The ACPA is dedicated to the education and promotion of concrete pump safety to the concrete pumping industry and for all those who come into contact with a concrete pump on a construction job. We're here to teach you how you, and others around you, can stay safer on the job.
Our instructors have over 50 years of combined concrete pumping experience.
The following Operator Safety Seminars are scheduled for 2025:
In this article, we explore the technical and financial impacts of optimizing concrete mix design for pumpability in construction projects. We offer key insights, such as the importance of achieving an optimal aggregate gradation to minimize pump pressure, balancing paste volume within a well-graded granular skeleton, and managing risks like segregation and excessive concrete pump pressures. Proper mix design not only reduces issues like line clogging, but also ensures smoother operations, better efficiency and cost savings. By understanding and leveraging these strategies, concrete pumping professionals can achieve regulatory compliance, reduce project costs and enhance the durability of their work, solidifying their competitive edge in the industry. The graphic below offers a quick overview of paste content relative to pumping pressure and cost.
“There is no such thing as a free lunch, son.” My father said this to me when I was a young boy, as I’m sure many other fathers have said (or a variation thereof) to their children. If my father were alive today, I would counter that he did not know the concrete pumping industry, where we give away many things for free all the time! We give away so much stuff that we consider it normal and don’t think twice about it. In addition to giving away free stuff, we often take on risk and exposure that we shouldn’t. Is it any wonder that the concrete pumping industry is plagued by low margins and poor profitability? I will focus on three items that are often given away or discounted significantly on a regular basis.
An unfortunate truth is that incidents happen, especially in construction. Despite rigorous safety measures, job site hazards can lead to injuries and temporarily sideline valuable employees. While adopting best-in-class safety practices remains essential to minimize risk, what happens after an incident is equally critical. As employers, concrete pumping companies have a responsibility to anticipate hazards and develop controls to reduce claim frequency and severity.
With great sadness and heavy hearts, we share the passing of Dave Adams, former President and CEO of Putzmeister and former ACPA Board Member, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The introduction of ACI Code 323 on low-carbon concrete marks a pivotal shift in pushing sustainability within the concrete industry. Its primary objective is clear — reduce global warming potential (GWP) by revisiting the fundamentals of concrete mix design, material sourcing and production techniques. By incorporating provisions for environmental product declarations (EPDs), ACI Code 323 facilitates greater transparency and accountability for lifecycle environmental impacts. The code applies to sizable projects such as buildings over 50,000 square feet and pavements or other structures exceeding 7,500 cubic yards.
