Concrete Pumping Calculator
Real output, pour duration and the truck fleet needed to keep the pump fed.
Quick answer
With the default inputs: Volume to place 100 m³ · Theoretical output 60 m³/h · Efficiency factor 0.6 etc.Real output 36.0 m³/h
Edit the inputs below to recalculate.Inputs
Result
Real output
36.0m³/h
| Pour duration | 2.78h |
| In minutes | 167min |
| Trucks per hour | 4.00loads/h |
| Trucks to keep pace | 3units |
| Recommended fleet | 4units |
| Arrival interval | 15.0min |
| Total loads | 12loads |
Fleet size is round trip divided by arrival interval, excluding traffic and plant queues. Add one spare: a pump left waiting more than 30 minutes risks a cold joint.
Reverse: known result, work out one input
Enter a target result; the other inputs stay fixed and this one is worked out.
Formula
| Real output | Q = Q_theoretical × efficiency |
| Duration | t = V ÷ Q |
| Trucks per hour | n = Q ÷ truck capacity |
| Fleet | N = ceil(n × cycle ÷ 60) |
| Arrival interval | Δt = 60 ÷ n minutes |
100 m³ with a 60 m³/h pump at 0.6 efficiency, 9 m³ trucks and a 40-minute cycle: 36 m³/h real output, 2.78 hours of placing, 4 trucks per hour, 3 trucks needed (4 recommended) arriving every 15 minutes.
How to work it out
- Actual output = rated output × efficiency. Take 0.65 with a clear site and few pipe moves, 0.5 with many bends or a long vertical run, 0.45-0.55 with a placing boom.
- Duration t = total volume ÷ actual output, then divide by productive hours per shift (about 8 h less 1 h for repositioning) to get shifts.
- Arrival rate needed to keep the pump fed: n = actual output ÷ truck capacity, in trucks per hour.
- Trucks in the cycle N = ⌈n × cycle time ÷ 60⌉, with the cycle covering loading, travel, waiting, discharge and return.
- Arrival interval Δt = 60 ÷ n minutes; it must match the real truck spacing or the pump sits waiting.
Where it goes wrong
- Scheduling on the nameplate — 60 m³/h on the plate can mean 25-30 m³/h with a 100 m vertical run, doubling the programme.
- Counting trucks in transit without discharge time — a 9 m³ load takes 15 min at 35 m³/h, so if travel is only 10 min the trucks queue and choke the pump.
- Ignoring repositioning and re-piping — 1 to 1.5 h of an 8 h shift goes there, and the plan is unachievable without it.
Material and cost
Boom pump hire runs 8,000-12,000 per shift; a trailer pump with placing boom 5,000-8,000; trucks 800-1,200 each including haul within 20 km. Pumping is charged at 25-45 per m³, with a high-rise premium.
On site
- Equivalent pipe length: 1 m vertical counts as about 4 m horizontal, each 90° bend as 3-4 m; beyond 150 m equivalent, plan a relay pump.
- Prime the line with a 1:2 cement mortar and discharge that slug to waste, never into the structure.
- If pumping stops for over 30 min, reverse the line every 5 min; past initial set the only option is stripping and cleaning.
Basis
- JGJ/T 10-2011 Technical specification for concrete pumping (capacity and pipeline layout)
- GB 50666-2011 Code for construction of concrete structures, Section 7.3 (transport and pumping)
- GB/T 14902-2012 Ready-mixed concrete (transport time limits)
FAQ
Why an efficiency factor of 0.6?
Rated output assumes full load and an ideal pipeline. Real work loses time to set-up, flushing, moving the line, waiting for trucks and voltage swings, so 50-70% is typical. Pressure losses add up as roughly 1 m per 10 m of horizontal pipe and 1 m per 3 m of vertical — long lines can drop to 0.4.
What happens if I under-supply trucks?
The pump stops and waits. With ordinary concrete setting in 4-6 hours, a 30-minute wait forces constant reverse pumping and grout addition, and over an hour is effectively a cold joint with reduced strength and watertightness. One spare truck is cheaper than an idle pump: an hour of pump standing time costs far more than an extra load.
How do height and distance affect pump choice?
Every 3 m of lift equals about 1 m of horizontal pressure loss, and 100 m of horizontal pipe loses roughly 10 m of head, plus 3-5 m per bend. Boom pumps are limited by boom length; beyond about 30 storeys or 200 m horizontally you need a trailer pump with a relay. Compute the equivalent pipe length before choosing a pump.
Cite this page
Use this format in reports, method statements or coursework. The link is permanent.
Building Calculator. Concrete Pumping Calculator. 2026-10-25. https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/concrete-pump
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.