Rediwash Concrete Truck Washout

The Rocktec REDI-WASH System is the most proven, rugged and comprehensive truck mixer washout system available.

REDI-WASH units are simple to install and operate and have minimum replacement parts and operating costs. Couple this with the savings that can be made on existing operations and it makes this the most cost effective investment for sustainable operation of concrete plants today.

The original REDI-WASH unit went to work in 1969 in the USA. Whilst the product and its components have evolved, the basic principles and the success (and payback) for the concrete plant operator have remained constant throughout.
Rocktec and Jadair have entered into a partnership agreement to distribute this machine throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Rocktec REDI-WASH unit's features:

• Reclaiming of all the concrete materials being washed out of truck's mixer.
  
• Provides recycled clarified water for the washouts from within the machine. A washout within 4 minutes, is achievable.
  
• Separates sand and aggregate from cement.
  
• The REDI-WASH unit becomes the basis of an environmentally correct yard. i.e. deals with yard surface water when installed with our recommendations.
  
• Eliminates ponds or discharge to waste (except exceptional excess rain water).
  
• Usually reduces fresh water intakes on existing plant.
  
• The sand and cement slurry is discharged as a spadeable, clay-like product.
  
• Most reclaimers only do some of these jobs – Redi-wash is a complete solution.
  

Three sizes of REDI-WASH units are available:

• Two station units service up to 14 mixers.
  
• Three station units service up to 28 mixers.
  
• Four station units service up to 45 mixers.
  

How it Works:

• The truck returns to the yard with waste or residue concrete.
  
• The truck backs up to the REDI-WASH machine and undertakes washout and rapid discharge into the REDI-WASH.
  
• The truck moves off and is available to pick up a new payload and deliver to next site. (Payload can be a completely different mix with no risk of recontamination from previous load).
  
• The waste concrete slurry is rapidly discharged from the mixer into the Reclaimer stage. (Stage 1) 
  
• A paddle conveyor system tumbles and agitates the material down under thousands of litres of water to free it of the cement.
  
• The cement is put into suspension in the water in the first stage.
  
• The sand and aggregate fall to the bottom.
  
• The washed aggregate is reclaimed and discharged from the machine onto a belt conveyor and can be separated into sand and aggregate by a screen (optional) at the end of the belt conveyor. The conveyor discharges into a separate bunker where the sand and aggregate is stockpiled.
  
• The old cement and fiber additives are kept in suspension in the water and transferred to the Clarifier Stage.
  
• The Clarifier section is a controlled water clarification environment which results in a thick cement by-product being discharged into a separate bunker that a front-end loader can handle like clay.
  

Quality and the Environment:

The Redi-wash unit allows both the reduction of make-up fresh water for washouts by allowing exterior truck wash and yard wash down water to be recycled, as well as providing a closed circuit which means no discharge of dirty water from the yard (under all but exceptional circumstances).

Grey Water produced from the washout of concrete trucks often has to be reused in the mix or can at very least be a problem to handle. The REDI-WASH unit actually consumes water at a rate of 500l per m3 of reclaimed concrete (through the hydrolysis process of the cementitious mix). This consumption is what allows the machine to effectively use up water including yard runoff (often high PH) and external truck wash and not require water to be discharged from the machine.

Washout water is continually clarified inside the machine and reused for washouts, this alone accounts for a substantial decrease in overall water use at the plant. About 30% of the plant's water consumption is for washouts. Not only is this water that does not need to be purchased, it is water that no longer is a disposal problem. These advantages provide benefits that ensure that Concrete Batching Plants can often meet the most stringent Council and environmental body requirements.

Product consistency:

The consistency of the concrete product is paramount and must be able to be guaranteed to meet stringent quality standards. A mixer must be washed out between loads to ensure a known starting point.

Washouts should be done with clean water and the REDI-WASH means washout water can be done from the (Stage 2) clarification tank. This water is clean enough to meet the required standards and ensures that concerns about "grey or dirty water" and washouts or contamination of new mixes are no longer an issue.

Cleaner yards and equipment:

Settling pits or ponds used for waste concrete discharge or cement sedimentation are a mess to clean out. The loader and the area become contaminated as a result of the clean out. The undercarriages of mixer trucks can become encrusted with cement making maintenance more difficult.
By-product cement clay removed from a REDI-WASH Unit is for the most part, hard and dry. It's basically clean to handle. It can be piled and won't become slimy or drain away even when rained on. This by-product is still much like cement it holds itself together and it is not dusty.
In this format it can be used for a variety of purposes and may even become another product to be sold profitability but at a minimum it is in a much reduced volume and format which reduces cost of handling and disposal.

Other features:

• The Redi-wash is able to take a full truckload of concrete (6m3) in less than ten minutes if necessary.
• Completely automated Control System. Starts Automatically when a truck arrives at teh Redi-wash unit. Washout water input to the mixer is controlled by the driver in accordance witht he quantity of concrete to be washed out. Water valves are push-button or pull cord actuated.
• The reclaimer stage has a side chute extension reaching 1.0m from the side to minimize spillage between truck and reclaimer.
• Unit includes a spray washing system with stainless steel splash guards for the reclaimer conveyor and paddles.
• The system is all-electric with variable speed drives where required. All necessary control devices are included.
•  Redi-wash includes internal water clarification.
• The Redi-wash is shipped virtually complete and placed on the designed foundation (foundation is normally the customers care and needs to include - Machine Support, Overflow Pit for fines and coarse reclaimed material and an overflow and yard wash water storage).
• 100% Workshop tested and run.

   

The extra benefits:

A number of additional benefits often accrue which the concrete plant operator may not initially be aware:

• Users of REDI-WASH units have demonstrated that the truck drum interiors stay much cleaner ensuring periodic drum chipping is virtually eliminated. This cuts maintenance costs, eliminates dented drums and no cementitious build-up behind the drum fins substantially improves mixing and therefore final delivered quality and strength.A REDI-WASH installation provides a better environment for the drivers to work in during washouts. It's cleaner and often safer and definitely quicker potentially producing extra time for extra delivered loads and profits.
  
• The area can be made compact and truck flow can make yard utilisation and efficiency increase as well as making it easy to illuminate for evening operation, delivery and washouts. The compact design means some winterized installations (in extremely cold climates) have been set up so that the driver is undercover while washing out.
  
• Because the installation can be designed so that the unit uses all external truck washdown and yard cleanup as "makeup water" it improves the whole environment (reduces dust and cement on yard surfaces) and ensures that trucks don't get concrete residue and build-up under truck chassis.
  

Savings Claims:

The REDI-WASH has been in service for a number of years and it has been possible to measure the additional savings that will accrue in a typical installation by establishing base line costs prior to installation.

Savings can occur through the following ways.

• Reclamation of material to be re-used in premium mixes instead of low value blocks
  
• Increased mixer utilization (through reduced washout or concrete waste pouring times) meaning additional delivered loads in a day.
  
• Lower maintenance through drum chipping being virtually eliminated. This also reduces the need for a potentially hazardous task to be undertaken
  
• Improved yard layout creating less congestion and improving vehicle flow and traffic efficiency.
  
• Reduced costs for volume of fresh water used in the plant.
  
• No potential environmental compliance costs through dirty water discharge.
  
• No settling ponds with associated cleanout costs including wear and tear on skidsteer or loader.
  
• Additional productive area from the removal of settling ponds.
  
• No concrete splashes on the underside of trucks creating additional cleaning costs or problems for maintenance.