Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world with a consumption of more than 1

m3 per inhabitant per year in industrialized countries. It is a natural material made mainly from
mineral materials (aggregates, cement) and water. Perfectly inert, concrete has exceptional
durability without the need for special maintenance. Energy-efficient in its production and 100%
recyclable at the end of its life, concrete is a material whose use is totally in line with sustainable
development.

Aggregates are delivered and unloaded by a semi-trailer into the receiving hopper. This hopper is
generally covered by a cladding that limits noise and dust emissions during unloading. This protects
the environment from these disturbances.

The aggregates are transported either by a conveyor belt or by a bucket elevator.

The aggregates are stored in hoppers or a compartmented silo, the capacity of which depends on
the production of the plant (100 to 400 m3).

The aggregates are weighed on a weighbridge or on a belt scale.

The weighed aggregates are transferred to the mixer.

The cement is delivered by a tanker truck and stored in waterproof silos fitted with filters. These
filters prevent any release of dust into the air. Different types of cement may be stored. The cement
is fed through a cement auger into a cement skip scale for weighing.

The mixer is the heart of the plant. It has a capacity of 1 to 3 m³. It receives the previously weighed
components (cement, aggregates, water) and mixes them for a period of 55 seconds to obtain a
homogeneous mixture, concrete.
 Once the mixing is complete, a door opens at the bottom of the mixer to release the concrete that
flows into the mixer truck through the loading chute.

Admixtures can be added to the production in the mixer to modify the properties of the concrete
(setting retarder, accelerator, fluidity, etc.).

The control center technician ensures that the production is carried out using the controller installed
in the control room. Automation guarantees the precision and the regularity of all the formulas for
concretes produced.

The mixer truck with a capacity of 4.6 to 8 m³ ensures the delivery of fresh concrete to the site. The
concrete must be used within two hours of its manufacture. A pump truck can be used to facilitate
the delivery of concrete and its implementation on site.

The recycler is able to process the return of concrete and the residues from cleaning the mixers: it
separates the aggregates from the loaded water. These are then reused for the production of certain
concretes. All the residues resulting from the production are thus 100% recycled with 0 discharge
into the environment.

The laboratory makes it possible to carry out tests on the concretes produced. These tests are
conducted by the laboratory technician.