What is the capacity of a concrete mixer truck?
2 Answers
Concrete mixer trucks generally have capacities of 5 cubic meters, 7 cubic meters, 8 cubic meters, 9 cubic meters, and 12 cubic meters. Currently, most models range from 9 to 12 cubic meters, with the largest capacity reaching 19 cubic meters. Definition of concrete mixer truck: Also known as bulk cement trucks, powder tankers, or powder bulk material carriers, these vehicles consist of a specialized truck chassis, bulk cement tank, air pipeline system, and automatic unloading device. They are suitable for transporting dry powdered materials with particle diameters not exceeding 0.1m, such as fly ash, cement, lime powder, mineral powder, and granular alkali. Primarily used by cement plants, cement warehouses, and large construction sites, they can significantly save packaging materials and reduce loading/unloading labor. Function of concrete mixer trucks: Concrete mixer trucks are specialized vehicles designed to transport ready-mixed concrete for construction purposes. These trucks are equipped with cylindrical mixing drums to carry the mixed concrete. During transportation, the drum continuously rotates to prevent the concrete from solidifying. After delivering the concrete, the drum interior is typically washed with water to prevent hardened concrete from occupying space and gradually reducing the drum's effective capacity.
I've been driving concrete mixer trucks for over a decade, and capacity really depends on the specific model. The common range is 6 to 12 cubic meters, but it varies from 4 cubic meters for small construction sites to 16 cubic meters for large projects, mainly determined by the size of the mixing drum and the truck's configuration. For example, the one I drive has a standard capacity of 9 cubic meters, but when transporting wet concrete, it can't be fully loaded—some space must be left to prevent spillage. Overloading is extremely dangerous; any bump can shift the center of gravity and easily cause a rollover. On construction sites, the boss usually requires us to deliver on time, so smaller capacity means more trips, which wastes a lot of time. It gets even harder in bad weather—rainy days require slower speeds, and a larger capacity helps save trips. Also, different brands like SANY or Volvo have significant differences in mixer truck capacities, so it's important to match the truck to the site's needs when choosing.
