Abstract: There is described a system for determining air content of fresh concrete received in a drum of a concrete mixer. The system generally has a high energy photon source mounted to the drum and emitting high energy photons towards a photon path rotating about a rotation axis as the drum rotates, the photon path is immersed in the fresh concrete during rotation, a photon detector mounted to the drum, the photon detector counting high energy photons received from the photon path; and generating a signal indicative of a number of counted events; a computing device determining an air content value of the fresh concrete based on the generated signal and on reference data; comparing the determined air content value to an air content threshold; and generating an alert based on the comparison to be displayed.

Abstract: There is described a probe for monitoring fresh concrete received in a drum of a fresh concrete mixer. The probe generally has an electromechanical actuator having a frame mounted within the drum and a moving element actuatably mounted to the frame, the moving element having a fresh concrete interface exposed within the drum and experiencing a resistance to movement within the drum upon actuation of the electromechanical actuator with an electrical signal; and a measurement unit measuring a resistance response during the actuation and generating a response signal based on the measured resistance response, the generated response signal comprising monitoring Information concerning the fresh concrete within the drum, if any.

Abstract: A system for a concrete mixer having a drum receiving fresh concrete therein. The system generally has: a sensor measuring a set of measurand values indicative of a measurand associated with at least one of the fresh concrete, the drum and components of the concrete mixer; and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller performing the steps of: accessing the set of measurand values generated by the sensor; using a trained data processing engine stored on the non-transitory memory, at least one of determining a property value indicative of a property of the fresh concrete, determining a parameter value indicative of a parameter of the drum, and determining that the set of measurand values are indicative of some operating conditions of the concrete mixer; and outputting a signal based on said determining.

Abstract: The application presents a system generally having a rotatable drum rotatably for receiving fresh concrete, the drum having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force fresh concrete inside the drum towards a discharge outlet of the drum, at least one discharge outlet sensor disposed at the discharge outlet of the drum and being configured to sense the presence of fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and a controller communicatively coupled with the at least one discharge outlet sensor, the controller being configured for performing the steps of: receiving a signal from the at least one discharge outlet sensor indicative of the presence of the discharged fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and determining at least one parameter based on the received signal.

Abstract: The method of handling fresh concrete generally includes the steps of receiving a viscosity value of the fresh concrete and a pressure value of a pressure exerted on a Theological probe moving in the fresh concrete; using a processor, accessing at least two calibration data sets, the at least two calibration data sets including combinations of different reference pressure values and associated reference workability values for a corresponding one of at least two reference viscosity values; determining a viscosity difference value by comparing the received viscosity value to the at least two reference viscosity values; and determining a workability value of the workability of the fresh concrete based on the reference workability values associated with reference pressure values corresponding to the received pressure value in the at least two calibration data sets and on the viscosity difference value; and handling the fresh concrete based on the determined workability value.

Abstract: A method for detecting segregation occurring in fresh concrete mixture being agitated in a drum generally includes: rotating said drum about its rotation axis at a low rotational speed for agitating said fresh concrete mixture during at least a rotation; said fresh concrete mixture segregating, said segregating including gravity pulling denser concrete ingredients downwards in said fresh concrete mixture; measuring a plurality of pressure values indicative of pressure exerted onto a rheological probe mounted inside said drum and moving through said fresh concrete mixture as said drum rotates; providing reference data indicative of a behaviour of said rheological probe in a fresh concrete mixture in said absence of said segregating; and detecting that said segregating has occurred, including comparing at least some of said measured pressure values to said reference data.

Abstract: There are described methods and systems for handling fresh concrete inside a drum. In an aspect, a method of determining calibration data for use in determining workability of fresh concrete inside a rotating drum based on hydraulic pressure is described. This method has receiving a probe pressure value indicative of pressure exerted on a rheological probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the fresh concrete; determining a workability value indicative of workability of the fresh concrete based on the probe pressure value and on calibration data for the rheological probe; receiving a hydraulic pressure value indicative of pressure of a hydraulic fluid used for rotating the drum; and determining hydraulic calibration data by associating the hydraulic pressure value and the workability value to one another.

Abstract: There is described a method for confirming delivery of bulk material from a bed of a dump truck based on hydraulic pressure. The dump truck has a driving device moving the bed between a rest position and a delivery position. The method generally having: using a hydraulic pressure sensor, measuring a plurality of hydraulic pressure values indicative of pressure of a hydraulic fluid of the driving device as the bed is moved; and using a controller communicatively coupled to the hydraulic pressure sensor: monitoring a slope at which at least some of the plurality of hydraulic pressure values vary over a given period of time; and generating a delivery confirmation indicative that a delivery of the bulk material has occurred based on a comparison between said monitored slope and a delivery slope threshold.

Abstract: There is described a system for determining air content of fresh concrete received in a drum of a concrete mixer. The system generally has a high energy photon source mounted to the drum and emitting high energy photons towards a photon path rotating about a rotation axis as the drum rotates, the photon path is immersed in the fresh concrete during rotation, a photon detector mounted to the drum, the photon detector counting high energy photons received from the photon path; and generating a signal indicative of a number of counted events; a computing device determining an air content value of the fresh concrete based on the generated signal and on reference data; comparing the determined air content value to an air content threshold; and generating an alert based on the comparison to be displayed.

Abstract: A system for a concrete mixer having a drum receiving fresh concrete therein. The system generally has: a sensor measuring a set of measurand values indicative of a measurand associated with at least one of the fresh concrete, the drum and components of the concrete mixer; and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller performing the steps of: accessing the set of measurand values generated by the sensor; using a trained data processing engine stored on the non-transitory memory, at least one of determining a property value indicative of a property of the fresh concrete, determining a parameter value indicative of a parameter of the drum, and determining that the set of measurand values are indicative of some operating conditions of the concrete mixer; and outputting a signal based on said determining.

Abstract: A method for determining cleanliness of a drum of a fresh concrete mixer truck. The method generally has: rotating the drum about the rotation axis with a constant torque; using a rotational speed sensor, measuring a plurality of speed values corresponding to speeds at which the drum rotates at different moments in time during said rotating; and using a controller, receiving the plurality of speed values; accessing calibration data having different reference speed values-related data associated to corresponding reference degrees of cleanliness of the drum; comparing at least some of the speed values to the calibration data; and determining a degree of cleanliness of the drum based on said comparison.

Abstract: There is described a method for determining a volume of fresh concrete being discharged from a drum during a discharge, the drum being rotatable and having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force the fresh concrete towards a discharge outlet of the drum. The method generally has discharging a volume of the fresh concrete from the drum by rotating the drum in the unloading direction for a given number of discharge rotations; obtaining discharge flow rate variation data indicative of a discharge flow rate varying as function of discharge rotations; and determining a discharged volume value indicative of the volume of fresh concrete being discharged from the drum of the mixer truck during said discharge based on the given number of discharge rotations and on the discharge flow rate variation data.

Abstract: A method for mixing concrete constituents that generally has a step of rotating a drum having a probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the concrete constituents being mixed inside the drum; a step of receiving a first set of pressure values indicative of pressure exerted on the probe by the concrete constituents, the pressure values of the first set being taken at different circumferential positions of the probe during a single rotation of the drum; a step of determining a deviation of the pressure values of the first set from reference data; and a step of reducing a rotation speed of the drum upon determining that the deviation is lower than a threshold value.

Abstract: There is described a method for determining a volume of fresh concrete being discharged from a dmm during a discharge, the drum being rotatable and having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force the fresh concrete towards a discharge outlet of the drum. The method generally has discharging a volume of the fresh concrete from the drum by rotating the drum in the unloading direction for a given number of discharge rotations; obtaining discharge flow rate variation data indicative of a discharge flow rate varying as function of discharge rotations; and determining a discharged volume value indicative of the volume of fresh concrete being discharged from the drum of the mixer truck during said discharge based on the given number of discharge rotations and on the discharge flow rate variation data.

Abstract: The rheological probe generally has a base; an inner member fixedly connected to the base and extending away from the base, the inner member having in succession a base portion proximate to the base, and a tip away from the base, and a deformable portion located between the base portion and the tip; a shell member covering the inner member, the shell member having a proximal portion being pivotally connected to the base for pivoting about a pivot axis when subjected to a resistance pressure imparted by a relative movement of the probe in a rheological substance, and a distal portion, the distal portion being engaged with the tip, the shell member having mating features being pivotally engaged with corresponding features of the base, the mating features being located on transversally opposite sides of the proximal portion; and a deformation sensor mounted to the deformable portion.

Abstract: There is disclosed a computer-implemented method for determining a density value of a fresh concrete sample using an acoustic probe assembly. The acoustic probe assembly has an acoustic path, an acoustic emitter configured to emit an acoustic signal along the acoustic path, and an acoustic receiver configured to receive the acoustic signal after propagation along the acoustic path. The acoustic probe assembly is configured and adapted to generate an electromagnetic signal indicative of a duration of time taken by the acoustic signal to travel from the acoustic emitter to the acoustic receiver across the fresh concrete sample. The method generally has a step of determining the duration of time based on the electromagnetic signal, a step of matching the duration to a density value using reference data, and a step of displaying the density value.

Abstract: There are described methods and systems for handling fresh concrete inside a drum . In an aspect, a method of determining calibration data for use in determining workability of fresh concrete inside a rotating drum based on hydraulic pressure is described. This method has receiving a probe pressure value indicative of pressure exerted on a rheological probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the fresh concrete; determining a workability value indicative of workability of the fresh concrete based on the probe pressure value and on calibration data for the rheological probe; receiving a hydraulic pressure value indicative of pressure of a hydraulic fluid used for rotating the drum; and determining hydraulic calibration data by associating the hydraulic pressure value and the workability value to one another.

Abstract: There is described a system generally having a rotatable drum rotatably for receiving fresh concrete, the drum having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force fresh concrete inside the drum towards a discharge outlet of the drum, at least one discharge outlet sensor disposed at the discharge outlet of the drum and being configured to sense the presence of fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and a controller communicatively coupled with the at least one discharge outlet sensor, the controller being configured for performing the steps of: receiving a signal from the at least one discharge outlet sensor indicative of the presence of the discharged fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and determining at least one parameter based on the received signal.

Abstract: There is described a method for determining cleanliness of a drum of a fresh concrete mixer truck. The method generally has: rotating the drum about the rotation axis with a constant torque; using a rotational speed sensor, measuring a plurality of speed values corresponding to speeds at which the drum rotates at different moments in time during said rotating; and using a controller, receiving the plurality of speed values; accessing calibration data having different reference speed values-related data associated to corresponding reference degrees of cleanliness of the drum; comparing at least some of the speed values to the calibration data; and determining a degree of cleanliness of the drum based on said comparison.

Abstract: There is described a method for mixing concrete constituents that generally has a step of rotating a drum having a probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the concrete constituents being mixed inside the drum; a step of receiving a first set of pressure values indicative of pressure exerted on the probe by the concrete constituents, the pressure values of the first set being taken at different circumferential positions of the probe during a single rotation of the drum.