Tarmac adopt innovative ready-mix technology

Company installs state-of-the-art Tarmac Assure system across entire ready-mixed concrete fleet

TARMAC say they have transformed the production and delivery of their ready-mixed concrete with innovative software that improves product quality and data accuracy to boost site productivity and resource efficiency.

The Tarmac Assure system, which the company has installed across its entire UK ready-mixed concrete fleet, collects data to measure, manage and record concrete quality at the plant, in transit and on site. Water is automatically added to ensure the material reaches its target consistency or ‘slump’.

Tarmac are the first in the UK to adopt the state-of-the-art technology that communicates and stores a detailed, permanent record of each load’s quality, helping to provide greater transparency, optimize operations and further improve mix designs.

The technology is also helping Tarmac to boost productivity and reduce programme times by ensuring concrete is ready to discharge as soon as a delivery truck arrives and reducing the need to perform on-site slump testing.

Jeremy Greenwood, managing director of Tarmac’s national commercial construction solutions business, said: ‘Tarmac Assure provides total visibility of the concrete we produce and deliver from plant to site, meaning we are consistently providing even greater accuracy, product quality and reliability for our customers. 

‘The system prevents operators from adding uncontrolled and unrecorded amounts of water to ready-mixed concrete, which can lead to inferior product quality and rejected loads, while the data it generates helps us to better understand our customers’ needs and requirements. By improving processes from real-time monitoring through to slump control, we are ensuring that the products we are producing are of the highest quality every time.’

Customers can monitor the live status of their deliveries with Tarmac Assure by logging into a dedicated mobile app, which uses GPS technology to track the precise locations of delivery vehicles. The software also provides comprehensive details of each delivery, including slump data, mix temperature, and information about water and admix additions.

James Charlesworth, managing director of Extrudakerb, one of Tarmac’s customers using the service, said: ‘The system has made a significant contribution to our operations and has allowed us to boost productivity on site by as much as 70%.

‘The technology allows much greater control over the consistency of materials than was previously achievable through batch control alone. By constantly measuring and adjusting water content, we can be confident that the quality of the concrete we pour is the same every time, regardless of journey time.’

Tarmac Assure is part of Tarmac’s ongoing transformative work to deliver innovative customer-focused digital technologies to help increase productivity and deliver efficiencies to customers.