactly like yours, no other concrete chipping appointment will be exactly like yours, either. It’s important to find concrete chippers who are willing to talk through any special considerations your project might require, and make concessions where needed. For instance, if your concrete plant sits near a residential area, noise ordinances might require such work to take place outside of traditional concrete chipping hours. Meanwhile, drums known to have experienced mechanical issues in the past might require a little extra TLC. Take time to think through any issues that might affect the work and make them known to your potential chipping crew. There’s a good chance they’ll be willing to work with you.
- Find a Concrete Chipping Company That’s Licensed: It might seem silly to look into a potential concrete chipping crew’s certifications, but there are quite a few unlicensed companies out there. And if an unlicensed team causes damage to your valued drums, silos and equipment? It can leave you footing costly bills for repairs or replacements. At General Chipping, we encourage concrete and construction companies to ask for proof of a crew’s licenses before hiring them on. In addition, ask about any training requirements they have in place for team members. Crews that carry out continuing education help ensure their members are at the top of their game — and ready to take on your work in the smartest, safest way possible.
Your company’s exact timeframe will vary slightly, based on considerations such as your volume of work, the
type of concrete you pour and even the ready mix trucks that make up your fleet. As a general rule, however, you should
book concrete chipping appointments quarterly. Don’t forget to
schedule silo cleaning and
central mixer cleaning services while you’re at it, to keep everything in top shape.
